1/48 Airfix Hawk Mk 108

Malaysia 50th Merdeka Day Update

by Aidy Abdullah

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  Malaysia National Day 2007 

 

The RMAF Hawk story began with an MOU signed in 1988, leading to a December 1990 purchase worth around RM1.2 billion of 10 2-seat Mk. 108s and 18 single seat Mk. 208s. M40-03 became the first Hawk to land in Malaysia when it touched down in Butterworth on 21 February 1994. Though some, including M40-03, have been lost, others continue to serve the RMAF today with Nos 6 and 15 Squadron in Kuantan and Butterworth.

I built this Hawk in the markings of the disbanded No. 9 Skn using an Airfix Hawk 100 kit and decals from VFA Productions. The seats were replaced with a couple of Airwaves MB Mk. 10 seats, but I still used the kit cockpit because you can't see much more than the top of the seats through the thick canopy. The wing fences were done using stretched sprue.

The chaff/flare housing in the Airfix kit didn't really look like the ones on the real 108s. I built up the base of the kit housing with laminations of sheet styrene and detailed the end according to my references.

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My model was painted entirely with Gunze Acrylics. The main colour is Gunze 335 Medium Sea Gray and the landing gears are painted Light Aircraft Gray. I applied a wash of Raw Umber oils over a coat of gunze super gloss and sealed everything up with a couple coats of super flat.

To me the BAe Systems Hawk is a beautiful little aircraft and Airfix, though they got the nose shape off, has done a decent job in capturing the beauty on the 100 series Hawk in scale. With a bit of extra work, the Airfix kit can be turned into a beautiful replica of the Hawk. It's nice for a kit in it's price range, good value for money I think.

Aidy 

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Photos and text © by Aidy Abdullah