1/48 Hurricane Mk IIb - Arma Hobby

The Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb is an evolutionary variant of the famous British fighter, created by installing a more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine with a two-stage supercharger in the standard airframe. The new version first flew on 11 June 1940 and from August that year it began to be introduced into the armament of RAF squadrons. Compared to its predecessor, it brought a noticeable improvement in performance, while the strong wing allowed experimentation with different armament configurations. The Mk IIb version carried twelve 7.69mm machine guns, but their small calibre proved insufficient against armoured targets - the machines therefore found increasing use as light bombers under the designation "Hurribomber". The bomb racks were initially designed by removing one machine gun above each rack; it was only later design with empty cartridge case drainage that allowed full armament to be retained. The Mk IIb, along with the gun version of the Mk IIc, was actively involved in offensive operations against ground targets, including the landings at Dieppe as part of Operation Jubilee. The installation of a tropical filter created the "Trop" variant for operations in hot climates, which proved its worth in both Africa and the Far East. There was also a naval version with a hook for landing on an aircraft carrier.

The 1:48 scale Arma Hobby kit offers three specific historically documented machines. The first is the BE489/AE-Q "Hurribomber" nicknamed Butch the Falcon of Canadian Squadron No. 402 RCAF from Warmwell in February 1942. The second is Z3171/SW-P Hyderabad City of British No. 253 Squadron RAF from Hibaldstow, piloted by Sgt. J. C. Tate in the winter of 1941/42. The third machine is a Z3675/WX-B of the Polish No. 302 Squadron PAF from Church Stanton in August 1941. This trio covers three different national contingents fighting within the RAF while capturing different seasons and environments, giving the modeller an interesting choice of colour scheme and weathering. The package includes a new spray for the B version, decals and masks for the cab and landing gear. The package does not include the paints or adhesives needed for assembly.