Although outshone by the grace and speed of the legendary Spitfire, the Hurricane was the RAF's front-line aircraft during the Battle of Britain. This sturdy, reliable fighter is still remembered with affection by the pilots who flew it. Surprisingly, the Hurricane was responsible for destroying more enemy aircraft than its partner, the Spitfire, during the infamous battle.

Among the high scoring Hurricane pilots was British native James "Ginger" Lacey, who flew with the 501 Squadron during that period. While flying this particular aircraft (SD-F, V7357), Lacey claimed 3 destroyed and 1 damaged Bf109E, 1 destroyed He111 and one damaged Do17. His tally rose to 15 ½ victories, making him the most successful pilot of the 501 Squadron and second to Polish ace Josef Frantisek (17 victories) for most Hurricane victories during the Battle of Britain.

I used Model Master RAF Dark Green and Dark Earth to paint the fuselage, upper wings and stabilizer surfaces. Under surfaces were painted RAF Sky. There were several aftermarket parts utilized for this project as well, such as photo-etch seatbelts and Moskit exhaust pipes.

Special thanks go out to Erik Whipple and James Lacey’s grandnephew, Lee Lacey, who assisted me and shared detailed information about Lacey’s aircraft codes and serial numbers. This is an outstanding replica of Squadron Leader James "Ginger" Lacey’s famous aircraft.

Above photo: Squadron Leader James "Ginger" Lacey.