COIN Aircraft from a Hawk

[silverwindblade]

To take a break from building every aircraft in my story universe, and because I had a different idea, here's another build.

I received some gift vouchers for Hobbycraft from a former workplace when I left last year as they knew I like modelling. I bought a couple of kits with them from the sadly limited range at my local store - a Revell 1/48 Huey Hog and an Airfix 1/48 Hawk.
The Huey is still in it's box awaiting some more display space, and also parts to make something out of it (I've got a few ideas, but they require more modern helo parts), but for the Hawk I was struck by inspiration after seeing Dizzyfugu's excellent Libelula, and thinking of my own love for COIN aircraft, I was struck by the idea of changing the Hawk into something a bit different.

I had mapped the build out in my head, but started to run into difficulties the more I thought about it. Originally, I wanted to do it as a straight-winged turboprop, but I realised that most of the hardpoints would have very little clearance around the props, and I didn't have the parts to steal a wing, or the money on hand to buy something to nick one from. Furthermore, I don't have much luck with cutting styrene straight, so building a wing was out of the question too.

Then I thought about pusher props, and I started getting somewhere, especially after looking at the BAe Mantis and it's layout. The two pod-mounted pushers solve the clearance issue, and mean I can use the wing. But that's far too easy, and I'm nothing if not a glutton for hard work to make something look completely weird. So....


I used my rarely-touched multi-tool to saw off the intakes, then blocked out the gaping holes with plasticard from the inside. After that was stuck in place, I faired over the gap with milliput, and then a million years of PSR to get it smooth.
I then chopped down the nose and tail. The nose will have a FLIR turret, which I have built separately, and the tail just comes to a point with a vent underneath, as there's no need for the old exhaust, of course.
I've also faired over the old wing-root after removing the wings, and the landing gear bays.


I've assembled composite wings from parts of the original Hawk wings, and from a pair of 1/72 F-15 wings I had lying around. They'll be the inboard sections, with the landing gear in pods, and then an outer wing, with either tip-tanks or launch rails. I'm not sure which yet.
The only downside, though these wings do look amazing, is that to blend them together will take a lot of PSR and fairing in with plasticard. Which I'm really not looking forward to at all. 

[kerick]

Interesting idea. I'll be watching!

[lancer]

That sounds very much like the Reading hobbycraft. I was up there a couple of days ago having heard a dark romour that it had been re-stocked. It hadn't! Same old crap thats been there for 6 months or so...

[silverwindblade]

I used to live in Reading, and I always found that to be the case when I was there too... almost no kits, and nothing exciting!

[Captain Canada]

That looks awesome ! What a neat idea. Great job so far

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice idea. Seeing the fuselage profile, it IMHO cries for slender wings with turboprops. Looks a bit mini-Pucara-ish? Cool idea, nevertheless, looking forward to see progress and what it actually becomes! 

[silverwindblade]

Yeah, if I'd had easy access to appropriate wings, then I think I would've done that instead. But I've made my mind up now, and I've changed plans with this too many times as it is... though maybe if I see the 'right' wings then it might change again >.>
(be a lot less hard work...!)

[Dizzyfugu]

I find the idea very inspiring. The Hawk is easy to modify (e .g. getting rid of the air intakes), and I could also imagine a "mini A-10" with external engine nacelles at the rear from it! 

Lovely, I might take the conversion idea up, as I have some surplus Hawk trainer fuselages (lacking canopies, though... ) in store. I even might have proper wings for a turboprop conversion, complete with engines and propellers, and you get resin engine nacelles in 1:144 (e .g. for DC-9s) that might be easily implanted, too. 

[McColm]

Great idea, I always thought of adding the wings from a A-4 Skyhawk.

[silverwindblade]

I wonder if the wings from a 1/72 A-10 would look right, or whether they'd look too spindly or small by comparison?
The Skyhawk idea sounds neat too!

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 A-10 wings will IMHO certainly be too large - it's a relatively big aircraft. But there's a nice (and rel. cheap) 1:100 Revell Snap-Fit A-10 kit out there which has decent wings. These should fit well onto a Hawk. Its tail could be used, too - I used the respective endplates on the Libellula.

[silverwindblade]

Ahh, I think I saw one of those in my semi-local Hobbycraft too... I shall have to investigate!

[Dizzyfugu]

Hmmm, I cooked up an idea for a Hawk COIN conversion, too - I might pursue the Pucara-ish idea, with classic straight wings, turboprops and probably a T-tail, but I have to check if the parts I have in mind actually match in size and shape! 
Also an idea for user and livery: I think Australia lacks an appropriate aircraft, and that wouzld eventually be a good excuse to apply RAAF C-130 three-tone cammo (I think these are B-52G colors?) as a wraparound scheme, coupled with low-viz markings:



At least, this idea/concept made it on the project list - will take a while, and some reality check.

Thanks a lot for the inspiration!     

[Captain Canada]

Those Aussie Hercs are the bomb.

[Dizzyfugu]

Looks pretty unique, doesn't it? MANY years ago I built a ground attack IAI Kfir (heavily modified, e. g. with Harrier stabilizers as canards and a turbofan engine in the tail - don't ask...  ) in this livery, and it looked awesome. Ever since wanted a similar "thing", and this might be the right opportunity.