The HobbyBoss kit – What’s in the box?
Opening the sturdy lid and tray style box, we find two compartments. One containing individually wrapped sprues and the other smaller section holding a very well wrapped clear canopy, the multipart ejection seat sprues and a fret of photo-etch for the seat straps.
What is quite clear is Hobby Boss have produced this kit with the twin seat Hawk 100 series and LIFT versions in mind, perhaps for future release, hence the presence of a sprue with the twin stick cockpit and two Mk10 Martin Baker ejection seats.
Looking at the cockpit tub and instrument panel, raised detail is the order of the day and decals are provided for the instruments. This will be more than sufficient, although I suspect our aftermarket friends won’t be long in releasing alternatives in photo etch.
The seats themselves are a multipart affair and are well detailed, with photoetch supplied for the harness and straps.
The deck behind the seat is highly visible through the bulbous canopy, so Hobby Boss providing some additional detail here of the avionics is welcome.
Surface detail is a mix of restrained recessed panel lines and raised rivet detail that is so distinctive on all Hawks on the rear fuselage.
Overall shape appears accurate and in comparison to the Neomega resin conversion, I believe will build into a very fair representation of this unique looking aircraft.