Italeri's Hawk comprises 96 injection-molded parts plus a fret of 16 photoetched-metal parts. The moldings are a mix of engraved panel lines and raised rivets around the rear fuselage. Clear parts are nicely done, thin and clear with the prominent overhead detonation cord molded into the canopy above both seats.
The Cartograf decal sheet has markings for five aircraft: three Royal Air Force, one Royal Navy, and one Swiss air force.
Instead of drawings, the eight-step instructions have photos with arrows. I found some of the part locations vague.
The cockpit was somewhat disappointing. The kit's ejection seats are moderately detailed, and you can use either decals or a combination of decals and photoetched metal for the side consoles and instrument panels. However, there was no raised detail, and the modest detail of the photoetched-metal side consoles did not line up with the printed detail on the decals. Also, the photoetched-metal instrument panels did not fully match the injection molded panels. Still, I preferred raised detail for the side consoles, so I just used the photoetched parts and painted and dry-brushed them, picking out some detail with red paint.
The photoetched-metal seat harnesses were delicate but hard to install; annealing them over a candle flame made the metal a little easier to shape. I used a combination of decals and photoetched metal for the instrument panels. After painting and dry-brushing, I attached the photoetched-metal instrument panels to their backs and applied drops of Microscale gloss with a very fine brush to replicate instrument lenses. After the finished cockpit was trapped between the fuselage halves (don't forget the nose weight!), everything was glued together using Ambroid ProWeld.
You can build the kit with the flaps up or down; rudder, speed brake, and canopy are also posable. I chose to drop the flaps, and it proved to be the most difficult step in the model. I found the placement of both parts 15a and 16a confusing; when installed as shown, the flaps did not fit right. I ended up rotating both parts 180 degrees from what the instructions showed, and that eliminated the fit problems.
Other options include a centerline gun pod and a choice of either drop tanks or Sidewinder missiles for underwing stores.
While the wheel wells have some detail molded in, the main-gear doors' distinctive inner structure is really done well - a nice touch! Wheels are molded with bulges and flat spots. The jet exhaust pipe is deep enough, but, strangely, Italeri did not provide any intake ducting.
The rest of the kit went together with no further fit issues. I used just a tiny bit of filler here and there to hide minor seams.
Drawn to colorful markings, I just had to use the Tiger Meet decals. I tried something different and used acrylic Tamiya gloss black thinned with Tamiya lacquer thinner. This combination worked perfectly in my Iwata double-action airbrush, and I had no issues with paint flow or clogging. After giving the paint a couple of days to cure, I rubbed it out with Novus plastic polish. This gave me a good, glossy finish for the decals, which performed perfectly with just a light application of Micro Sol. The final step was a coat of Floquil flat finish which actually gave it a nice semigloss sheen.
The finished model captures the look of this little jet perfectly. I found Italeri's Hawk a nice change from more-complicated builds, and for the lesser effort I was rewarded with a decent model. Except for the photoetched metal, this would be a good model for new builders.
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