MPC’s Space: 1999 “Mark IX Hawk” Model Kit

In the fictional universe of Space: 1999, the Eagle Transporter is the main workhorse of Earth’s spaceship fleet.  Amazing versatile, the Eagle is designed to quickly swap out the central module for whatever the mission required.  In the show you see transport Eagles, hauling/freight Eagles, rescue/ambulance Eagles, laboratory Eagles, etc.  In fact, nearly all of the components of the Eagle seem to be swappable, with an Eagle command module seen on both the Ultra and Meta probes.  Regardless of how script-quality for Space: 1999 may have turned out, the configurability of the Eagle demonstrates the amount of thought that when into design for the show.  But the Eagle is not the only spaceship in the fleet.

This attention to design can be seen with the Mark IX Hawk as well.  A craft which is not at all versatile, the Hawk was created to do one thing – fight.  And it fights quite well, thank you.  Appearing just one time in Space: 1999, the Mark IX Hawk made an immediate and lasting impression on fans.  “War Games” is the fourth episode of the first season and, within the first 10 minutes, three Hawks manage to destroy seven or eight Eagles and cripple Moonbase Alpha through repeated strafing runs.  And all without a loss.  To me, the Mark IX Hawk seems like what you would get if you merged an F-15 and A-10, and turned the result into a spaceship.  Just a brutally efficient “Space-Superiority Fighter”.

Unlike MPC’s Eagle model, where nearly all of the parts could be assembled before painting, most of the parts of their Hawk model¹ require painting before assembly.  You could build much of the main body, but you would need to be extremely good at masking and precise with the knife.  Even without assembly, masking up the model is not easy, as the Hawk has many rounded edges and the lines for white/orange are not straight.  

My skills are fine, but not quite at that level, so I went with paints-first and am still happy with the results.  As for paints for the Mark IX Hawk, I selected:

• Testors Flat White for the main body and parts
• Testors Competition Orange for the main orange details
• Tamiya Gloss Aluminum for the main and secondary engines and Testors Flat Black for inside the rocket nozzels
• Testors Metallic Silver for the booster rockets and, again, Testors Flat Black for inside the booster nozzels
• Testors Gloss Orange for the fine orange details
• Tamiya Flat Gloss to finish

Modelers should know is that the decal sheet for this kit is very tight for space, so be ready with the knife.  However, the rewards for patience with the decals are huge.  Some of the decals are teeny-tiny, but the detail and authenticity they bring are worth it.  A last note is that the wire for the stand is weak and you may want to be on the lookout for something more sturdy.

The original project model for the Hawk followed the Eagle, and the same all-white body and black around the cockpit viewports.  The producers felt that the ships were too similar, and it may be confusing to the audience which ship was which.  So, the final production model added orange highlights to distinguish Hawk from Eagle.  I like the look of both versions.  The all-white has a nice continuity with the Eagle while still looking like a fighter.  Just the same, I do prefer the final version.  There is something aggressive about the orange and how it is applied that signals ‘beware’, like the colors and shapes that have evolved on predators. 

Although the Mark IX Hawk kit can be challenging, it builds out a fantastic model and continues MPC’s streak of quality Space: 1999 models; kudos to them!  After the disappointment of my painting errors the first-time-around with the Hawk, I’m very glad I came back to this model and am quite pleased with the how it turned out.

MPC’s Space: 1999 Mark XI Hawk Model Kit² –

Pros:

1. Lots of details to the pieces and decals
2. The return of a great model kit from the 70s
3. Looks fantastic

Cons:

1. Paint-first means you have to manage seams/gaps in other ways
2. Requires patience, especially for the orange variant
3. Lots of very small decals; have tweezers and a toothpick ready

Vertict = Recommended!