Smark

Hi toms111s, The console to which you refer has little detail on it on the real thing. I have the Kuivalainen set (albeit for the hawk 51) which also only provides for the three consoles. There are some excellent cockpit photo's in the walkaround section. You'll find it under Hawker Siddeley Hawk as opposed to BAe Hawk, just scroll down to the bottom (sorry, don't know how to do links!). Hope that helps, Mark

A great looking model, nicely finished and rigged.The effort to finish it was well worth it!!!!! Mark

An excellent build and an interesting history. Thanks for sharing both! Mark

Very Nice! Mark

Now that's a work of art!......Tremendous!! Mark

Thanks All for your very kind comments. I'm glad you like it!! SimonR.......I took the odd photo of the build along the way. I'll have a look and see if I have any of the seats. Cheers, Mark

Hi All, The most part of this build was completed by the end of last year but I only got around to completing the seats and canopy this summer. I had intended to make this OOB but became influenced by geedubelyer's fantastic Red Arrows build and decided to have a go at adding some detail. I added some simple sidewall framing in the cockpit and adapted the kit seats to represent the early type. With breath held, the landing flaps were cut out at which point I had committed myself to fabricating new ones. The task wasn't too bad, just a bit fiddly to attach them back to the wings: super glue and plenty of bad languaage sorted the job though! Xtracrylix was used for the white and light aircraft grey. After some deliberation, I used Revell aqua Fiery red 330(silk matt) for the signal red: to my eyes it gives both that nice orangey red when seen on a bright day and a darker red on a dull day. The model was given a coat or two of kleer before and after the decals were applied. Xtradecals provided the main markings, stencils and required serial numbers. I also used Aeroclub's metal U/C and Master's metal pitot tube. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable build! I just wish that i had the means to take decent photos(apologies in advance!). Thanks for looking, all comments welcome, both good and bad. Mark

Top class build and finish.........Excellent! Mark

That's an excellent walkaround Hawkkeeper: I've been on the lookout for detail photos of the 'plumbing' and frame work on the cockpit side walls for sometime. Thanks very much indeed for sharing!!! Mark

I do like it! Superb build!

That's a cracking build of a great kit. Excellent paint job and weathering with a wealth of added detail: even the split pins on the engine bearers! Thanks for sharing, Mark.

Cor blimey, that's gorgeous! Love your choice of scheme. Just had to take another look through your WIP: great work indeed. Mark.

Hi Andy, The surface wasn't too bad but it took a bit of work to get a uniform sheen on the top camo. The green had a satin finish so glossed up easily but it took about 4 coats of Klear, and a go with micro mesh, to get the matt grey to gloss up similar. The AeroMaster decals were flawless but the kit stencils suffered some silvering in places which I think would have been worse without the decaling solutions. I did think about using klear to place them and decided against it on this build just in case I mucked it up as I have not used it for this purpose before. To All I'm dissapointed that I didn't manage to finish in time but I have enjoyed taking part. I lost precious time due to my decal solutions having gone manky and have also just finished 7 long days at work on the bounce, which meant I wasn't able to catch up. However, after a couple of late nights I did at least complete the decaling. The following photos show the state of play at time up...... Thanks for looking, Mark.

Thanks Kallisti. I persevere with Xtracrylics 'cause I like the colour range. However, I will be using Tamiya acrylics much more now that I have tried them as they spray easily. I can now also buy them locally(when they keep the stocks up) which is a double bonus! To All Unfortunately the build ground to a halt on Sunday. When I started to apply the decals I noticed that when I applied my microsol it left a brown stain on the decal and paint work. I just about managed to remove it with a damp cotton bud but nearly wrote the decals off in the process. On examination, both the set and sol have a brown tinge to them, and in particular the sol had a swirl of brown at the bottom of the bottle. I therefore couldn't trust using them and so have had to order some more. Pity really as I had hoped to get the decals all on on Sunday. I was also off yesterday and could have cracked on quite nicely. Now, due to work commitments, and waiting for the new sol and set to arrive, I doubt that I will be able to finish in time! The offending sol and set

Looking excellent Mark. Very neat and tidy build! If you don't mind me asking, how did the Citadel Mithral Silver go on? Cheers, Mark.

This is looking great and definetely not worth the risk of spoiling it by rushing. A wise decision to put on hold. Enjoy your hols. Mark.

Hello All, Crikey, doesn't time fly.......and the 20th is on the horizon!! Right then, u/s sprayed with Tamiya X14 silver and sealed with Klear. Then masked off completely(taking no chances as I usually end up with paint everywhere). I then sprayed the dark sea grey using Tamiya X54. This was then masked off with masking tape as a hard edge is required. I did this by first marking out the demarcation line with lengths of tape cut to approx. 1mm in width, then just infilled as required. This method was quite time consuming but not difficult once I got going. The more experienced may have opted for paper masks and the like, but I am still very much a novice with the use of an air brush. The green followed, and as my LHS didn't have any Tamiya in stock, I used Xtracrylix RAF Dark green. I should mention that I am one of those that find Xtracrylix an absolute nightmare to spray, even using a retarder as others suggest. Until recently, I used an Aztec air brush which I found impossible to spray Xtracrylix in double action mode:instead, all my spraying was been done in single action mode which still clogged, but less so. I've now bought a H&S Evolution Silverline 2in1 which sprays Xtracrylix much better, but it's still a struggle though. Not wishing to give up on acrylics, on this build I've tried Tamiya acrylics for the first time and they've sprayed a treat. No clogging at all!! Having the control with the double action is great and touch ups have been a doddle with minimum masking required. In the photo below you can see where I've sprayed on the newspaper in order to 'flush' the brush thro' after cleaning the tip with a cotton bud soaked in thinner, during the session..... .....and finally with the masking removed The inside of the intakes where I have used filler looked awful so I've had another go at them. I now need to make good the silver at the bottom of the opening. A coat of Klear and then decals. Hopefully!!!! Thanks for looking, and all comments welcome, Mark.

Hi Mark, I like it......Great build and attention to detail! Nice touches to the Dio as well. Sometimes I wish I hadn't strayed from the use of 'the hairy stick', I know I'd get alot more done. Cheers Mark

Hi Bill, I'm afraid I don't know about the antennae, but I do know that this is a crackin' build! I love this scheme and those air brakes are just superb. Great stuff! Cheers Mark

Nice couple of builds there HT! Re: the FGA.10, I'm always impressed by modellers that can spray freehand: something I have yet to master. Nice one! Mark

Hi, Count me in please! Either 'The Poachers' or 'The Swords' using the Airfix 1/72 Jet Provost T.Mk.5A and AirDecal display Jet Provost T5's decal sheet, if that's o.k.? Cheers, Mark

Hi All I'm at work this week end so not able to do much on this. A quick update none the less. Tail planes now glued on. Kit ailerons and flaps fitted to the resin wings (flaps up on this build as I want to keep her graceful lines as much as possible). All other lumps and bumps added to underside also. I drilled out the case ejection chutes to add more depth, as well as sanding the rear ones down to make them shorter as they look a bit long to me!? I have attempted to re-shape the air brake to better represent the early type Bullet fairing back on and faired in with the help of some filler. Also in the process here of using some filler to help fair in the Aeroclub metal jet pipe. At last, given a coat of Halfords primer! This revealed some areas that needed furter attention: nothing drastic though. Metal jet pipe now faired in and to my relief, no further work needed to the bullet fairing. I will now give it another mist coat of primer and prepare it for painting, which I hope to get done this week. I have sanded off the framing to the rear of the sliding canopy and polished it back up using micromesh. It has now been dipped in Klear(along with the front windscreen). Some attention has also been given to the under carriage Over all, I am very pleased with the build so far and I am enjoying it. It's been quite a while since I got a model this far!!! Thanks for looking in Mark

Hi ratpit, Thanks for the info: certainly gave me something to think about. Yes, the Aeromaster decals (which I bought recently for this build) give silver as the u/s colour. Sky u/s would certainly be different/interesting but too controversial for me! All things considered, right or wrong, I will still go with the Aeromaster decals and colour call out. In "RAF Hunters in Germany" by Kipp and Lindsey, there is a photo on page 34 that does show squadron markings and the Eagle emblem positioned on the forward fuselage: this same picture also appears on page 26 of "Hunter Squadrons....." by Richard L. Ward. As 71 Squadron only operated Hunters for a year or so, it's quite possible that the markings did not make it 'up front' on all the airframes before dispanding. Thanks again, Mark

Hello All, StephenMG......Thanks for the link Mark. I don't know how I missed that thread first time around: very useful! I have also done as you suggested and taken all the 'points' off. A simple and easy fix that makes all the difference! AndyC......Yes mate, the early Hunters do look good. I've decided to do this build with the flaps up to help keep it's graceful lines. TonyWhittingham...... I've no idea where I get my love of aviation from. All my relatives were either Army or Navy. Cheers Mark

Hi All, Firstly, apologies for lack of progress updates but I've had some 'tinternet connection issues.....Grrrrrrrr!!!! Also, seeing some of the other builds finished already has made realise how slow I am at building. At times I have felt that I have well and truely been left in the starting blocks. Still, I have made some progress. Wings are on and the fuselage is together. I glued the wings on with superglue before closing the fuselage as it gives better access to the gluing surfaces. Furtermore, this allowed me to give the joint a liberal amount of glue in order to make a strong joint. The Neomega 'pit fitted a treat and looks great. I sprayed it with Tamiya NATO black which is the first time that i have used it. A dry brush then followed. The bang seat still awaits painting. With reference to the intake ducts, despite much fettling and mucking about, I was still left with gaps just inside the intake openings on both sides. I will endeavour to fill these! I added some lead weight in the nose before attaching. I'm glad I'll be using Aeroclub's metal U/C set as, combining the weight of the resin wings, it feels quite heavy for a smallish model! Having learnt from AndyC's build that the sliding canopy doesn't fit in the open position, I decided to thin down the spine immediately behind the cockpit in order to use the canopy as supplied. I also created a run for the canopy using the edge of a file which helps it to sit better. It has worked out O.K. but due to the shape issue and it being noticeably short in length, in future I will use vac-form replacements. The canopy runs. Not very tidy but they will be covered by the canopy. The canopy in place. For the bullet fairing, I sanded approx. 2mm off the tip of the piece that I had previously removed, and superglued on a peice of clear sprue. I then sanded this to shape to form the rear nav. light. I then inserted a peg on which to mount it back on. It now needs to be faired in with some filler. The next photo is a dry run of the bullet fairing. Despite having shortened this by approx. 3mm it still looks a tad too long(?). Still a way to go but all things considered, it is at least beginning to look like a Hunter! Sorry for this long 'catch up' post. In future I will try and post more frequently. Thanks for looking and of course all comments/advice welcome, Mark.