RAF 100 build: Hawk T.1 - The Red Arrows

[gengriz]

Built for today's 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force, a Red Arrows Hawk T.1, in suitably patriotic colouring, based on the 2011 Airfix 1/72 kit in its Gift Set form. 

 

 

This is a nice kit that definitely improves on its elderly (but still acceptable) predecessor.  It is a little simplified in places but this makes for easy construction.  Painting the glossy red colour scheme and applying the decals require a little more effort and skill.  I used Humbrol satin enamels (applied by brush as always), with several Klear topcoats to give the shine and bed in the decals; anyone who actually manages to paint this kit with the supplied acrylic paint pots would have my serious respect!

 

 

In fact, it's a bit of a miracle that I have managed to finish this one at all, having spent the last 2 weeks in hospital laid up with a badly broken leg. I'd got as far as applying the first red coat before life came to a crunching (but thankfully, temporary) halt. The final touches were applied literally from my sick bed (Mrs T's idea as therapy!), so its not quite up to the standard I wanted, especially in decal application and the canopy sealing lines. I also messed up the inter cockpit screen.  Under normal circumstances I could have fixed this easily, but sanding and polishing was beyond me at the time.

 

 

I had intended a Gnat to go with this, but although it has reached the topcoat painting stage, it will have to wait a little longer.

 

 

So,  congratulations and thank you to the men and women of the RAF for 100 years.  May you walk sideways for at least 100 more (better than I can do at the moment!)

 

FredT 

[theplasticsurgeon]

Great build as always Fred.  

Sorry to hear about the leg,  hope you're better soon.

[qn30jEkPz7]

Bad luck with the leg - modelling is fine therapy and that’s a lovely result