Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Models representing museum displays whether the whole item or a component - any subject, any scale, not just aircraft.
Runs 1-31 January 2014
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beany
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Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by beany »

My build will be the Trumpeter 1/48 Hawker SeaHawk FGA 6, inspired by the photos I took on holiday 3 years ago in Malta.

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Here is an extract from the Maltese Aviation Museum website:
In 1999 the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation acquired Sea Hawk FGA.2, WV826 from Phoenix Aviation Museum. It is the first ship-borne jet aircraft on display and reflects part of Malta's long and historical links with the Fleet Air Arm in the post war years. WV826 has been painted to represent a No.804 Squadron FGA.6 aircraft coded 161 of the Suez Crisis period, hence the black and yellow identification stripes. Operating from H.M.S. Bulwark, the squadron made attacks on Egyptian airfields and provided support for ground troops. On returning home early in 1957 (following a brief stop at Hal Far) the squadron transferred to H.M.S. Ark Royal, and its fin code changed from B to O, but evidently the Suez markings were not immediately painted out.
http://www.maltaviationmuseum.com/seahawk.asp;

Some of my photos of said aircraft:

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...and some details of the kit, which I seem to remember was an eBay win for around the £25 mark, but was then delighted to find the resin seat and Eduard self adhesive detail set included when it arrived.

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The acetate supplied for the IP. This along with the kit supplied etch brass harnesses would have been replaced by those on the Eduard set, but as the resin seat has the harnesses moulded in, it will also be partially redundant!
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The kit supplied etch brass instrument panel and seat harnesses
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Of the two decal schemes supplied, the top one here is the correct scheme but for a different aircraft unfortunately. I am not sure whether to go with the kit scheme and serials or make the changes required to exactly replicate the museum scheme.
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Cheers
Al.
2024 Acquired: 9 Built: 1
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beany
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by beany »

Early start given (many thanks guys), so whoosh - in like Flynn!

I started with the seat, cockpit tub, instrument panel and the wheel well assembly. I shall be using the resin seat that was in the kit when I bought it second hand, but wanted to build up the kit seat by way of comparison.

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The wheel well and engine inlets were added to the lower wings, and the blast pipes glued together and then in place and the tail section completed. I had to do a bit of whittling to get the arrestor hook to hang down as per the museum example - the kit example is designed to be fitted as raised.
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Drop tanks were also glued together and the support brackets added although I will not need these for the museum example. After this GB is completed I will probably convert the Seahawk back to a wings down version and add the drop tanks and rockets supplied with the kit.

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Out with the airbrush next. Tamiya XF24 Dark Grey in the cockpit (it just says Blue-Grey in the Trumpeter instructions), which as usual are absolutely paints when it comes to giving paint call outs for internal parts.

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Tamiya Flat Aluminium next, which was sprayed over a prime of the XF24, and will then be over-sprayed with Tamiya Silver - largely because I am pretty much making this up as I go along. As you may be able to tell, I'm having loads of fun with this kit. It is a bit on the basic side, but is going together without to much effort or cleaning up required - just the odd seam and tiny bits of flash here and there.

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At the rate I am going this could have been a contender for a Blitzbau, but I can do without that kind pf pressure!
Cheers
Al.
2024 Acquired: 9 Built: 1
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splash
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by splash »

Hi Al

It's been a long long time since I worked on a Sea Hawk but I recall the cockpits were black and the wheel wells white. I think I have some photos of the a/c in the fleet air arm museum that I will check out for you.

Regards Splash
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
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splash
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by splash »

I found this walk around page that has good cockpit images showing they were black and one of the wheel well saying it is silver?

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk ... around.php

Regards Splash
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
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PaulBradley
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by PaulBradley »

Nice one, Al. I'd say that by jiggling around with the kit supplied serials (e.g. use '9' as '6'), you should be able to make the museum a/c's markings. The only issue is the kit supplied tiger head is filled in with yellow rather than the museum a/c white.
Paul

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beany
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by beany »

splash wrote:I found this walk around page that has good cockpit images showing they were black and one of the wheel well saying it is silver?

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk ... around.php

Regards Splash
Thanks very much for the link Splash, those images are very useful. I think I'll stick with silver for the bay interiors, but will definitely re-visit the cockpit tub with a heavy dry brush of black. The photo of the seat is especially useful as the resin seat contained no painting instructions whatsoever!
PaulBradley wrote:The only issue is the kit supplied tiger head is filled in with yellow rather than the museum a/c white.
Yeah - I'd spotted that. I'll stick with the kit decal based on the assumption that the museum hadn't finished painting their tigers head yet!!

Cheers
Al.
2024 Acquired: 9 Built: 1
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splash
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by splash »

You might find these photos useful http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=WV826&w=all
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
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lancfan
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Re: Beany's Maltese SeaHawk

Post by lancfan »

How is it going Al? any problems?


David
David.

If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
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