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Space:1999 - 1/48 Mk.IX Hawk - Scratch Build


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Hi Chaps,

 

I'm going to carry on with the Space:1999 theme; and for my next build I'm going to scratch build a Mk.IX Hawk in 1/48 scale to compliment my Eagle model.

 

The Mk.IX Hawk is probably one of the most recognisable 'guest' space craft seen in Space:1999 and appeared in only one episode titled "War Games" where Moon Base Alpha comes under surprise attack from a flight of Hawk's; these cause much damage to the base. In the episode it turns out that the attack and the Hawks were an Alien illusion. The Mk.IX Hawks were identified as such by Professor Victor Bergman suggesting that they are or were a known craft of Human/Earth Origin and are probably some kind of dedicated fighter craft designed solely for combat.

 

There isn't much out there defining a definite scale compared to the Eagle; the Hawk is apparently smaller than the Eagle and other builders have gone for a length of about 20 inches for a 1/48 model and I'm going to do the same making it about 4 inches smaller then my Eagle.

 

I've scaled up some plans to match the dimensions I want and will follow these. I'll do my best to keep it accurate but I know I'll have to ad-lib some parts that I can't replicate completely.

 

First, I'm starting with the command module or beak. I've started out with a flat 'keel' and will build around this. I've components have been cut out of various thicknesses of sheet styrene. This is very similar to how I originally made the Eagle cockpit.

 

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Wish me luck!

 

Karl

 

Edited by Karl
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wishing you a lot of luck and patience - this is going to be a very interesting scratch build

 

I am hoping to pick up plenty of ideas and tips from this build - I never got to see how you scratch built the beak of your Eagle so this is of immediate interest to me here.

 

looking forward to your next instalment

 

good luck

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Should be interesting - there are some quite complex curves on the Hawk beak and some tricky detailing on the main body, which in the original model was two halves of the Airfix Saturn V first stage with some bits added between them.

 

Got the popcorn! :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Happy new year! - so onwards and upwards with the Hawk build.

 

I'm looking at the underside of the command module; unlike the Eagle the underside of the Hawk's CM is different to the top side. The underside is sort of concave with a centralised half 'egg' shape in the centre.

 

I'm making the flat concave side from two flat pieces of styrene supported and shaped by a sub-structure of ribs.

 

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All of the curved edges are going to be built up in layers using resin and car body filler - the trusty old P38 - and filed and sanded in to shape, however that's for later.

 

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Next I need to get a feel for the shape of the back of the CM. On the studio model the joint is fudged using small plastic rectangles so you cant really see it, so I'm going to build the long neck section.

 

Originally it was made from the first stage of (several) Airfix Saturn 1B model kits. Looking at the plans and pictures of the Hawk, all you really see of these are two of the tank sections along the side of the neck/spine, the rest has been covered in sheet styrene. This gives me the opportunity to be creative.

 

After taking some measurements I started by building a box structure supported with some internal bracing. The holes through the box section match a tube I have installed in the Command Module and this will be used to allow the insertion of an 8mm steel rod throughout the entire length of the model to give it rigidity and keep the whole thing straight.

 

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To make the illusion that the thing s made from Saturn 1B parts, I used some lengths of 10mm styrene tube (split length wise to save on resources!) and mounted on to some bracketry these are mounted on to the sides of the neck/spine making sure that the width is correct according to the measurements.

 

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The top and bottom edges are then filled in with a strip of styrene to complete the illusion.

 

Then, using the shape of the centre section, I created some end caps that included a curved side that matches the tubes and angles of the neck/spine. I can use this to build up the shape of the back of the CM.

 

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Karl

Edited by Karl
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I'm going to work on the basic shape of the engine fuselage section next; this is the slightly bulbous area between the centre section and the main engine bell.

 

Originally this part was made from the S-II section of the Airfix Saturn V rocket model, and as with the centre section I would need to approximate this shape without using any original parts. First I measured up the side, plan and rear views to give me the shape. A central box section was then cut out of 2mm styrene sheet and made in to a box section.

 

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This is drilled length wise to accept the steel spinal core used to keep everything aligned.

 

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Semi circular shapes were made from styrene to match the shape of the Saturn S-II parts, and length wise ribs made to add some strength. This was then covered on both sides with two layers of very thin styrene sheeting to make a skin to the shape i required. The joins were filled and sanded smooth. This gives me the basic shape of the fuselage section; the distinctive S-II stringers and details will be added later.

 

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Progress thus far:

 

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Karl

 

 

Edited by Karl
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Time to start filling out the shape of the command module / beak.

 

The basic structure has been made from sheet styrene, and after looking at various reference pictures I can just about judge it's basic contour and shape and I can block in a bit more of the empty space in the beak with more styrene sheet.

 

The next step is to build up the rest of the contours using car body filler to build up the required shape. this is done in a couple of layers to make sure the rough shape is correct.

 

It starts off very rough at first...

 

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After several mixing, filling and checking sessions I have a rough shape.

 

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After quite a bit of sanding and more filler and more sanding and then some finer grade filler and fine grade sanding paper.

 

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This is the same method used to make the beak of my previous Eagle model, although this one feels like it was a lot easier to complete. Surface details will be added later using sheet styrene.

 

Karl

 

 

Edited by Karl
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21 hours ago, Mike said:

Nice work on the beak Karl - quite a project you've got going, but fast progress :yes:

Thanks Mike. I think the main shape of the Hawk will build up quite quickly, however it will be the finer details and greeblies that take the time.

 

10 hours ago, fsssh said:

Thats some fine filler bashing there, looks great!

It's gone quite well; It's silky smooth at the moment - probably too smooth. I might need to go over it with some fine sand paper to give the CA something to key to when I do the surface details.

 

Karl

 

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9 hours ago, Gimme Shelter said:

wow - that's an incredible bit of beaky scratch building going on there - If I were you, I would cast a few off in resin for the rainy days of the future.

 

Thank you; you're right I really should take a cast of the beak, however it's a bit beyond my casting capabilities at the moment!!

 

Karl

 

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Might be wise - even if you have to ship it off to a friend, or (god forbid) pay someone to do it for you :S

 

The things that I'm worrying about for you is possible de-lamination or somesuch. :owww: Also, if you drop the damn thing, it may not end well... You could cast it in a single-part mould with the flat back against the base board (perhaps on a little "plinth"), and just be careful with the bubbles - I've cast up things more complex with bigger undercuts without vacuum equipment before now, and would have volunteered, but all my casting consumables went off, and I haven't picked up any more, as I've got no need at the moment.  :shrug:

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On 15/01/2018 at 8:44 PM, Mike said:

Might be wise - even if you have to ship it off to a friend, or (god forbid) pay someone to do it for you :S

 

The things that I'm worrying about for you is possible de-lamination or somesuch. :owww: Also, if you drop the damn thing, it may not end well... You could cast it in a single-part mould with the flat back against the base board (perhaps on a little "plinth"), and just be careful with the bubbles - I've cast up things more complex with bigger undercuts without vacuum equipment before now, and would have volunteered, but all my casting consumables went off, and I haven't picked up any more, as I've got no need at the moment.  :shrug:

Thanks Mike.

 

As I said, I did think about taking a mould from the beak, however this model was always going to be a one off so not sure why I needed it as I'm probably never going to build another.

 

I've seen an article regarding the original studio model having had a cast taken from it using a plaster mould (having covered the original in foil) and taking a mould of the upper then lower surfaces making a horizontally split part. The moulds were then used to make a copy using a slush cast of resin and car body filler and fibre glass matting. This is something I could actually do as I have most of that stuff to hand.

 

I'm not too worried about delamination as this technique was used to make a lot of the original parts on the Eagle model and they have lasted since 1999. If it did delaminate I guess it would come apart in blocks that I could CA back in place. I could drill and pin the main parts to each other with small screws I suppose for extra security.

 

I don't even want to think about dropping it... however I don't think that would be good for any of our models...

 

I'll have a think while I work on other bits of the Hawk....

 

Karl

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  • 2 weeks later...

Next item on the list are the side booster tubes.

 

It is believed that the original studio model's boosters were made by rolling plastic sheeting around a cardboard tube from a roll kitchen roll.

 

To that end I found a cardboard tube from some kitchen foil that was just the right diameter (about 27mm) and after Mrs Karl kindly unrolled the (quite substantial amount) remaining on the roll, I had my tube!

 

I them wrapped it with some very thin gauge styreen sheeting.

 

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How they will appear on the Hawk...

 

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I started by gluing the plastic to one end of the roll to keep it tight, then when set I... just rolled it and glued the other end and left it taped up overnight.

 

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I cut some styrene rings to cover the ends of the tube, with one end being slightly recessed in to the tube.

 

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Next, the cone at the engine bell end; this was made with a simple disk of plastic stuck together and placed in the tubes recessed end. This will be dressed up later.

 

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Karl

Edited by Karl
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  • 3 weeks later...

A bit of a complex shape area is the blunt nose cone of the side boosters.

 

I started by making the disk for both ends and the oblique side piece. These were connected together with a tube of the appropriate length and all the parts glued in to position.

 

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I then roughly filled in the sides with strips of plastic. I then taped this altogether to make it semi liquid tight. After drilling one end, I filled the cavity in with resin and P38 and allowed it to harden to make a solid shape.

 

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The outer surfaces were then filled with P38 and sanded smooth and in to shape.

 

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The next area of difficulty is the 'egg' underneath the cockpit beak. Again, I went with my usual method of construction for such things; I made the basic shape of the egg with flat styrene sheet.

 

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To try and prevent any issue with major de-lamination problems, I drilled through the egg's cross members and inserted four tubes. The idea is that when I apply the filler it will surround the tube and lock everything in to place; a sort of plastic re-enforced P38...

 

Unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures of it, however with the help of MS paint I can show the general idea; the re-enforcing tubes are represented by black lines:

 

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I then applied several layers of P38 and sanded them in to shape. This picture is part way through the sanding process:

 

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The egg is covered in panel details and I thought it would be a lot easier to add these before I attached it to the cockpit. Basic idea was to draw these out on to the egg and trace these shapes out on to styrene sheet. I then superglued these to the egg. Ideally, I would have used the egg to make a vac form egg shape and cut the panels from this. I don't have a vac forming machine but I think I'll make one at some point.

 

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The last detail on the egg is the cannon port. In the episode 'War Games' Moonbase Alpha is attacked by the Hawk's, with the Hawk's making strafing runs firing only the single canon under the cockpit. I thought this was best represented by making a port similar to the canon ports on '60 fighter aircraft like the Hawker Hunter. To do this I drilled the port out at an angle and inserted a hollow plastic tube. i then filled this and blended it in to the surface.

 

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Finally the egg was attached to the bottom of the command module beak. with epoxy resin. I then filled the edges in with more P38 and sanded to shape.

 

39371306615_c6c3fed1d8_o.jpg

 

Karl

 

Edited by Karl
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