Overview
The need for Airborne Early Warning (AEW) had always been essential in protecting ground assets. The development of radar allowed for that early warning to extend further and further, which was a good thing as aircraft kept increasing in speed. By moving ground-based radar stations further away from prime targets, incoming aircraft could be detected and intercepted before they reach the target. As aircraft speeds increased rapidly, those radar stations needed to move further out just as rapidly, and it soon became apparent that adding a large radar to an aircraft was much cheaper than continually building radar stations. Thus the AEW aircraft concept was born.
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What works for ground-based systems can work for water-based systems, and it was not long after this that the first carrier-based AEW platform took to the skies. For the US Navy, it was Grumman that was at the forefront of these aircraft, building on their excellent knowledge of the sub-hunting S2F. A clean-sheet AEW design came about with the E-2 Hawkeye, created from the ground up as an AEW platform. First taking to the skies during the Vietnam War, the Hawkeye quickly proved its worth and it has since been an essential part of every carrier air group since. For a more detailed history on the E-2, a simple Google search will yield plenty. And, of course, how can I not mention the Navy's website, which returned almost 600 photos when I searched for "Hawkeye", including these great shots:
From the Back
Gettin' Steamed
Sparks Fly
Hoover had a Hawkeye?
But enough about that. Let's get on with....
The Kit
This has got to be one of the most anticipated kits in a very long time. I know modelers have been wanting a 1/48 Hawkeye for a very long time. Now that one is out, I think we will see a spate of Hawkeye builds in the very near future. The kit comes tightly packed in a large box, and on opening the top, the positively spill out. This is a large plane, but luckily it's a large Navy plane, which means the wings are meant to fold up out of the way on the real thing. So it is with this kit, so if you're concerned about shelf space, don't be. With the wings folded, this kit won't take up much more space than, say, an E-2 with its wings folded. The clear parts are incredibly clear and are some of the best I've seen in a long time. The decal sheet is large and includes lots of details. Overall impression, this is hands down the best injection molded 1/48 E-2 model out there. Granted, it's the only one, but in all seriousness, this looks like a great model to build.
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The construction is fairly straightforward, which is a good thing. The folks at Kinetic have done a fair amount of thinking on this kit to engineer it in such a way as to minimize seams while maximizing detail and maintaining strength. So the while the fuselage is split traditionally, the tailhook area is a separate insert and the nose is separate and provided in clear. The central wing box is split into upper and lower pieces, and that assembly fits into a cutout in the fuselage. Everything falls on existing panel lines for the most part, which will really help in finishing.
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The interior is fairly simple, and I am sure we will see some aftermarket set providing a superdetailed cockpit and operators' section. That said, given the small windows for the cockpit and near black-hole appearance in the back, what the kit has will actually be more than adequate. The cockpit tub is nicely done, with console detailing, separate bulkhead, a detailed instrument panel, and separate control columns. The seats are simple yet detailed, and with the addition of some seatbelts they should look quite nice.
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Moving on to the engine nacelles, these are really well detailed. Of course they incorporate the main gear wells, but they also have some impressive intake and exhaust detailing. The intake is ducted, with the duct split in two pieces (it's an S shape, no way around that two-piece setup), and there is an intake face for the engine included. The exhaust is simpler, done as a single piece, but it too is nicely done. There are two options for engine side panels, and I confess I am not sure why there's a difference (yes, I know, I haven't done my research; that said this kit is engineered for multiple variants, both for USN and foreign operators). The landing gear is quite nice as well, with the wheels coming in three pieces (a separate hub and two-part tires, flattened slightly).
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Jumping to the flying parts, as mentioned the wing is split up so you can display it folded. This results in a six-piece main wing, but I wouldn't worry much about alignment if you do this wings out. The kit comes with detailed wing fold pieces, while for those who wish to do their Hawkeye with the wings stretched out, there are inserts with large prongs to ensure that the joint is both sturdy and in proper alignment. The tailplanes are really simple after that, with the verticals all split into right and left halves, and horizontal into upper and lower pieces. While the wings have separate flaps (a VERY nice touch; how I wish the old Fujimi E-2A kit had that!), the tailplanes have their control surfaces molded in place. That said, while the Hawkeye regularly is seen with the flaps down, finding a photo of one parked with offset rudders or elevators is nigh unto impossible, so that's not an issue.
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The rotodome is very simple, split into an upper and lower piece. There is a separate shaft for it to sit on, which is sandwiched between the two main pylon pieces. The mounting points for this pylon are clearly delineated and should result in perfect alignment while also being very sturdy. For small details, this kit has just about everything, from separate blade antennae to a separate two-piece tailhook to that aforementioned clear nose that will show off the landing lights.
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For the decals, the best summation I can give is, printed by Cartograph, designed by Fightertown Decals. These are top notch all the way around. There's just one option, that of VAW-112 "Golden Eagles" of CVW-9 off of the USS Nimitz in 1995. A lot of the decal sheet is for the stenciling and walkways and such, which is quite nice to have, given how squadron markings tend to be somewhat minimal on these planes. Well, except for those that paint giant squadron logos on the rotodome, of course. This is not one of those units, though, so this rotodome is gray, as is the rest of the aircraft (overall FS16440).
Conclusion
There's really only two questions I have with this kit. First, who's gonna be the first one with aftermarket decals, and second, who's gonna be the first modeler to slip some cell phone vibrator motors in this thing and power up the props and rotodome. Having seen that in 1/144, someone has got to do that on this big beast, and when they do, it'll undoubtedly be impressive. While large, this kit looks well thought out and should prove to be a quick build. My thanks to
Stevens International for the review sample.
