1:48 Hawker Typhoon Mk. IB "Car Door" 1943

Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB, Car Door, 1943, 1:48 – Hobby 2000

An injection-molded plastic model of the British fighter-bomber Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB in the Car Door configuration, in 1:48 scale from Hobby 2000. The package uses the proven plastic tooling from Hasegawa and adds quality decals from the Cartograf printer along with painting masks. The Car Door designation refers to the early cockpit form with side-hinged doors resembling a car's, typical of early production Typhoons deployed in 1943.

The real subject

The Hawker Typhoon was a British fighter-bomber of the Royal Air Force from the Second World War. It was powered by the massive Napier Sabre engine and carried heavy armament of four 20 mm cannons. Early aircraft had a cockpit with side doors and a framed glazed section behind the pilot; only later was it replaced by a bubble canopy. The Typhoon excelled as a ground-attack aircraft, striking equipment and communications over occupied Europe with bombs and, later, rockets.

Building and painting tips

Glue the plastic with thin liquid modeling cement and carefully sand down the seams. The Car Door cockpit frame has a lot of divided panels — the included masks make clean spraying of the glazing much easier. Apply a primer before painting; spray the upper camouflage and undersides with an airbrush. The Cartograf decals are thin and adhere well; apply them over a glossy base with a setting solution. The characteristic identification stripes are also easy to get precise with the help of masking.

Who the model is for

• fans of British aviation and Second World War ground-attack aircraft
• anyone interested in the early Car Door versions of the Typhoon from 1943
• modelers who will appreciate proven plastic supplemented with Cartograf decals and masks
• builders experienced with an airbrush and masking glazing

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints, and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.