Hurricane FR Mk II / PR Mk II [Deluxe Set]

70046 Hurricane Mk II Reconnaissance 1/72 Deluxe Double kit

Hurricane Mk II Reconnaissance - 1/72 scale plastic double model kit with extra accessories.
The kit includes:

Two sets of plastic parts (each of Mk II B and C versions).
3D-printed resin parts – various versions of photo-reconnaissance equipment
Decals (6 marking variants: RAF, Indian AF and Polish AF)
Two sets of canopy and wheel masks
QR code on manual with link to download 3D files for self-printing of details: seat with seat belts, control stick and control lever, cockpit details, exhaust pipes (early and late ‘fishtail‘), two types of mirrors, 20mm gun barrels for Hurricane Mk IIc (early and late) and MG barrels for Mk IIb, oval carburettor air intake mesh frame.

Marking options:

Hurricane PR Mk II trop, BM969, No. 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (India) RAF, Dum Dum airfield, West Bengal, second half 1942
Hurricane FR Mk IIb trop, AM358/H, No. 318 Squadron PAF (Polish Air Force), Quassassin, Egypt, turn of 1943-44
Hurricane FR Mk IIb trop, HV538/B, No. 6 Squadron IAF (Indian Air Force), pilot S/Ldr Mehar Singh, Ratnap airfield, East Bengal, February-March 1944
Hurricane PR Mk II, DG622, 2nd Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, Heliopolis, Egypt, 1942. In February 1942, aircraft DG622 served with No. 69 Squadron based at Luqa airfield, Malta
Hurricane FR Mk IIc Trop, LB835/L, No. 4 Squadron IAF (Indian Air Force), pilot: F/L Mahindra Singh Pujji, Cox’s Bazar airfield, October 1944.
Hurricane FR Mk IIc trop, LE208, No. 28 Squadron RAF, Meiktila airfield, Burma, April 1945

Hawker Hurricane Mk II trop Reconnaissance variants

In British reconnaissance aviation, as in fighter aviation, the Hurricane remained in the shadow of the Spitfire. However, where the famous PR Spitfires were in short supply, Hurricanes were used successfully. This was particularly the case where the most intense and interesting operations were taking place: in the Mediterranean and the Far East.

Hawker Hurricane Mk.II is a development of the famous fighter designed by Sydney Camm, created by installing a more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine equipped with a two-stage supercharger in a standard airframe. This solution significantly improved performance. The new version designated Hurricane Mk.IIa, with unchanged armament, was first flown on June 11, 1940, and was soon followed by a variant with twelve 7.69 mm machine guns in the wings, designed Hurricane Mk IIb. Unfortunately, the small calibre of the weapon did not significantly change the effectiveness of fire, especially against armoured targets. The situation was improved by the introduction of the Mk IIc version, armed with four 20mm cannons.

Serial Hurricane Mk.II trop fighters were converted for reconnaissance duties in two main ways. In 1941, ‘real’ Hurricane PR.IIs were being developed at the Heliopolis base in Egypt - unarmed, equipped with a set of cameras, and in place of guns in the wings they had additional fuel tanks installed to increase range. The second variant were tactical reconnaissance aircraft, called ‘Tac-R’ - which differed from fighters only in having a photo camera and an additional radio to enable communication with ground troops. They were armed, but often some of the guns were removed to reduce the weight of the aircraft, loaded after all with additional photographic equipment. They often even had bomb racks.