Hi All,
While I await for putty to cure on my Toon build I started on another build for my local Navy Jet Group Build. I don't often build jets and latest manufactured kits either so was unacustomed to almost good fitting and crisp parts. Having said that 60 percent of the kit just came together in one sitting.
About the plane c/o Wikipedia
The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm, the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design originated from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the company's first jet aircraft.
Contrary to what a friend said that it was a failure (Ithink he meant the Sea Vixen)... following acceptance in the RN, the Sea Hawk proved to be a reliable and sturdy workhorse. A considerable number were also produced for the export market and were operated from aircraft carriers in Dutch and Indian service and even the German Bundesmarine. The last operational Sea Hawks, operated by the Indian Navy, were retired in 1983.
Design
The F 1 was armed with four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano MK V cannons. It was powered by a 5,000 lbf (22 kN) thrust Rolls-RoyceNene 101 centrifugal flow turbojet engine. The Nene engine was viewed as underpowered; in 1950, the government had cancelled development of the Rolls-Royce Tay, an afterburnerr-equipped development of the Nene, leaving no more powerful engines to equip the Sea Hawk. More minor developments of the Nene engine were developed and were adopted on the aircraft, providing for some increase in power.
The F 1 had a maximum speed of 599 mph (964 km/h) at sea level and a range of 800 mi (1,287 km) on internal fuel. A more refined fighter variant was the F 2, which introduced power-boosted aileron controls as well as other modifications, including to its structure. The next variant of the Sea Hawk was developed into a fighter-bomber, the FB 3, and differed only slightly from its predecessors; its structure being strengthened to allow it to carry a wider array of equipment and weaponry on its four hard points, these included rockets, bombs, napalm, mines, reconnaissance cameras, external drop tanks and fixtures for rocket-assisted take off gear (RATOG).
Unlike its rival, the Supermarine Attacker, which had been the first jet aircraft to enter service with the FAA, the Sea Hawk had a tricycle undercarriage rather than a tail-wheel, making it easier to land on carriers, it was also Hawker's first aircraft to incorporate a nose-wheel undercarriage. The Sea Hawk had adopted a fairly conventional design, being built with straight wings while a number of other contemporary aircraft, such as the F-86 Sabre, had adopted swept wings. The Sea Hawk was a reliable and elegant aeroplane, though its cautious design meant it would only be attractive on the export market and be in production for only a short period before being superseded by more advanced aircraft.
Combat Record
The Sea Hawk saw extensive service during the Suez Crisis with the Fleet Air Arm aboard the fleet carrier HMS Eagle, HMS Albionand HMS Bulwark. In Indian Navy service (beginning in 1960), Sea Hawks were used aboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, ex-HMS Hercules and saw service during the Indo-Pakistan Warof 1965.
The Kit
Seriously quite looking at first site with about four sprue trees and it comes with a small etch fret that give you the dash and seat belt harness. Also there is an acetate film for the instrument dials. Flashless with clean engraved panel lines, good fit with no gaps. The destruction sheet takes you through the steps easily making sure you have everything inserted before clamping any halves together.
Apologise for not have=ing any sprue shots 'cos I just delved in straight away with the build
One of the parts that needs done first is the main wheel bay . This got a spurt of silver and a wash to bring out detail. Further dirtying was done and wires were given some attention with selective coloured painting, nothing too glaring.
Funny that the instructions called for blue gray for the cockpit tub and side walls when British aircraft of the period had all black cockpits...anyway I gave it a darker wash as reference pictures show it as very dark grey.
It is always good to weigh into this by making sure the aircraft doesn't sit on its tail. I checked out possible areas as far forward and unobstructed just infront and underneath of the cockpit tub.
The gun ports underneath the fuselage were shallow with no hole at the end so I chucked a suitable drill bit and bore down and eventually drilled right through.
The ejector pin marks on the exhausts halves were sanded down and glued and deflector plates installed onto the bottom half of the fuselage.
The seat was assembled after each part was painted separately and touched up later.
The dash and dials added. I put a drop of Future on each dial. The Future also acted as the adhesive for the acetate film.
Seatbelt harness being painted. Personally I would replace the belts with masking tape in future as the etch was quite stiff and misbehaving.
That's it for this point. I have put the fuselarge together and clamped it down...no pictures of it yet...next post perhaps...going to check it out now.
Cheers,
Richard
While I await for putty to cure on my Toon build I started on another build for my local Navy Jet Group Build. I don't often build jets and latest manufactured kits either so was unacustomed to almost good fitting and crisp parts. Having said that 60 percent of the kit just came together in one sitting.
About the plane c/o Wikipedia
The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm, the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design originated from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the company's first jet aircraft.
Contrary to what a friend said that it was a failure (Ithink he meant the Sea Vixen)... following acceptance in the RN, the Sea Hawk proved to be a reliable and sturdy workhorse. A considerable number were also produced for the export market and were operated from aircraft carriers in Dutch and Indian service and even the German Bundesmarine. The last operational Sea Hawks, operated by the Indian Navy, were retired in 1983.
Design
The F 1 was armed with four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano MK V cannons. It was powered by a 5,000 lbf (22 kN) thrust Rolls-RoyceNene 101 centrifugal flow turbojet engine. The Nene engine was viewed as underpowered; in 1950, the government had cancelled development of the Rolls-Royce Tay, an afterburnerr-equipped development of the Nene, leaving no more powerful engines to equip the Sea Hawk. More minor developments of the Nene engine were developed and were adopted on the aircraft, providing for some increase in power.
The F 1 had a maximum speed of 599 mph (964 km/h) at sea level and a range of 800 mi (1,287 km) on internal fuel. A more refined fighter variant was the F 2, which introduced power-boosted aileron controls as well as other modifications, including to its structure. The next variant of the Sea Hawk was developed into a fighter-bomber, the FB 3, and differed only slightly from its predecessors; its structure being strengthened to allow it to carry a wider array of equipment and weaponry on its four hard points, these included rockets, bombs, napalm, mines, reconnaissance cameras, external drop tanks and fixtures for rocket-assisted take off gear (RATOG).
Unlike its rival, the Supermarine Attacker, which had been the first jet aircraft to enter service with the FAA, the Sea Hawk had a tricycle undercarriage rather than a tail-wheel, making it easier to land on carriers, it was also Hawker's first aircraft to incorporate a nose-wheel undercarriage. The Sea Hawk had adopted a fairly conventional design, being built with straight wings while a number of other contemporary aircraft, such as the F-86 Sabre, had adopted swept wings. The Sea Hawk was a reliable and elegant aeroplane, though its cautious design meant it would only be attractive on the export market and be in production for only a short period before being superseded by more advanced aircraft.
Combat Record
The Sea Hawk saw extensive service during the Suez Crisis with the Fleet Air Arm aboard the fleet carrier HMS Eagle, HMS Albionand HMS Bulwark. In Indian Navy service (beginning in 1960), Sea Hawks were used aboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, ex-HMS Hercules and saw service during the Indo-Pakistan Warof 1965.
The Kit
Seriously quite looking at first site with about four sprue trees and it comes with a small etch fret that give you the dash and seat belt harness. Also there is an acetate film for the instrument dials. Flashless with clean engraved panel lines, good fit with no gaps. The destruction sheet takes you through the steps easily making sure you have everything inserted before clamping any halves together.
Apologise for not have=ing any sprue shots 'cos I just delved in straight away with the build
One of the parts that needs done first is the main wheel bay . This got a spurt of silver and a wash to bring out detail. Further dirtying was done and wires were given some attention with selective coloured painting, nothing too glaring.
Funny that the instructions called for blue gray for the cockpit tub and side walls when British aircraft of the period had all black cockpits...anyway I gave it a darker wash as reference pictures show it as very dark grey.
It is always good to weigh into this by making sure the aircraft doesn't sit on its tail. I checked out possible areas as far forward and unobstructed just infront and underneath of the cockpit tub.
The gun ports underneath the fuselage were shallow with no hole at the end so I chucked a suitable drill bit and bore down and eventually drilled right through.
The ejector pin marks on the exhausts halves were sanded down and glued and deflector plates installed onto the bottom half of the fuselage.
The seat was assembled after each part was painted separately and touched up later.
The dash and dials added. I put a drop of Future on each dial. The Future also acted as the adhesive for the acetate film.
Seatbelt harness being painted. Personally I would replace the belts with masking tape in future as the etch was quite stiff and misbehaving.
That's it for this point. I have put the fuselarge together and clamped it down...no pictures of it yet...next post perhaps...going to check it out now.
Cheers,
Richard
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