This 1/48th Hobbycraft Hawk 75 kit was originally released in 1992 as a P-36 "Pearl Harbour Defender" and then later in the "Hawk" variants representing several world nation markings. The kit is a good starting point for a Hawk 75 (or P-36) and with a bit of work can be a real gem for a bargain kit.
Notable Kit Features:
Basic cockpit
Finely engraved panel lines and surface details
Basic engine with two cylinder rows
Multi-part glass can be displayed open or closed
Optional propeller hubs, exhausts and pitot tubes provided
Build Inspiration:
The Hawk aircraft was one of the few fighters available to the Allies in the early days of WWII. The aircraft served in many theaters, under various country's markings (British Commonwealth, China, Finland, France, United States to name a few) which is what makes it such a great aircraft type to model. In this case, I went with Vichy French Markings to cover this chapter in my model aircraft builds.
Heads-Up Report:
The fit of the kit is generally good with the exception of the tail wheel
The engine sits too deep in the cowling, causing the prop to hit either the cowl or the machine guns. It needs to be moved 2mm forward
Flash and ejector pin marks in some visible areas
Kit Additions / Modifications:
Moved engine 2 mm forward in cowl to avoid propeller contact with cowl issue
Cut out flaps and dropped them to add detail
Used 3rd party cockpit replacement
Finishing:
I selected the markings of French Ace Camille Plubeau (14 Victories) in later war Vichy French markings (Red / Yellow cowl and tail). Paint finish was in the standard French camouflage using FS 35164 French Blue / FS 34127 French Green / FS 30045 French Brown over FS 36230 Gray. The paint was weathered using a salt method, however the paint went on a bit too wet causing salt stains in some areas (which ended up looking alright).
The After-Build Report:
The 1/48th Hobbycraft Hawk 75 kit is a decent budget model that builds up into a nice display aircraft. I was pleased with the end result and would recommend the kit to model makers of any skill. It is a simple build, if you want to leave it at that, or with some extra detailing, can be a great display model. I plan to build more of these Hawks, if I find one again as I would like one in Finnish markings. (This kit plastic has been more recently been re-released under the Academy brand.)
Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is suppose to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers