Kit: No. SN 48005
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Sinifer, 3 Rue De La Poesie, 34000 Montpellier, France
Price: 280 FF (about $45)
Comments: Cast resin, 45 parts (2 vacuum-formed canopies, 3 plastic rods), decals.
The Curtiss SC-1 Sea Hawk was the last scout plane to serve aboard U. S. Navy cruisers and battleships. The single-seater was designed to replace the aging catapult-launched SO3C Seagull and OS2U Kingfisher scout-observation aircraft. Its single main float contained a small bomb bay that could tote a pair of 100-pound bombs, but this was replaced by an auxiliary fuel tank to extend the Sea Hawk's range. Curtiss delivered SC-1s with fixed landing gear and the Navy converted them to floatpane configuration.
Sinifer's resin SC-1 is intended for modelers with advanced skills. Molded detail is recessed, but marred by lots of tiny pinholes caused by air bubbles in the resin. I filled these with gap-filling super glue, sanded the surfaces smooth, and rescribed lost detail.
Take time test fitting and trimming the parts. The resin is fragile so avoid cracking and chipping trailing edges. I reinforced two cracks in the cowl with super glue before mating it to the fuselage.
The instructions include a brief history (in English and French), parts map, color notes, four basic assembly drawings, and decal placement guides. Decals for two Sea Hawks are provided.
Cockpit side detail is molded inside the halves of the forward fuselage. A separate seat, control stick, instrument panel, and backrest finish out the interior. The fuselage rear and fin are molded as one piece. The engine face and cowl are also molded separately.
With the fuselage broken down this way, the mating surfaces of the forward fuselage halves had to be sanded to match the cross section of the rear. All assembly was done with gap-filling super glue. Make sure the pilot's headrest is positioned properly in the slots at the rear of the cockpit before joining the fuselage halves; you won't be able to insert it later.
Dry-fit and sand the horizontal stabilizers, ensuring proper alignment to the fin. Carefully fit the instrument coaming (part No. 17) so it doesn't interfere with the canopy.
I drilled a hole in the front of the engine to accept a short brass tube I made for the propeller shaft. The cowl is too thick to accept the engine (or is the engine too big?), so I shaved the perimeter of the engine casting until it could fit inside the cowl.
To improve the fit of the cowl to the fuselage, I sanded away the fuselage lip and made a new one from bits of styrene.
The wings are about 1/32" thicker than the mounting stubs on the fuselage. I sanded the bottom of the wings to partially correct the problem, then smoothed the joints with filler and sandpaper.
The main float is a solid resin casting. Combine this with the solid wings and substantial fuselage, and you have one heavy model. I felt the beaching gear might not take the weight, so I reinforced the rear strut with brass rod. I left the float off until after painting.
Decals are provided for two schemes: a tricolored SC-1 on board USS Guam in 1944, and an overall Gloss Sea Blue Sea Hawk used on several cruisers in 1947. I chose the World War II version and painted the model with AeroMaster enamels. Wash all the parts to remove mold-release agent before painting.
Two canopies give you the option of smooth and raised frames. I tried using the kit's self-adhesive pre-painted canopy frames, but peeling off the backing was difficult. Besides, its color didn't match the paints I used on the model. Instead, I masked and sprayed the raised-frame alternate. When it was dry, I separated the windscreen from the sliding portion and glued the canopy open. The canopy is too wide for the fuselage, so I anchored one side with white glue, waited a day for it to dry, then glued the other side to the fuselage.
The decals went on easily with a little Solvaset setting solution. I used stainless-steel tubing for the gun barrels instead of the kit's plastic rod. The exhaust is brass tubing.
If you have experience with resin kits, you'll find Sinifer's Sea Hawk relatively easy to build. I spent an enjoyable 20 hours, much of that test fitting and cleaning the parts. The finished model measures close to the specifications in Swanborough and Bowers' US Naval Aircraft Since 1911.
- Randy Fields