Kit: No. 25005
Scale: 1/25
Manufacturer: Etzel's Speed Classics, P.O. Box 5195, Lafayette, IN 47903-5195
Price: $60
Comments: Mixed media, 29 parts (12 resin, 17 cast metal), decals.
AFTER A WINNING racing season in 1927, Frank Lockhart set his sights on the land speed record (LSR). He teamed up with Fred Moscovics, president of the Stutz Motorcar Company, and built the Black Hawk. Powered by two straight-eight Miller 91-cubic-inch supercharged-intercooled engines mounted on a common crankcase, the car hit about 225 mph on Ormond Beach (just south of Daytona) in February 1928, then crashed after hitting a patch of soft sand.
Lockhart repaired the car and returned to Daytona on April 20 for official attempts at the land speed record. On the 25th, he made runs at 167 mph and 203.5 mph. On the next run, the car accelerated to about 220 mph, went into a skid and tumbled, killing Lockhart. Since the car had not completed the run, the speed was not official, so the absolute land speed record of 203.79 set by Maj. H.O.D. Seagrave stood.
Model kits of land-speed-record cars are rare but welcome. This kit's resin and white-metal parts are beautifully molded, requiring only minor sanding and polishing. The driver's cockpit is well detailed, but there is no engine.
The fit of all parts is excellent, but you must provide metal tubing for the steering shafts and clear acetate for the windshield. Use super glue to hold it all together.
The eight-page instructions provide loads of history and 25 photos of the kit going together. The only fault I found was the absence of a bump and three fasteners on the nose of the car. These were visible in 8" x 10" photos I obtained from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Photo Shop. I made a bump from plastic sprue, and drilled three shallow holes to simulate the fasteners.
The paint scheme is simple: gloss white for the body, aluminum for the wheel fairings, struts, and engine panels. I used Testor classic white and non-buffing aluminum. After allowing the paint to dry for a week, I proceeded with final assembly.
While my photos don't show the Stutz Black Hawk logos below the driver's cockpit, decals for them are included in the kit. I'll have to assume the markings were on the car when it crashed. The decals went on without a hitch.
Along with the photos, I used the instructions and Griffith Borgeson's The Golden Age of the American Racing Car (W.W. Norton) as references.
The model compares well with the photos. It's accurate in length, though the wheel base looks a touch long and the wheel track seems a bit wide. I spent only four hours on the model.
If you are interested in unusual race cars, you'll appreciate this simple yet excellent kit. Etzel's Black Hawk is also a good starter if you have never worked with resin or metal parts.
Al Jones