Airfix/Humbrol 1/48 scale Red Arrows Hawk

Kit: No. 05111
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Airfix/Humbrol Ltd., Hedon Road, Marfleet, Hull, East Yorkshire, U.K. HU9 5NE, 44-1482-7116661, www.airfix.com
Price: $16.98
Comments: Injection-molded, 128 parts, decals
Pros: Needed subject, canopy detonation cords well represented, flaps can be dropped
Cons: Soft detail, poor decals, fit problems, confusing instructions

A few years ago, Airfix produced two new 1/48 scale kits using Korean-made molds: the BAC Lightning and late Griffon-engine Spitfires and Seafires. That was a big step - and a successful one - for the established British kit manufacturer. Indeed, "Airfix" has become a generic term in England for a plastic airplane kit.

This time, Airfix has sought Chinese manufacturing for its long-awaited 1/48 scale BAe Hawk - another big step. The moldings of the two Hawk kits (this Red Arrows T.1 trainer and the companion Mk. 100 fighter-trainer) do not have the quality of the previous kits, but provide serviceable detail, overall good shapes, and reasonable prices.

The six separately bagged sprues hold 128 parts molded in gray and clear styrene. All parts are numbered, but many are for the Mk. 100 fighter-trainer. The instructions have pictogram placement drawings, which require study before construction. Only Humbrol paint numbers are given, no names for colors, so it is confusing if you don't have access to Humbrol paints.

The recessed panel lines are soft, and some details are simplified. The grainy surface of the parts benefited from a light sanding with fine-grit sandpaper. Some of the sprue attachment points are thick, and removing the parts requires care, especially on the wing trailing edges.

Cockpit detail is basic but with enough relief on the panels to pop out after a wash and dry-brush treatment. The fit of the cockpit tub and bulkheads isn't precise. The multi-part ejection seats lack crisp detail, and there are no harnesses (I used aftermarket seats in my model).

The canopy is crystal clear but a little thick. The recessed canopy detonating cords look good with a wash of gray paint carefully flowed into them. The center blast shield frame is incorrectly molded on the outside of the canopy. I sanded it and polished it away, then dipped the canopy in Future. The clear blast shield was missing a cutout in the bottom edge that clears the structure behind the front seat when the canopy swings to the right side.

The fuselage halves go together well, but I had to fill, sand, and reshape the nose for a smooth contour. The separate spine's shape doesn't match the fuselage and needed some sanding and reshaping.

I had to file and sand the intakes to get the proper "sagging D" shape. The intake numbers on the instructions are swapped; the right intake should be parts 32 and 33, and the left 34 and 35.

At the other end, the exhaust nozzle and the opening for it are too small. I enlarged the opening by nearly 1/8" and found a new nozzle in the spares box. You should add three small pipes for the Red Arrows' oil-smoke lines.

To make the wings acceptably thin, I sanded them on the insides of each half. My sample's trailing edges were a bit warped, but after thinning and carefully gluing, they look fine.

You have the option of cutting the flaps away and installing them in the dropped position, but step 14's wordless diagram is confusing. It has knife symbols, a question mark, and two Xs over the flaps. Huh? It means cut away and discard the flaps on the wings, then in step 20, you add separately molded dropped flaps. I left my flaps in the raised position.

I had to adjust the shape of the wing fillets for a good fit with the fuselage. The location of the too-thick wing fences is not marked on the wing, and poorly shown in step 13; look at the four-view color and marking drawings for the proper locations.

The horizontal stabilizers have large, strong locator tabs. The landing gear struts are simple and heavy for the scale, and all tires are incorrectly shaped - remove the ridges around the tires. I replaced my main wheels with better ones from my spares box. The main-strut doors are too thick and the main-gear wells are too shallow.

The four-view paint and marking guides are well-done. The decal sheet is comprehensive, but poorly printed; my sample was out of register and had a matte sheen. The white areas were translucent and had a creamy tone caused by the clear carrier film. I ended up using them as masking guides to paint the white markings on my model. In addition to the Red Arrows Hawk, you get Finnish "Midnight Hawks" markings.

I painted my model first with flat white primer, then followed with gloss white for the marking areas and gear bays. After masking the white areas, I airbrushed Xtracolor gloss Red Arrows red. After touch- up, I applied the roundel and lettering decals. They were thin but didn't settle over the raised vortex generators on the wings, so I had to poke holes in them. I replaced the little blade antennas with thinner ones from sheet styrene.

I spent more than 30 hours completing Airfix's Hawk. Experienced modelers will be able to handle the challenges, and all modelers will be happy that there is finally a mainstream 1/48 scale kit of this familiar and attractive aircraft.

Good references are the official Red Arrows website, www.sky-flash.com/reds.htm, and Aviation Workshop's new book, On Target Profiles 3 - BAe Hawk in Worldwide Service.

- Ross Whitaker