Battle of Britain pilot

Battle of Britain - Flying Officer - Hurricane MK1 Pilot Autumn 1940

1940

British WWII
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Helmet - Action man, type B modifications: • made longer chin strap with epoxy putty • made telephone zipper pulls with epoxy putty and wire • slit molded strap at back of helmet to allow the goggle strap to pass underneath • repainted Uniform - Action man modifications: • Alted Cuff Rank with thin strip of painted masking tape Shirt and Tie - DML Luftwaffe Pilot Boots - DML German jack boots, soft plastic type modifications: • Alted with thin leather and felt to approximate the 1936 pattern flight boots The posting of the "Fleet Air Arm Pilot" by MisterscruffUK inspired the figure in general and the boot conversion in particular. Head - Side show - slightly repainted Hands - DML - repainted Body - DML - slightly slimmed Socks - made from old doll socks Oxygen mask - type D/21 scratch built The mask proper was made of felt and molded as a 1/6 scale felt hat would be. The microphone and oxygen hose connection made from plastic model parts and thin strips from a beer can. The plug for the microphone was made from small nail ground and shortened and covered with putty. Goggles - Action man - reconfigured to Mark IV pattern • Nose piece ground out and replaced with leather, thin brass and insulated wire used to make loops to pass around bulky telephone holders. • Strap that closes loops made of leather and elastic. • Sun visor scratch built with different gauges of wire and a piece of graphic film cut to shape. Life vest - scratch built (1932 pattern) • Made using Tony Barton's web equipment tutorial for basic techniques. • Stretched pieces of old white dress shirt and painted thinly with dirty grey acrylic paint. From different pictures of actual vests and reproductions (from web) cut out general vest shaped pieces. The whole thing is glued together except for the buttons. All hem stitching is from the original shirt itself. • From a reenactor's site I got the idea of personalizing the vest. I believe pilots did add doodles, their names, kills etc on the vest. My vest art is made up, though the model for the cat did come from the cartooning section of an art book published during the war (1943). Dog - Country Artists, bulldog Base – scratch built, grass uses Mr. Barton's great idea of stretching and painting "Fun Fur."