Progress on the Hawk 180...

[Damian2]

Hi All!

These are so of my first scratch building attempts (my modded F-4 is still "in-prog") so bear with me!

First up is the front panel:



Panle in the cockpit, the seat is one from the Hasegawa T-4, which BTW is also going to be a "hump back" attack plane (the OA-4 Sparrow <--working title):



A new divider to cover the back cockpit where the new avionics bundles and fuel tank are:



Finally some of the weapons, dual mounted Brimstones (or Hellfires) and two twin mounted Stingers. On the final plane I intend to move the Hellfires to the inner pylon on one wing with two 180lb LCDs on the other inner pylon. The two outer pylons will mount rocket pods for close support/target marking:



And thats all for now Next will be figuring out how to mount an internal gun and then a fuel tank on the center line pylon...


Damian

[K5054NZ]

Great work thus far, Damian, but one quick point - the OA-4 was the US Marines' version of the Skyhawk! Maybe you may need to choose a new designation for the T-4 (oh God, I'm turning JMN again, aaaaaaargh).


Again, FANTASTIC WORK.    

[Damian2]

Great work thus far, Damian, but one quick point - the OA-4 was the US Marines' version of the Skyhawk! Maybe you may need to choose a new designation for the T-4 (oh God, I'm turning JMN again, aaaaaaargh).


Again, FANTASTIC WORK.  

OA-4 was a Skyhawk!? No way

IIRC the OA-4 was only used on the OA-4M version besides both Japan and France fielded an F-1 with the Mitsubishi F-1 and Mirage F-1 respectivley, therefore its not unknown to have the same numbered type designations in two different countries as each one will use its own system.

Oh god I'm a JMN too!

[Damian2]

Some progress!

Got the internals painted and am waiting for the paint to dry before going on to the detail painting...

First up is the decals I'll be using...hmm cool colour scheme:



Next is the two fuselage halves, they look darker here than in reality...probably the flash...I'm going for the worn look:



The cockpit tub...more wear and tear to be added:



The front panel and extended divider:



And finally the seat:



Zac is doing the back story for this pirate killer...

:ar:  

[K5054NZ]

Yes...........yes I am..................  

[Damian2]

Ok got some more work done, got the seat painted as well as the rest of the 'pit and got the two items mated up:



and the CP, the screens still need to be filled in with clear green:



And the whole thing together...next I'll be tackling the pilot and getting him ready!

[Damian2]

Zac's in-prog stroy so far:

"Muggy" was an understatement on a day like today thought Flight Lieutenant Thomas Lo, 26, as he underwent his pre-flight checks on his BAe Hawk 180 jet. He removed all the red tags on such items as pitot tube,landing gear etc, making his way around the small but capable attack plane. The aircraft in its three-tone camouflage looked menacing, the shark's mouth on the nose enhancing this impression to the casual observer. Once complete, Lo clambered up the small ladder and into the snug cockpit. Again, he scanned his instruments for anything untoward.

Lo keyed his mike. "Tower, Hawk Zero Two requesting takeoff for immediate departure to the east, over."

"Roger Zero Two, taxi to and hold short of runway two niner and await futher instructions, over."

"Roger that."

With his Nomex gloves Lo prepped the aircraft for start - fuel, flaps, instruments, systems - and was greeted with the growing whine of the Adour turbojet engine behind him. He smiled to himself as the whine grew to a muted roar, and ground crewmen stopped their work to watch the aircraft taxi for takeoff.

Loaded with Matra unguided rocket pods, the 30mm cannon pods under the fuselage full with their ammunition, the Hawk 180 was a force to be reckoned with.

Hawk Zero Two followed the yellow line painted on the tarmac, leaving the hardened hangars behind and fast-taxiing along to the end of the runway. One at his holding point, Lo again called the tower for clearance.

A go-mission. He was set. A quick glance behind confirmed his wingman was close on his tail, his plane identical to Lo's.

He pushed the throttle forward slightly, at the same time turning the aircraft to align just to the left of the centreline. Heat haze shimmered along the length of the runway, the grey skies beckoning with empty threats of rain.

Lo scanned the surrounding skies and his instruments once more - it was time.

Throttle forward, the Hawk accelerated, soon becoming light on its three feet. Outside the aircraft's engine boomed around the airfield, but for Lo it was as if someone was merely vacuum-cleaning behind him. The feeling of his Hawk slipping the surly bonds was one which he could never get truly used to - each time it was like the first, like a drug on the brain. Freedom.

His mind back to the task at hand, Lo adjusted his course to the east. His target would be difficult - at best - to find. The area around the island had recently been overrun with piratical activities, gun-running, methamphetamine production and boat hijackings becoming almost commonplace. The buck would stop here.

After a low-level cruise over the murky waters of the Ning-Po Sea, Lo squinted into the distance. The pirates' island. Bingo.

Radio silence was observed on every attack mission by the RSAF's Hawks, especially for missions of a counter-insurgent nature as this. Lo simply turned to look at his wingman, and signalled for a staggered attack run - as discussed in the preflight briefing, Lo would strike first, followed soon after by his comrade. A surefire plan.

The wingman peeled off, backtracked and the resumed a course identical to Lo's, albeit a minute or so behind. Meanwhile Lo climbed and selected "LIVE" for the Matra pods, shoving the throttle to its full power setting. Even at this distance he could see figures pointing, possibly shouting for action, but with no chance of putting up a decent fight. Even at such close proximity, small arms like their Uzis were no match for a high-speed target like the Hawk. Some may call it murder, even wholesale slaughter, but to Lo it was justice for wrongs done to the innocents of Singapore.

The main pirate building, housing their fleet of gunboats, was in the centre of his targeting reticle. With no sign of any emotion, Lo gently squeezed the trigger on his control stick.

[Hatchet]

Hot damn Zac, that's a good story! Leaves one hoping for more.

[K5054NZ]

^_^ I try, Mart, I try.

[Captain Canada]

Beauty on both counts !

Nice work on the cockpit......well worth it under such a big piece of glass !

 

[Damian2]

It seems in my haste to close the fuselage up I forgot to "green" the L.C.D screens well a little careful manuvering and I'll still be able to pull it off

Tonite puttying the wings to try and level the tips and the main wing and working on the fuselage seam...time to JHM it putty, sand and repeat!

[Damian2]

Still puttying and sanding

But I have a bit of a quandry about the loadout...I want to do the mission describbed by Zac. So far I have daul mounted rocket pods and Hellfiers under the outer pylons. I don't think LCDs are going to be necissary because they're trying to level a base, in that case do I go dumb bomb, CBUS or napalm? After all there isn't likley to be any hardned structures and the Hellfires would be more than enought to deal with the pirate boats...

What do you guys think??

[Damian2]

MORE UPDATES!!!!

First up because I don't have a work area built after renovating the flat last year, so here's where I'm working



Ok on to the kit I've been busy on the rear cockpit faring...it needs another minor coat of spot filler to smoothout some pin holes in the main filler. That will happen tomorrow after the future drys:



And a closer shot:



The wings are now filled and smoothed too :



A decent shot of the cockpit:



And finally two quick mock ups



And with the divider in place.



Any and all comments are most welcome!!

[Brian da Basher]

Looking good Damian2! That's some nice detail work! I'm enjoying watching your progress. It's interesting to see what folks can do with a less-than-ideal modelling space.

Brian da Basher

[Damian2]

Finnished the canopy and pilot got him installed and just need to do the HUD...

ON TO THE MOCK UPS!!

1:



2:



and

3:



Still got to add various bits 'n pieces like the A2A refulling probe...

As always opinions are welcomed!!!