Pretty Mediocre Modeller

The paint job was pretty easy, just a spray coat of gloss black, using Vallejo Black Undercoat, then some detail painting, using the kit instructions AND images of Hawk T.2s on the internet, which gave me the metallic areas behind the cockpit for example. Now ready for decalling.

Now I was going to be building straight out of the box for this one, but after looking at some images online, and even the box art, I noticed that there were some prominent details missing! The most obvious were the navigation light housings on the side of each intake, these are on the box are, and also on the decal placement diagrams, but missing from the kit. I made a rough representation from two small pieces of plastic rod, took about ten minutes. The next thing I spotted was the missing landing light in the nose, the kit just has a flat face here. I could have painted it in at the end with silver paint, but decided to drill out the nose and glaze it with something at the end. Finally there are some missing blade aerials under the nose, and a flat aerial behind the cockpit, these were all fabricated with plastic card, taking a couple of minutes each. After all that the model is now ready for painting.

In 1/72, how about some more of your excellent airfield support vehicles, RAF and USAAF are done, so how about Luftwaffe, Soviet, Italian, Japanese and French WWII, then 50s and 60s RAF, USAF and Soviet. Also some retooled 1/72 (not 1/76) airfield figures to finish off the dioramas!

Thanks Matt, I put some nose weight under the rear seat, then closed the fuselage up with no real issues, even the rear top decking went on without a gap, unlike the T.1 version. Next the wings went together again issue free, but they did need some trimming on the inside surface to get a flush fit to the underside of the fuselage, and one top wing/fuselage join needed a little filler, as did the bottom wing mid section to the underside, front and back. The intakes were much better moulded than on the T.1 kit, with no cleaning up needed, and the tailplanes both went on well. The biggest issue was the join inside the airbrake, which will only be a problem if you have this open. There is a big gappy seem, that is hard to fill. I measured up the space with a pair of dividers and cut a false roof from thin plastic card, looks much better (see the pictures).

Sorry, been a bit of while since posting due to other commitments. Here are some shots of the sprues and decals, which are very good. I intended to build this out the box as a quick fun build, and that's the way the cockpit went, apart from some tape belts. All fitted fine, but not much detail. The instrument decals are correct for the RAF machine, but not sure about the other two, I think they may have still had analog instruments. Anyway, all put together, the base colour being Medium sea Grey, and the seats mainly Dark Sea Grey and black.

I just finished building this kit at the weekend. I used Humbrol Metal Cote aluminium, with a little gun metal mixed in. On the jet pipe I then used some Tamiya product. I built it out of the box, apart from swapping out the AIM-9X Advanced Sidewinders for ASRAAMs from an old Airfix weapons set, as the UK doesn't use 'winders anymore.

I've built the previous boxing of this kit before in Indian Air Force markings. I've decided to build it again, as now this latest release has RAF Squadron markings included. I believe that this kit is based on the Hawk T1, which itself is based on the original Hawk kit from the mid 1970's. It first came out about 2010 I think, so is one of the earlier releases under the Hornby ownership. Other markings in the kit are for a Canadian and an Australian Armed Forces machine, both in special markings. I was tempted by the Australian box top star, but decided to stick with the bog standard RAF 'plane. The decals are the usual high standard, with lots of stencils, by Cartograph as usual. Be aware that Sidewinders on a RAF machine are incorrect as we stopped using this missile several years ago.

Enjoying the build Ratch, cockpit looks very good. Quick question, why have you started using the 'Workbench' for the review and build, instead of 'Aircraft'? Is this something we should start doing when posting a build, or we'll get moved?

Looking forward to your review Ratch. I will probably get one and build it as the 500 RAAF 'County of Kent' machine. One, because I live in Kent, and two, because I sat in the fake WF714 at an airshow at Rochester Airport in the early 1980's as a teenager. This machine has an interesting history since retirement. It is really WK914, it was retired to the fire school at Manston in the 60's or 70's, and you would think that would be the end of it. However in the late 70's the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) based at Rochester Airport was contracted to restore the RAF Manston Gate Guardian, Spitfire XVIe TB752. As payment for this they asked for the Meteor off the fire dump, which they restored to ground display condition, as WF714, in camouflage paint, but with the blue tail seen in the Airfix kit. It later went to Duxford, then a private owner, and finally to the aviation museum in Malta, where it was again restored, and is on show again as WF714, but this time painted High Speed Silver, just like the Airfix kit. I noticed on the clear sprues that there are windows for the photo recon nose (FR.9 and PR.10), and the clear cover from the spine of the Australian F.8 version, that was used in Korea, so we can expect at least another two boxings of this in the future!

it's not a weapon at all. It's a personal baggage container for the crew on overseas flights.

I'd say that in 1/72 scale, even decal harnesses would be appreciated!

Not a comment on your build Ratch, but the pilot seems a little undersized, can he actually see over that coaming?

A lot of people use white 'PVA' wood glue to secure nose weight, that doesn't react with anything, but you do need a sealed area or else the glue could seep out.

Hi Andy, I would say that using filler as nose weight is not a good idea. 1. It's not very dense, so you will need a lot of it to balance a tail heavy model, and 2. as you mentioned it is possible that it could 'melt' the plastic if used in such large amounts, dependant on the type of filler. Good nose weight can include lead fishing weights, or other lead off cuts, but don't use super glue to fix it as this can have a chemical reaction over time. You could also use small metal nuts and bolts for example. I use Blu Tac or similar to fix the weight in place.

I think it's the trend to make service airplanes as nondescript as possible, the greyer the airplane and fewer the markings the less chance of spotting the thing. Good practice for the Airforce, not so good for interesting models! If you look at the F-35 in British service, you don't even get the pale pink and blue rounds, they're grey and grey on grey now! (You do get the full colour Union Flag on the upper fan cover inside though)

Like the exhaust weathering

Nicely made and finished. Pity the kit isn't more accurate, with some shape issues and missing the two aircon inlets behind the cockpit canopy.

As Rod has suggested, how about a binge build of British Types in American markings, a reverse Lease Lend? This could include Spitfires as mentioned (Mks V, VIII, IX and XI), Beaufighter Night fighters, Mosquito Photo Recon birds and various communication types.

Well built and good looking winter camo. Is it easy to change the turrets over? Basically Airfix give you two kits for one with this model!

Thanks for the feedback everyone, and yes Ratch I am planning more, I build maybe one new Spitfire every year, I have a Xtrakit Mk XII and an Airfix PR. XIX in the stash at the moment. Most are built out of the box, with either decals from the kit, or out the spares box. AA few have been converted, from simply adding a wing tank from 3D Models to make the IIA(LR), to a couple of old tool Airfix Mk Ia's which where converted into a PR.Ia by filling the gun ports and ejector ports, removing gun panel lines, adding blisters to the canopy sides and camera ports under the wings. Another old tool Airfix Ia was detailed by removing all the tail control surfaces and repositioning, and adding lots of scratchbuilt detail to the cockpit, which then could not be seen under the closed canopy. The wheel wells were also boxed in. Kits from other manufacturers include Hasegawa (Ia and VIII), Sword (Vc), Fujimi (XIVe), Academy (XIVc), Ventura (PR.XI and Seafire XV), Pegasus (Seafire 47), Matchbox (IX converted to PR.XI), AZ Models (3 x IX, one converted to a VIII), KP (LF IXe, HF.VII and LF XVIe) and Heller (LF XVIe).

Like most modellers I don't have the space to display all my models at one time, so I rotate them in my display case. Recently I decided to display my Spitfires, and here is the result before going into the case. About half are Airfix, in the second picture I have only shown the Airfix kits, these are old and new Tool Mk I, Ia, PR.Ia, IIa, IIa(LR), and Va, Vb, 2x Vc, new tool IXc, 3x PR.XIX and a Mk 22.

Nice 'WIFF' and not too far fetched!

Although I don't build 1/35 armour (usually sticking to 1/72 aircraft), I'm very tempted by this kit. When the film 'Ice Cold in Alex' was being made, my late Dad was doing his national service in Libya, driving 'Mighty Antar' tank transporters. He was seconded to the filming unit, and helped out with several scenes. His 'claim to fame' was that during the scene where the ambulance is slowly cranked up the sand dune on it's starting handle near the end of the film, he was at the top manning a large winch which was slowly pulling it up! As an aside, in the late '80s, the company I was then working for did a day trip to Duxford. My Dad came along as he knew most of the guys as he owned the cafe next door where they all had their lunch. In the Land Warfare Hall, he stopped at the Tank Transporter with the Centurion on its back and said 'I used to drive one of those!', to which one of my workmates said 'And I used to drive a Centurion.' They got chatting about their National Service days, and it turned out they were both in Libya at the same time, and had probably bumped into one another there more than once. Dad had been serving him in his cafe for many years and this had never come up before! Also on a holiday to Tunisia in '91, I remember when on a coach transfer driving past a large military scrap yard which looked to be full of Willys Jeeps and Austin K2Y's. Maybe it's my memory playing tricks with me, but I'm sure I saw it! Does anyone know where this may have been?

Most impressive, we are not worthy!

Rod, You shouldn't feel obliged to try and add all the decals if you don't want to, just put on the main ones and any others that you want to. Just because they are provided doesn't mean you have to use them! Jason