No human pursuit achieves dignity until it can be called work, and when you can experience a physical loneliness for the tools of your trade, you see that other things - the experiments, the irrelevant vocations, the vanities you used to hold – were false to you.
                                             Beryl Markham, West With The Night
 

Each Doxaerie model sculpture is one off and each subject is usually built using somewhat different techniques and materials depending on design needs, historic reflections and aesthetic considerations. The result is that both the model maker and the viewer might approach the subject in ways perhaps not previously considered.

The following is a record of the construction process used for building the 1/16 scale Hurricane of Canadian ace Willie McKnight. The model is predominately mahogany and birch veneers over a core of solid balsa with other types of veneers and some solid mahogany, birch, walnut and ebony.

The balsa block for the fuselage has been band sawed to shape. Arthur Bentley plans scaled up to 1/16 were used. Fuselage and wing outlines and sections were applied to cardboard, cut out and used for patterns.

Balsa fuselage and wing carved to shape and attached.

Solid mahogany and birch blocks have been glued together and band sawed to shape for the nose block and horizontal tail surfaces. The vertical fin and rudder are solid mahogany.

The fin flash inlay consists of 1/28" red and blue dyed veneer and holly veneer. The vertical fin and rudder have been shaped, then relieved to accept the fin flash that is glued to craft paper and laid into the relieved area as a whole. Rudder outline has been carved in.

Vertical and horizontal tail surfaces have been attached to the balsa fuselage, and veneering begun. Upper fuselage veneer is 1/56" paper backed mahogany veneer and is glued to the model along panel lines and color separation lines. Fuselage band is birch veneer.

Veneering has continued forward on the fuselage and one of the balsa fillet blocks has been glued into place.
 

Veneering outward on the wings. Insignia, cut from 1/28 blue and red dyed veneer, being attached.
 

Fuselage insignia has been cut out of colored veneers, glued to craft paper, then tack glued to correct position on fuselage. The insignia area is cut around by sharp knife, then all the veneer removed.  Then the insignia is glued back into the opening.

Underwing veneer work. Note that the port wing has black dyed veneer applied.
 

Wing tips are solid wood, the port tip is mahogany and ebony, the starboard (being attached) is mahogany and birch.
 

Nose block has been attached and partially carved. Wheel wells roughed out in the balsa wings.
 

Nose block carved to shape, ready to accept wing fillets.

Forward wing fillet block cut to fit into opening in wing and snug to the fuselage.
 

Port wing fillet attached and carved to shape.
 

Both wing fillets, top and bottom completed.

Ventral fin carved and attached. Note that bottom birch veneer is now also in place.

Fuselage squadron codes in a dyed veneer are cut out using paper patterns then glued to craft paper.
 

Paper patterns are taped to the proper places on fuselage, then outlines marked in pencil.
 

The paper pattern is removed, the veneer letter tack glued to the marked spot.
 

The veneer letter is cut out with a knife, then the mahogany veneer removed from the fuselage...
 

And the veneer letter then glued into the recess.

 

Exhaust pipes, one band sawed out, the other already carved to shape.

 

Exhaust pipes on the model.

Photo of the whole aircraft at this stage with canopy temporarily fitted.
 

Turned birch spinner with walnut propeller blade blocks.

Completed spinner/propeller assembly.

Radiator and oil cooler intake scoop, half birch, half ebony.

Flying Officer Willie McKnight’s personal insignia is burned into the mahogany veneer and later filled in with an acrylic wash.

Wing bottom showing wheel wells lined with mahogany veneer, birch main gear struts, rubber tires and other detail including carburetor air and radiator/oil cooler scoops.

Detailing cockpit canopy with 1/56 paper backed mahogany veneer frames.

Completed framework on canopy.

A water based walnut stain camouflage pattern has been added to the upper surfaces of the model. Walnut propeller blades have an ebony stain applied while the tips have been bleached.

Another view of the model with stains including those within the figure of Hitler being kicked by the boot of 242 Squadron. Note the white acrylic wash applied to the skeleton figure.

The model received a number of coats of clear lacquer, then the aft fuselage was taped off and two more coats of clear lacquer applied to simulate the fabric covering of that area.

Close up of the completed model’s cockpit area showing the skeleton personal marking. On the actual aircraft the markings on each side of the fuselage were not identical.

Close up of the 242 Squadron insignia, the 242 boot kicking Hitler. This had a burned outline on the model with blue, red and yellow stains and white acrylic applied.

Overall views of the completed model.            
   

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