Beautifully done as always Boyd

In the show's lore, the Hawk is actually smaller than the Eagle, since it has no function other than as a weapons platform, whereas the Eagle is a transporter firstly and is also modifiable for a lot of tasks. Anderson productions put out a new Moonbase Alpha technical manual last year, it lists the Eagles length as 98.4 ft/ 30 Meters, and the Hawk is 85 ft/ 26 meters. People might treat that data as canonical since it's an Anderson book, but at the same time the outside of the Eagle model can't be reconciled with the studio set anyway. It was more fun in the 70s when I was 8 years old and didn't try to be literal about things like sci fi ship dimensions. Your a great model builder and I always enjoy the care and detail you put into your builds. Edit: I watched to the end, yes, the scales are not the same, they could have done better than this.

I’m fairly certain that ship was designed and built by Martin Bower. It does have his trademark ‘feel’ to it.

As for 2 different paintjob looking Mk IX Hawks existing. One paint scheme looking more like the white eagles and then the orange paint scheme version, which ended up being used in the show (in the episode war games in season 1 only), I read or heard a story about the discussion among the team that when Brian Johnson and/or Martin Bower presented the studio models and made some test shots, some person, or persons, in the team, possibly Brian or Martin themselves, or maybe the bosses, thought that the TV audience might have a difficult time identifying who is friend or foe. Considering that the cockpits look a bit similar in design. Being easy to confuse the Eagles with The Mk IX Hawks. So then the orange paint job was added hastily, crudely hand painted on by Cyril Forster at the studio. Also the black around the cockpit windows was changed to white during shooting the episode to make it easier to tell the Hawks and the Eagles apart on the TV screen. However later after filming the black around the windows was restored. So I guess you could say 3 versions have existed. 1. White with black around cockpit windows. 2. Orange with white around the windows. 3. Orange with black around the windows. Only the 2nd version of those being used during filming though. All that confusion probably also being the reason why the old 70's Airfix/MPC model kit of the Mk IX Hawk had the art work if the original white paint scheme, as well as in it's build sheets paint description. I'm not 100% sure who of Brian or Martin specifically designed the Hawk? Martin was at least the one who built them in 3 sizes, 79 cm/31 inches, 41 cm/16 inches and 13 cm/5 inches versions for different shots. Both Brian and Martin designed and built spaceships for the series. The Eagles were Brians design, as far as I know anyway. Brian was the special effects guy and model designer, while Martin Bower was more the model designer and model builder (again, as far as I know). To build the model within a short time frame Martin actually did a so called kit-bash from many Airfix model parts, as well as some Tamiya and Revell models etc. Brian Johnson was also behind Stanley Kubricks "2001: A Space Odyssey" effects and ships. A real genius as far as special effects and models in my opinion. His designs are timeless compared to alot of the generic CGI designed spaceships in movies and TV-shows these days which are often very forgettable (apart from maybe babylon 5 ships, the razor crest in mandalorian and the rocinante in the expanse, which I like all of them). There is something about holding an acctual physical model in your hands, adding and removing stuff as you go when designing, compared to just drawing it on a monitor with no real physical attachment to it, no physical model to hold and look at afterwards to see if it actually looks good in real life. I remember as a kid seeing a photo back in the 70's in some book or magazine of Brian holding up the original white paint scheme Hawk in his hands in the studio. Then again my memory is not what it used to be. 😎 As for where the Hawks came from, in the episode it is clear (at the ens) that the race from that planet didn't have any ship or weapons per se. Instead they used mind tricks, kind of telepathy to turn any potential enemies thoughts against themselves. The whole attack was an imaginary attack played up within the Moonbase Alphans minds. Thus using the designs of the Mk IX Hawks from their own minds. The Mk IX Hawks were never to be seen in the show again in any episode since they had none on Alpha. It was a military defense design that was never taken into use on Alpha before the Moon was hurled away from Earth into Space. However it was a known design to the Alpha crew and supposedly to a popular story a combat drill, or test battle between the few Hawk Mk IX that were built was held in 1996. 3 years before the Atomic waste accident that pushed the Moon out into it's journey in 1999. Also the same popular story, most likely unknown to the crew on Alpha the 8 Hawks that were built and maintained on the Centuri Space Dock between the Moon and Earth was destroyed when the Moon was hurled away from it's orbit. Just like the Meta Probe that we saw being destroyed in the pilot episode "Break Away" when docked at that Space Dock/Station. Actually the name "Centuri" appeared later in Technical Log book one could order from the Starlog Magazine. That name was never used in the series itself. In the series it was only reffered to as "Space Dock", "The Meta Probe Launch Platform" and in a later episode reffered to as the "Interplanetary Space Station". I ordered that technical log book, or more like a thick red cover/folder with blueprints of the moonbase and such inside. I borrowed it to some childhood friend and never got it returned, so it's lost in time and space I guess. Probably thrown away and destroyed decades ago. [sadface] I still have my original Eagles and Hawk models from back then though. As well as some Dinky Toys metal Eagles. Also a couple of Vinyl LP's with some audio Space 1999 stories on them. There was another Earth designed ship in other episodes however. In season 2, named "The Swift" which appeared more than once. First as the swift, later as the Super Swift. A spacecraft designed to travel vast distances much faster than the Eagles. Again the later a bit redesigned "The Super Swift" being a product of an alien race using mind tricks/control. While "The Swift" was a real ship turning up at the base with an AI aboard named "Brian", a.k.a. "Brian The Brain". Clever writing really. To first introduce "The Swift" to the Alpha crew in one episode earlier in the season. Then in a later episode have a mind control race turn up, using the memory of that design to fool the Alpha crew. Had the Alpha crew never seen the ship previously that race could not have picked and projected that design from their minds. Darn how I like the old TV-Shows like the ones from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, like "Space 1999" and the ones from Terry Nation like Dr Who, Blake's 7 etc. Not to mention Star Trek all they way up to and including Enterprise. So much better than today's Star Trek Discovery. The stories, characters and ship designs are so much better than what they have in Discovery. After season 3 of Discovery I finally gave up and haven't bothered since. The 3 seasons I saw was so bad and cringy. Also what they've done to the Klingon ships is hideous compared to the original D7, K'Tinga, Bird Of Prey and Vor'cha designs. I'm not a fan of the Jar Jar Abrams Trek movies either. Too much dumbed down **pew** **pew** action for my taste. Also using ugly Klingon ship designs in those. Sorry for a long comment/post.

Man, this really turned out excellent! I love the look of this ship. I agree the stand should be higher. So much fantastic details on the bottom would benefit a higher post. Once again you've knocked it out of the park with this!

Fab Boyd, they did explain where the ship came from: the aliens are telepathic and took the ship directly from the Alphan's minds.Expanded Universe material has the Hawk Mk IX as the successor to the Interceptors from UFO.

Your work is amazing as always! By the way, the civilization on the planet in 'War Games' never actually had this ship. It was an illusion they placed in the minds of the Alphans :-) The Hawk was only seen in the one episode. When the model was delivered, it had the same paint scheme as the eagle, but the orange was added before filming ti better distinguish it from the Eagles. Publicity photos had already been taken before the repaint though.

The model looks fantastic; great work as always. FYI, most of the Wargames episode that this ship appeared in takes place inside Commander Koenig's mind. The aliens in the episode pulled it from Koenig's memories to show him a possible outcome if he tried to land on their planet. I'm pretty sure the model was never used again in any other episodes. It originally was all white but the orange accents were added in at the last minute to help differentiate it from the Eagle during the combat scenes.

It looks great, great job, I liked the orange tone, I'll start rebuilding the one I have, it's very damaged. a greeting

Nice to see the pair together!!

The kit is 1/2 studio scale, or, actually studio scale as two miniatures of the Hawk were built by Martin Bower for the show episode. The hero model was 30" long and another one was built half that size. Studio scale is typically 1/24th for the "hero" models that were seen in closeup as it's considered the smallest scale that looks realistic in relative closeup. The original miniature was designed to interact with the Eagles more-or-less directly and the 44" "Hero" Eagles were also 1/24th scale, so, yes, the kit is canon to consider it a correct 1/48th. The Hawk was supposed to be a lot smaller, as it was a fighter, not a freighter like the Eagles as you said.

Absolutely agree with you in regards to the scale being wrong. I think Martin Bower when he made them for the show. Just canabalized Saturn 5 model kit to make the fuselage. Yes the 2 Hawks mafe for that episode were 30 and 15 inch. Most presume it was to scale with the 44 inch and 22 inch Eagles. But there is no shot with the 2 craft side by side or next to each other. There was a resin kit ages ago of the Hawk. It was 19 inch long. That actually looked 1/48, next to the 22 inch Eagle I nought when that came out.

As always Boyd, Amazing job! Watched your Christine restoration video yesterday. My fave car. The work you did there was second to none. Have a great weekend.

Thanks for sharing. I wanted to see how this kit looked . Nicely done.

Very nice work Boyd. I am far from a Space 1999 fan but you work has changed my mind on these ships. I am going to have to add them to the stash.

Looks great Boyd! Lou just built this model this week. He too didn’t do final assembly until all the decals were on. Looks great, happy days and model on! 😎

Nice job Boyd, I always remember this ship because the nose always reminded me of a pumkin on Halloween night.😜

The Aliens created the whole action in the minds of the Alphan's using their own fears. The Hawk is an Earth fighter and were instantly recognized as such by the Alphans.

Amazing work as always Boyd!

& I Was going to use some leftover Pilots I have from a 22" Eagle build for this 😢

Nice ship Boyd, looks great.

Definitely seems like they short changed it size wise, but I always liked that ship...looks great!

Looking at a 1/72 Eagle now and comparing it to the Hawk you have makes me think it is more 1/72 scale. I think Round 2 may have made an error in scaling, My base and rod Looks the same size as yours, and when you compare your hand size on the forward cockpit and my hand on the Eagle forward cockpit they match pretty close. I also bought a 1/72 Hawk when I got my Eagle and it is way smaller almost 1/144 but was advertised as 1/72, My box for my Eagle says its 14 inches when built, so I do think they got the Scaling mixed up. Still a cool build though.

Great job Boyd, I agree with you she's too small the cockpit should be closer in size it should be a bit smaller because it's a fighter variant, but the pilots from the Eagle should still fit in. Having side that it's still a great kit. 👍

Finished my 1/72 scale Hawk a few weeks ago and when it came to all that piping below the engine section most of it was already broken on the trees so I just left it off, Sounds like it might be the same problem with the 1/48 scale.. One thing I do like with the larger kit is that the lower thrusters are separate pieces that can be painted separately, I hated trying to paint those damn things that where molded into the bottom of the smaller kit.. Now all we need is a 1/48 scale Swift from the 2nd season episode Brian the Brain... I got a 1/72 resin kit of one from a seller in Canada a while back and it looks like it is gonna be a nightmare to build. Nothing but straight copper piping all of which has to be bent into the right shapes for the extensive landing gear :/

Stunning, as usual!

As always you did a great job. Disappointing about the scale. The command module should definitely be in scale with the Eagle.

I love the 1999 designs. It would be nice if they were consistent on scale size. One of my peeves at times. Good looking bird though.

When you said Craft paint was the orange brushed on? Looks amazing!

Awesome

Just put the stand on a mirror to see the underside 😊

On the question of scale. The Hawks weren't built in-scale to the Eagles in the first place. As the Eagles and Hawks weren't meant to be filmed side-by-side, Martin Bower took Brian Johnson's design and realized it. In a Gerry Anderson show, size and scale weren't taken into consideration. Martin built this fast out of an Airfix Saturn V, a CM carved in jelutong, holders for hard boiled eggs and plastic champagne flutes for engines, slapped it together, painted it, and delivered it to Brian. The CMs weren't constructed with a crew in mind, the models just had to be built quickly and look good on film. Don't try to project logic onto a 70s show, particularly one made by Gerry Anderson. To Gerry, the fiction was more important than the science. Want proof? Watch any episode of Fireball XL5 or Thunderbirds or Captain Scarlet. UFO could be dodgy in the science department, too.

What color orange is that ?

Love how it turned out. Not much scope for lighting I imagine. Might have to add this one to the stash once I eventually finish the BIG Eagle. BTW - Is The-Modelshop site down for good?😢