A new look for your big typhoon? Eaglcals 24th scale Hawker Typhoon Part I in Review

We have been very much looking forward to the new Airfix Typhoon in 24^th scale coming out – but seeing there are only so many 24^th scale markings going about it would not be long till alternatives to the box decals are needed – EagleCals has answered the call – we have one of their new sheets today for review…

Hawker Typhoon Part I

EagleCals #159

1/24th scale

Three schemes + national markings

Sales price: $21.50 +P&P from Eagle Editions directly

So all of the kids are going to buy one – the new Airfix Typhoon in 1/24^th scale screams popular and aftermarket. There will be plenty of modellers out there and you know how we are – we all want to be special cases and do a scheme that no one else has done – and now eagle editions has given us six different schemes from two separate sheets now available.

We will look at the first sheet in the mix - EagleCals #159 Hawker Typhoon Part I today in this review – with some pics from the aircraft as they were and a look at the decals as they are.

 

The package is in a clear zip-loc bag with a fold out instruction sheet. One side of the folded out cover shows a rundown on the basic particulars of each of the aircraft on one side with the stencil placement on the other

Mark Proulx has again done the research for these decals which gives me some confidence as he is very good at finding the truth about the aircraft he researches. He lists the reference sources so you can look up your particular scheme which is great – the 2^nd Tactical Airforce Vol. III book we had was a good source for all three of these aircraft. More on this later….

The closed up back page shows the camo patterns on the under and upper surfaces of these aircraft which were pretty much the same pattern.

The cover rear has the three large profiles of each of the Typhoons in side-on view – this is well illustrated and shaded showing noted details on each as well as the decal positions for each of these kites. 

The Decals

The decals themselves come on two separate sheets. National markings are included for one aircraft and individual markings for each of the Tiffies are here. The reds and blues are dark and the White does not look opaque to me. I use some set and sol solutions to help me and it really fits them to the airframe which is great in such a large scale kit where extra carrier film is your natural enemy.

Actually the carrier film is set really tight to the national markings and it is minimal on the lettering and hand painted decals. I would try to trim mine with a scalpel in this scale though. There are no miss-prints and the decals all sit in perfect register (sorry I know that is cliché but they are). 

I suppose after I build my Tiffie I might know how they go on, but the other Eagle Cal decals I have used fit tight and handle well. I think they are thick enough to handle well on such a large surface.

The stencil decals are in nice register, as shown here you can read them all clearly – even with ol' shaky camera himself taking the pictures.

Let’s look at each of the three aircraft shown on the sheets – with pictures of the aircraft in real life if we can find them – let’s go…

The aircraft/ Research comparisons:

Hawker Typhoon in 1/24th scale is represented by these three kites (– there are three more on EC#160 sheet)

Pulverizer II “I8-P” 44p Sqn. MP149 Pilot F/O Harry Hardy DFC

Harry Hardy's Pulverizer II (I8-P) was a well-known in a series of “Pulverizers” – the last being IV which is well photographed – not so much this version no 2.  The colours are a mix of dark green /ocean grey on the upper surfaces and medium sea grey underneath. The large fuselage band was a sky colour and you might notice from the pictures below this aircraft had a later Tempest Style tail with a black four bladed prop – just like it says in the instructions on the decal sheet.

The decals show the mission markers in this instance which were brooms  denoting “sweeps” while the Vargas inspired nose art was a common adornment of many noses on both fighters and bombers of the time. It was applied after the original nose art name so you could do this kit with or without the lady – I know which one most people will choose…

Pulverizer II ended up crash landing in a field near Eindhoven in 1944 

This aircraft is not to be confused with a later Tempest "Pulverizer IV" which there are lots of pictures of as well.

Peace River “5V-G” 439nd Sqn.  MN345 Pilot F/O J.A Brown

White lettering of “Peace River” adorns the nose of this Tiffie flown by FL Off JA Brown. It was fairly standard in the regular colours of dark green /ocean grey upper surfaces and medium sea grey underneath and like the previous kite it had black and white invasion stripes under the tail fuselage which you will have to paint on (better really). The large fuselage band was a sky colour this aircraft had a later Tempest style tail as well .the most unique feature of this aircraft in an otherwise all too common scheme was a black and white asymmetric painted pattern four bladed prop.Note the bomb marks on the nose next to the nose art writing in rough paint.

This aircraft featured an alternative markings choice offered on the sheet with variations of the fuselage code letters. This is nice to have the choice depending on your personal thoughts on which is correct (you know someone will try to tell you that you are wrong anyway but the research here gives me confidence).

This airframe was lost in November 1944 and Brown became a POW, lucky for him the war was nearly finished!

“PR-M”   609th Sqn  MN 131  Pilot F/L L.E.J.M. Geerts

Pilot F/L Lodewijk-Emmanuel Geerts DFC or "Manu", was a member of the 609th “West Riding” Squadron which was formed in 1936 but re-enforced by a fair few Belgians in 1941. Geerts was one of the three Belgians to have commanded the squadron in June 1944. Geerts flew 204 missions, 55 of which were rocket attacks.

This typhoon is seen with full D-Day stripes on the wings and fuselage in black and white bands.  The Tempest Style tail with a black four bladed prop is again noted in the instructions along with the colouring of dark green /ocean grey on the upper surfaces and medium sea grey underneath. The large fuselage band was a sky colour and placed behind the invasion stripes on the fuselage, with the codes for just the one side of the aircraft in earth colour as smaller white codes were used on the starboard side of this kite. 

Here is a small but telling view of the painted out then re-painted codes on the aircraft.

This was because the original aircraft code markings were i suppose painted over - The instructions say that the invasion stripes were roughly painted as it was a busy time around D-Day and some squadrons didn’t have the time to be neat about things. Sure to evoke some conversation at the modelling tables..

I like the research and the decals that have been printed to match. A lot of work searching and researching these schemes has clearly been done by Mr Proulx and the Eagle Cals team and it really makes you confident no one will tap you on the shoulder later and say “look it’s great but…”

Well printed and researched with the confidence I have from using these decals before (and hopefully soon on a new Tiffie) this is a great set – and a timely release as well!

Adam Norenberg

Thanks to the guys (and gals) at Eagle Editions for sending these out for review.