despondman's Tiger Meet Hurricane **Finished**

[despondman]

In early 1939 No.74 Squadron, known as the Tiger Squadron, decides that that one of its new MkI Hawker Hurricanes will represent the squadron at the the 1939 Tiger Meet to be held in May at the Reims – Champagne Air Base in Northern France. The famed South African air ace Sailor Malan, a Flight Lieutenant with the squadron, has the idea of painting the Hurricane in a Tiger scheme, the first time any aircraft attending the meet had been so liveried. The Hurricane also displayed in its Tiger colours at the last ever Empire Air Day on 20 May 1939. Although several German pilots claimed to have shot down a 'seltsame Tiger Flugzeug' during the Battle of France the plane had been returned to a standard RAF paint scheme during the summer of 1939.

For this build I will be using an Airfix 1/72 Hurricane MkI.


The original Tiger scheme plans have been secured showing that two slightly different schemes were considered.

[TobyC]

Are you going to paint that scheme or do you have some sneaky decal set lurking?

[Martin R]

Fab idea, Dman. If you're looking for help to make up your mind which scheme you will do, I like the one on the left.

regards,

Martin

[fredk]

T'will be colourful.
I too prefer the one the left.

[Kitaholic]

Yes , the left one definitely has something about it

[MarkyM607]

Yes, the left one would be the one I would go for.

[Jagewa]

Oooo that's a cracking idea.

[iggie]

I love a good Tiger meet scheme and this is a great idea!
The one on the left for me too

[despondman]

Are you going to paint that scheme or do you have some sneaky decal set lurking?

It is going to be painted Toby.

Well the forum seems to have spoken and so I will use the left hand scheme. Here are the sprue shots. This is of course one of Airfix's new toolings, and is very much in contrast to the old tooling B-25 I've just built for the Twin-Prop Bomber GB.

[despondman]

It is a lovely kit and you can make a very quick start with it. It has a lot of detail, although I know for some the panel lines are too deep. It certainly gives a nicely detailed wheel bay, and the base of the cockpit is built onto the top of the wing parts.

[Molly-new]

That does look like a nice kit, and a cracking scheme to go with it. I have built a few Tigermeet kits and TBH the worst part is fitting all the decals on, so painting it is probably a wise decision.

[TimJ]

Off to a good start, it looks a very nice kit.

[despondman]

Cockpit painted and fuselage and wings ready to go together.
Did nothing more than paint the cockpit and use the instrument panel decal.

[Martin R]

Looks like it practically falls together. Good. That brings us closer to the painting!

[TimJ]

Off to a good start.