Pacific Coast Models 1/32 Hurricane Mk I Early

By Bogdan Zajączkowski

An ex-Yugoslav "Hariken" No. 2337 in Regia Aeronautica service

The Story

Airplane No. 2337, bearing the registration number of the Yugoslav Air Force, was one of the first 24 aircraft in a hurriedly completed series at the Zemun factory, driven by the imminent approach of war. On April 13 (or 14), Captain First Class Vojislav Rakić was sent in a "Bücker" aircraft from Nikšić to Butmir. His mission: retrieve and fly a Hurricane fighter to Nikšić for air defense. Despite technical challenges, such as the inability to retract the landing gear, Captain Rakić used the plane to patrol and protect the area. In one skirmish with Italian aircraft, the Hurricane sustained 17 hits but remained operational.

On April 15, at 7:00 a.m., three bombers from the 81st Independent Bomber Group launched an attack on Italian tanks near the Skadar-Yugoslav-Albanian border, accompanied by a lone Hurricane. Later that day, Air Force Commander General Borivoje Mirković ordered Captain Dragomir B. Nešović to patrol the Nikšić Valley and engage any enemy aircraft. The mission was executed successfully, though no enemy aircraft were encountered.

Captain Rakić later attempted to join other aircraft fleeing to Greece but was forced to return due to poor weather and inadequate navigation instruments. The Hurricane was eventually abandoned at Nikšić, where it was captured by Italian soldiers.

Italian forces seized various aircraft, including No. 2337, at Nikšić and other Yugoslav airfields. The Hurricane, found in relatively good condition, was among those inspected, repaired, and incorporated into Italian units. After technical modifications, including patching damaged areas with unpainted sheet metal, the plane was transferred to Tirana, Albania, and eventually to Italy. In September 1941, the Hurricane was showcased to Benito Mussolini at the Ciampino airfield near Rome.

Italian pilots used the aircraft for training and tactical studies until 1943. It was also used as a British fighter plane in an Italian movie “Un Pilota Ritorna” directed in 1942 by Roberto Rosellini. After a belly-landing incident rendered it unserviceable, the lack of spare parts and technical expertise consigned it to ruin or destruction.

The Build

The somewhat aged model produced by Pacific Coast Models is still the only Hurricane Mk.I model with fabric wings. Despite its age, it is still a very enjoyable model to build. I encountered no major problems during construction. It is a so-called short-run and requires careful fitting of parts - but if you do it carefully, you don't even have to use putty. For the first time in a long time I built a model practically out-of-the-box. The only modifications were:

Hmmm - and that was the easy part... Next up was painting. I consulted with a well-known and recognized historian and expert on Italian aviation Stefano Lazzaro on this matter and as a result... I painted this model three times before Stefano said it was ok! Such is the price of learning and developing knowledge and skills. Without Stefano's help this model would have been a repetition of many of the mistakes present in the numerous colour profiles of this aircraft. Stefano's help in this project was invaluable and his patience with a certain strange guy from a distant country - immeasurable. Thanks again!

The model has been painted with MRP paints, no decals have been used except Royal coat of arms on the rudder. For the first time I did some shading to the "fabric" with quite satisfactory result. Weathering is minimal because this airplane was not used operationally and had a rather short "Italian life."

Well - I hope you like this unusual "Hariken." A friend of mine said that it caused him mental confusion - the attractiveness of the camouflage is in total contradiction with the well-known classic shape. And that's exactly what I wanted.

Enjoy!

© Bogdan Zajączkowski 2025

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This article was published on Saturday, April 12 2025; Last modified on Sunday, April 13 2025