Review: iModeler Review – Airfix 1/48 Hawker Hunter F.6

Summary

Airfix Hawker Hunter F.6
Scale: 1/48
Kit No: A09185
A modern tooling of this British classic that was long overdue. Airfix' mold quality has again improved, surface detail could still be more refined. Three marking options from two different countries, optional parts for open or closed canopy.

Hot on the heels of their Blenheim Mk.IF (reviewed here), Airfix just released another classic British aircraft – and arguably one of the most beautiful jet fighters ever designed.

What Do You Get?

The kit comes in the usual Airfix-style box and contains

Three grey sprues
One clear sprue
Decal sheet
Instruction booklet
Full-color paint guide for three marking options.

On opening the box I was surprised to see how little parts there actually are inside – after all, the Hunter is a rather slick looking aircraft, and with almost no external stores there simply is no need for extensive parts count. Luckily this time no parts had come off the sprues despite the usual stuff-everything-in-one-bag silliness.

Right away it becomes clear that Airfix has designed this kit with a view to further variants. On the sprues can be found an alternative rear fuselage section with the brake chute housing for the FGA.9, as well as a pair of rocket pods and pylons to go with that version. Alas, you cannot build an FGA.9 with the contents of this kit, as it is missing the appropriate flaps and gunsight.

Instructions

There is actually no point in mentioning the number of steps in the instructions (ok, it's 63), as some of them show the installation of exactly one part. Spread over ten pages, construction looks to be reasonably simple, but with some interesting design choices. For one, the whole upper wing comes as a single piece which is mated to the fuselage before building up the main gear bays and finally adding the lower wing parts.

As mentioned, the back section comes as a separate assembly. A first dry-fit shows these parts fit together quite well, but as usual with such an assembly I would suggest gluing each half of the rear section to their corresponding fuselage part first, before bringing the two halves together.

Marking Schemes

Out of the box you get three options:

No.63 Squadron, RAF Waterbeach, September, 1958 (CO's aircraft specially marked for 1958 Battle of Britain display.)
No.4 Flying Training School, RAF Valley, September 1968
No.324 Squadron, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Leeuwarden, 1964

Apart from the full-color paint guide the instruction booklet holds three pages showing the placement of stencils for each of the three marking options.

The Decals

The decal sheet for this kit is surprisingly large – and filled with stencil data. Print quality looks excellent, and the choice of options is perfectly fine. Sure, with the huge number of Hunter users over the decades you won't please everyone, but that's what aftermarket decals are for.

The Parts

Molded in the usual light grey Airfix plastic, the parts feel somewhat sturdier and smoother than previous releases. Comparing it directly to the 1/48 Blenheim, I got the impression there is some actual improvement going on. Good show!
Surface detail is ok, but still nothing to write home about. Whereas features like cooling vents look rather nice, the surfaces in general look a bit bland.
What I do like is the way Airfix lets you match the two fuselage halves together; Instead of the usual pin-and-hole system, the halves feature alternating tabs on each side, resulting in a more secure and precise fit.

1. Some rivets or fasteners wouldn't hurt the surface.

1. Wheel well detail. Nice, and a good starting point for superdetailing.

1. Wing goes here. 2. Air intake goes here. Let's see how everything fits.

1. Alternative parts for later version, featuring brake chute housing.

1. Cockpit wall detail can be improved. A lot.

1. Cockpit tub. Not the kit's strongest point.

1. Main wheel hubs. Separate tires are flattened, but show no profile whatsoever.

1. Wheel well sidewalls

1. Cockpit details. 2. IP detail is very pronounced...

1. Main gear legs come with brake lines.

1. Different parts for open or closed canopy. 2. Separate parts for wing tip lights.

1. Canopy parts are actually really nice and clear.

First Impressions. And a Dilemma.

I am happy about a couple of things with this kit. First off, it's a proper Hunter. The decals look to be of very good quality. And Airfix again have improved the quality of their molding. I am not too chuffed with surface detail and the uninspired cockpit, but at least the former point can be addressed with some painting and weathering effort.
Speaking of which, here's the dilemma. Almost all the British and Dutch aircraft I have seen in period pictures look pretty clean and well maintained. That's cool and everything, but I really like the contrast between the classic lines of the Hunter and a beat-up paint job. So I am afraid I will have to do some alterations to the kit and build it as a Lebanese FGA.70 😀

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