1946 HRG Aerodynamic Options

[Holstenwolf]

Hi Graham

Fantastic now looking forward to two versions !!. See you up the club soon.

Cheers Roy.

[Pit]

Hi Graham,

that´s an interesting subject. Your master already looks pretty nice. No problem with the front wings: if there are two options - square or round - you never can be wrong.

I did a little research in my Le Mans book: the only H.R.G. entry was in 1949 (first post war LM race). The car was called "Lightweight L.M." and carried complete different bodywork. Looks more like a Formula car with separete wings and headlamps, a bit like a Talbot-Lago.

Best regards
Pit

[zagato]

Thanks Pit. That explains why I couldn't find any reference to Le Mans '47 on wikipedia! Interesting though that the car mentioned didn't look at all like the road version. I guess there will have to be two versions along with the spats option over the rear wheels. It just gets interestinger and interestinger!

O^O¬

[Slotcarmann]

Hi Graham

Better allow for this one (or these ones) in next year's slot budget then...!

Great subject.

Will follow this with interest.

I'm a bit worried about mac's kettle though....may need a complete rebody!

Cheers
Dave

[Foulagom]

Good job, Graham

[Rob J]

The HRGs at Le Mans in 1949 had bodies built specially for the event. Profile Publications no 58 describes how two regular Aero campaigners had their bodies replaced with "lightweight cigar-shaped structures" at Monaco Motors under the direction of John Wyer, no less. "A third chassis was purchased by Eric Thompson to make up the team..." – presumably also using the special body. Thompson and Jack Fairman won the class, though the other two cars retired.
The booklet does not describe the subsequent career of these cars, saying they'd be covered in a separate Profile with the Twin-Cams and VX HRGs.
The Aeros were apparently not exactly durable, partly because they were built on the existing "comparatively narrow and flexible chassis". Of the 30 built, "most deteriorated rapidly and few now [1967] remain in original condition".
Three companies fabricated the official HRG bodies in the postwar period, Fox and Nicholl Ltd "dealing exclusively with the Aerodynamic model". All bodies were built individually and on average took two months, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were differences even when the cars were new.
Some HRG customers bought chassis and had their own bodies built (mostly replicas of the works bodies), though my guess is that this didn't happen much on Aeros.
The photo shows an Aero in 1948 with two other Alpine Rally team prize winning HRGs. A photo of another at Spa that year initially gave me the impression that the grille extended lower, but it's really not clear enough.
Rob J

[Ecurie Martini]

The Aeros were apparently not exactly durable, partly because they were built on the existing "comparatively narrow and flexible chassis".
Rob J

Flexible indeed - I recall a contemporary source offering the opinion that the chassis flex was the primary source of suspension travel

EM

[tomwysom]

Helloooo!!
Graham! I am lost sort of, I'm in Holsworthy in Devon right now, I'm a little bit hungover from too much cider and I've been eating too many pasties. I'm in the local computer shop and i'm going back to bed.
great to see this thread and the work you're doing on the hurg. I went with the rounded front end as per the the photo of the green one that scudbong posted.
I'll check this again later,
All the best,
cheers,
Tom

[zagato]

Hello Tom! Well if you're going to get a tad tiddly on cider, Holsworthy's probably the place to do it. I know it well! Glad to hear that you're not lost! All is becoming clear on the Hurg now, with all the variations popping up. Thanks to all you guys for all the info which should help enormously. I had a natter and a up of tea last night with me old mate Mac P who shed some light on the old SMEC "kits". I wasn't aware that the kit consisted of a set of wheels, inserts and a block of wood to carve the body from. I know now!
I guess there will be several variations on the model, including a road version with those wonderful spats over the rear wheels. I think they make it look a little like a vacuum cleaner from some angles. I'll be attempting a soft top for it too, which should be interesting!

Graham.

[mac p]

Had a visit from Graham last night, sat supping tea and putting right all the ill,s of
the world.
He had the two shells with him, im not much into sports cars but looking at them
i would be more than pleased in having one of these HRG,s to potter around.
Tom did a VERY good job in capturing the essence of the car, it has the "feels right"
look.
Looking at a few pictures we found, it becomes clear there are at least two body
styles if not more.
So there you go Gra sort out the one, may be two you like, get out the tools and
off you go !!
Mac P

[mac p]

Just to highlight the fine work Tom did on this car.
Graham talks of the SMEC "KIT "
These where light years away from what we call "kits " today.
These days you would expect some thing like a resin body shell, etched parts,
metal componants, maybe decals, these are then painted and put together
to form your car.
The SMEC so called " kits " where procuced in the 50,s, these consisted of
a oblong of hardish wood in plan veiw, the side veiw had a slight tapper towards
the front and rear, that was the body!!
There where the now famos SMEC wheels, two lenghths of wire for the axles and
a set of plastic discs etched with a spoke patern, plus a plan ==
this plan is of a A6GCS maserati but much the same type as the HRG.
This brings home just how much work went into producing the car we see today.
Mac P

[Ember]

No wonder some of you gents know your way around a block of wood!

[Charles*Seattle]

HI

Those SMEC kits have a "magic" quality to them. The "wire" wheels still look good today. And the folded paper for louvers, metal parts, and other bits bring back fond memories in this era of stereolithography, etc. I am still trying to get both sides of my models to be symmetrical and it is still an art. All the more reason to appreciate what Graham, Tom and others are able to produce.

all my very best,

Charles

[tomwysom]

Hello folks,

Thanks for the compliments on the Hurg. I just took my time on it and used lots and lots of photo reference. After my experience on the Kieft sports and learning from comments from people like Mac P and Martin Field, Graham etc, I decided to go more with my eye than relying totally on the plans. I've done a fair bit of drawing over the years and carving is a bit like drawing it seems, only in three dimensions. Here's a link to my blog with a picture of the "kit" as it was when I received it.

http://slottysalad.blogspot.com/2009/08/hr...m-smec-kit.html

I carved the wood until I was fairly satisfied with the general shape, I guess you would call it a "buck" right? Then I cast that and worked on it to add the details and refine the shape knowing that if I screwed up I still had the cast of the buck to fall back upon.

I've recovered from the scrumpy overload now and I'm looking forward to seeing how this thread progresses.
All the best,
Tom.

[zagato]

Nice to here you survived Tom! Just in case, I did put a packet of paracetamol in the post to you. I'd hang on to them mate!

Graham.