T1 Hawk Red Arrows Cockpit Set

[Mike]

T1 Hawk Red Arrows Cockpit Set

1:32 Revell of Germany

The Hawk kit has been out a while now, and you can see our belated review here. Revell have commissioned this Photo-Etch (PE) update set to improve the detail of the cockpit, and although it doesn't say "Eduard" on the set, I'm certain it has been tooled by them.

This set takes the detail in the cockpit to a new level, whilst making it easy for the modeller to achieve a more realistic paintjob. The instrument panel sheet measures 7cm x 5cm, while the larger seat oriented sheet measures 14cm x 5cm.

First item is the instrument panels, which are of good quality but tricky to paint, and these are replaced by a pair of pre-painted laminated parts, with all of the dials printed on the rear part, and the switched on the front piece. A number of sub-panels are also replaced, as are the side consoles, with the modeller left to find some 1.2mm rod to finish off the task.

The canopy receives rear view mirrors for both pilots, plus a pair of grab handles to open the canopy with. These can be attached with gloss varnish to avoid marring the clarity of the canopy.

The kit seats are given a make-over including some data placards on the head boxes, and a set of top cushions in dark green, over which are placed the many belts that keep the pilots held safely in their seats during flight. The belts are all pre-painted, and in this scale the stitching is evident on them all. The buckles and adjusters are all left in bare metal, to accurately portray their material, and you even get a pre-striped ejection pull-handle to save you having to try to paint it yourself. All of the belts are painted on both sides, allowing the modeller to pose them in a more "candid" way, folded over, without worrying about paint matching.

Conclusion

While the kit cockpit is good, this makes it better, and does it all with pre-painted parts included. The instrument panels will look excellent once installed, but matching the paint for the grey parts of the panel could prove tricky, as it seems to have a slight sky tint to it.

Definitely worth the effort, and recommended.

Review sample courtesy of