Which 72nd scale Hawk kit?

[rossm]

I want to build XX278 in the Chivenor 50th anniversary markings from Xtradecal 72031. I have an Italeri kit and the PP Aeropart upgrade set but is there a more modern kit which is more accurate from the box? I've kind of lost the plot with the multiple Airfix versions.

 

There are two types of headbox for the seats in the PP set, which is right for this aircraft at this time?

 

Thanks in advance

Ross

[Bobski]

The current boxing of the Hawk T1 / T1A from Airfix is a good little kit. You can pick up the Red Arrows boxing pretty cheap.

 

When were those markings carried? The early-style headboxes (fatter at the bottom than the top) were carried until the early- to mid-90s I believe, so I think it would have those. 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Bobski

[PhantomBigStu]

the italeri is nice enough kit itself, though as said the current airfix one is nice as well which is A2005A from 2012 or more recent reboxes 

[Paul J]

What about the new tool Revell one? That looks like a nice kit.

[Giorgio N]

I remember having discussed the pros and cons of the Italeri and Airfix kits a few years ago on this same forum, a search should return some info.

In the meantime we've seen a brand new tool released by Revell, that itself has pros and cons.

To summarise...

Airfix: probably the most accurate lines from the box, not perfect itself but IMHO better than the other two. Heavy panel lines, fit is not great and some areas really need a lot of fettling to get right. Detail is not great either, both on the surfaces and inside cockpit and wheel wells. The cockpit is not too detailed and IMHO it's also not accurate.

Check Fritag's double Hawk build in the WIP section, will give you a very good idea of what the Airfix kit is like and what's wrong with it. Early issues had separate windscreen and canopy, later issues have them as a single piece. Early issues had awful and inaccurate main landing gear doors, later issues have better ones (not great though). It may be accurate but everything in this kit looks simplified.

The Red Arrows edition lacks pylons and armament but is cheaper. Airfix also issued the kit as a T.1A, with pylons and weapons (and Finnish decals together with 2 RAF options). It's a very easily available kit and is cheap

 

Italeri: some inaccuracies, in particular the nose and the area behind the canopy. Detail is better than Airfix's in most areas, not always accurate but at least looks better. Panel lines are not Tamigawa but way better than Airfix's. Fit is decent, could be better but I've seen much worse. The canopy is separate from the windscreen but has a weird raised frame that doesn't exist on the real Hawk (it incorrectly represents the top of the internal glass between front and rear seat).

Availability of the original Italeri box is not the best, Revell reboxed the same kit for many years and this is easily available. Decals are for a Red Arrows machine and a Swiss one (that however was a Hawk Mk.60 series, with different fences on the wing, missing from the box)

 

Revell: the best of the 3 in terms of mould and detail, nice and accurate cockpit and good wheel wells and landing gear. Revell even moulded the small pipes used by Red Arrows aircrafts to generate smoke. It could have been the best 1/72 Hawk but Revell didn't represent the rear fuselage very well. The fin fillet is the early style only and the whole area is a bit suspect. Can't comment on fit as I haven't built mine yet.

The kit is at the moment only available in a Red Arrows issue, with no pylons or weapons. It's a slightly more expensive than the other two but IMHO this is justified by the level of detail. Availability should be Ok, just be careful you're buying the new mould and not the older Italeri mould.

 

Which one would I buy? I've yet to build the Revell kit so I don't know how easy it is to correct the rear fuselage, should this prove to be easy enough I'd probably only buy Revell kits. The Airfix one is Ok but really looks oversimplified. The Italeri one doesn't look that bad in the end even with its inaccuracies... but that canopy is too much for me

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Giorgio N

[xffw45343tg]

As Air Marshall Fritag QC, MBE (Miracle Builder Extraordinaire) ( aka @Fritag) demonstrates, the Airfix ones simply fall together in far less than 3 years and are far more accurate than the real thing.

 

Kirk

 

[rossm]

4 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

I remember having discussed the pros and cons of the Italeri and Airfix kits a few years ago on this same forum, a search should return some info.

...............................................

 

 

Thanks for your summary Giorgio, that helps a lot.

 

And thanks, Kirk, for the link. After two pages I got the impression there would be more work doing the corrections to the Airfix kit than using the Italeri + PP set (which is now sold by Flightpath).

 

So the best solution is probably a modelling workout using what I have in the stash - the Italeri T Mk.1 / 51 / 66 kit and PP Aeroparts correction set which has a new nose, rear fuselage and 'hump' in resin, vacform canopy and lots more resin, metal and etch goodies.

 

I'm aiming at a 1990 vintage aircraft and had never heard of the Fred Sutton tail - please can anyone tell me if the Italeri tail is correct for 1990?

 

I'll also use the big headboxes, thanks Bobski

 

Thanks all for your interest,

Ross

[Giorgio N]

Ross,

there are a number of pictures online of XX278 carrying the Chivenor 50th anniversary scheme. Watching them I'm not sure if the headrest is the old style, to me it looks more the later square box style. Have a loot yourself and decide on what you see

 

http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&p=416905

 

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/t1a,xx278

 

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?q=xx278&f=_all&exact=1&type=&registration=&operator=&code_number=&construction_number=&airport=&country=&photographer=&date_taken=&airshow=&military_unit=&information=&exact=1&search_type=simple

[rossm]

14 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

Ross,

there are a number of pictures online of XX278 carrying the Chivenor 50th anniversary scheme. Watching them I'm not sure if the headrest is the old style, to me it looks more the later square box style. Have a loot yourself and decide on what you see

 

 

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/t1a,xx278

That one with the canopy open looks pretty convincing that it's the later style, also noted it's a T1A so will choose appropriate front cockpit etch,

Thanks again,

Ross

Edited December 1, 2017 by rossm
more detail

[xffw45343tg]

3 hours ago, rossm said:

 

After two pages I got the impression there would be more work doing the corrections to the Airfix kit than ...

 

 

Don't be misled by the fanatical attention to detail that Lord Fritag is putting in; I don't think he can help it, poor thing.

The main thing in favour of the Airfix one is that it is very Hawk shaped - and combined with the value pricing this generally rates it as a contender.

 

Kirk

[Paul J]

Though the Airfix kit is nice, what I found is quite bad are the main wheel bay openings and associated doors ..all tooo small and funny shape. Otherwise OK. The Original Airfix kit was much better in these areas but also lacked some of the production add ons like the ventral fins but easily doable.

[Giorgio N]

1 hour ago, rossm said:

That one with the canopy open looks pretty convincing that it's the later style, also noted it's a T1A so will choose appropriate front cockpit etch,

Thanks again,

Ross

 

Yes, aircraft was converted to T.1A and delivered back to RAF in the new configuration in June 1985

 

44 minutes ago, Paul J said:

Though the Airfix kit is nice, what I found is quite bad are the main wheel bay openings and associated doors ..all tooo small and funny shape. Otherwise OK. The Original Airfix kit was much better in these areas but also lacked some of the production add ons like the ventral fins but easily doable.

 

The old tool Airfix Hawk is also a good source of gunpods, pylons and weapons. I've seen it sold at shows for as little as £ 3-4, worth grabbing for the extra parts alone at this price

Edited December 1, 2017 by Giorgio N

[rossm]

Thank you everyone, I've just started a WIP thread for this http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235030308-chivenor-50th-anniversary-hawk-italeri-172nd/

 

Ross