Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (Paul Richey)

Flying Officer Paul HM Richey, is also the author of ‘Fighter Pilot’, a must read classic book of what it was like to be a fighter pilot in the war. Before he was wounded on 19 May 1940, Paul Richey had claimed ten victories, and later returned to operations in 1941, ending the war as a Wing Commander.

For this build, I went slightly against the Airfix plans and left the squadron markings and serial numbers off the aircraft, so as to show Richey's aeroplane as it appeared in mid 1940. No.1 squadron were innovative in looking at markings and camouflage on their aircraft, also being instrumental in the overpainting of their earlier black and white underside, a look I also decided to go with and one which was later adopted by all British aircraft by the time of the Battle of Britain.