Author Topic: Hawker Blizzard  (Read 2432 times)

Offline Acree

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Hawker Blizzard
« on: June 03, 2018, 07:21:53 AM »
Hawker Blizzard - arctic fighter/bomber of the Free Estonian Air Force.  (More backstory and details later... pics for now).
Blizzard by cacree, on Flickr
Blizzard by cacree, on Flickr
Blizzard by cacree, on Flickr
Blizzard by cacree, on Flickr
Blizzard by cacree, on Flickr

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2018, 07:32:50 AM »
Intriguing!!  It looks like the base kit was a Hawker Typhoon but I'd hesitate to identify what else is there.  Looking forward to the backstory for this piece of art.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2018, 05:16:36 AM »
That's just great! Love those seldom-seen Estonian markings too! Nice touch!

Brian da Basher

Offline Camthalion

  • The man has done a pink tank...need we say more?!
Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2018, 05:49:59 AM »
nice one

Offline Acree

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Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2018, 08:41:45 AM »
In the Spring of 1940, Estonian intelligence services confirmed the Soviet plan to take over the Baltic states, and the Estonian air defense command (Õhukaitse) put in place a plan to evacuate as many Estonian military aircraft as possible before the Soviet invasion could capture them.  As a result 46 aircraft escaped to Finland, where most were put to use by the Ilmavoimat, along with their Estonian aircrew.  When Nazi Germany moved eastward through the Baltic states into the Soviet Union in June of 1941, the Finns became de facto allies with the Germans, and that made the Estonian presence in Finland problematic, and the Estonians escaped again, this time to Norway.  The Norwegian forces had withdrawn northward in the face of the German advance beginning in April 1940.  By June of 1941, Norwegian forces were occupying a small rump of extreme northern Norway north and east of Narvik and had begun establishing military outposts on the island of Svalbard.  This is where the Estonian escapees were sent, where they established the Free Estonian Air Force (Vaba Eesti õhujõud). 

Meanwhile, in England, RAFN (RAF Norway) was having extreme difficulty operating in support of the Norwegian forces.  Main problems included freezing of engines, radiators and mechanical parts (such as gun mechanisms), and difficulty operating from ad hoc airfields carved from snow.  Specification F.27/42 was issued for a fighter/bomber designed specifically to operate in an arctic environment.  The winner of the competition was Hawkers, with an adaptation of their then-new Typhoon.  Differences between the new Blizzard (as the new arctic fighter was named) and the standard Typhoon included deletion of the retractable landing gear and installation of fixed ski gear, a large fairing behind the canopy for the pilot's arctic survival equipment (including full-sized skis and a rifle), and a petrol-fueled heater mounted above and in front of the Sabre engine.  This last item was able to run on the ground to warm the engine, radiator, guns, etc., and could even be used in flight to pre-heat the fuel as well as the wing-mounted guns and cockpit through warm air ducts. 

Only a small number of Blizzards were actually built, entering service in late 1942.  When RAFN was withdrawn and disbanded, the Blizzards were passed to the Free Estonian Air Force where they operated from Svalbard against German troops, armor and shipping in the Norwegian and Barents Seas. 
 
All of that backstory came about to explain the mods on this model (not the other way 'round).  The model is 1:72 HobbyBoss Easy Assembly Typhoon.  Bout 3 or 4 years ago, my son started the model as a way to learn the black arts of whiffery.  He added a 1/2-long piece of copper pipe to the upper nose of the Typhoon, PSR'd it, and gave up.  In 2018 he finally decided to let me finish it.  I could not find the landing gear (well, not BOTH of them anyway), so skis!  The skis were scratch built from two halves of some recce pod, a couple wheels, and sheet styrene.  The dorsal fairing was added to the back primarily because the HobbyBoss canopy was hideously mis-shapen (not by some accident, but by HobbyBoss design) so I had to do SOMETHING different.  The Estonian markings are from an old Blue Rider set, and the other markings from the spares box. 

 
« Last Edit: June 05, 2018, 08:44:00 AM by Acree »

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2018, 12:42:03 PM »
Brilliant bit of improvisation!!

Offline pigflyer

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Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2018, 03:55:43 AM »
Clever, like it lots.
If I don't plan it, it can't go wrong!

If it's great, I did it. If it's naff, I found it.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Hawker Blizzard
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2018, 07:22:46 AM »
I like this one very much! The camo compliments those wonderful marking and mods nicely.

Brian da Basher