So successful was the legacy Hawk from BAe, that they used the same basic airframe and adapted it to produce a second generation a

ircraft. This plane has seen quite a bit of success with quite a few nations. Thanks to the longer (and rather ugly) new nose, a variety of electronic equipment and sensors can be carried. Uprated engines and new avionics have not only made this aircraft an excellent trainer, but many of the forces using it have it adapted as a light attack jet.

Two of the nations that have been happy users of the type are Canada and Australia. The Canadian planes are leased and I'm thinking that perhaps the Australian aircraft are assembled, at least in part, in country. The Australians are using them as lead-in fighters and operate them with two squadrons that used to fly Macchi 326s. The Canadian planes replace the CT-114 Tutors, which are still the mount of the Snowbirds aerobatic team.

So we have four options; two Canadian and two Australian.

The Canadian planes are a standard scheme aircraft as well as one in a special 419 Squadron commemorative scheme that carries the codes of Lancaster W*VR. While the image looks like a desert scheme, it is in the standard RAF night bomber scheme.

From the RAAF, we have two aircraft, one from each of the two squadrons flying them. Both are in the standard greys scheme with one (as shown on the cover) in the lighter scheme with the other in the later darker greys scheme.

The decal sheet is superbly printed and carries enough data markings to do at least three of the options. This is due to the different shades of the aircraft. The specific stencils for a specific scheme are marked on the sheet. This was designed for the Airfix kit, but should fit the recent Hobby Boss release without any issues.  In all, an excellent opportunity to provide an optional scheme to that given in the kit.

October 2016