Hawker Hart

The Hart was an all-metal two-seater light bomber tractor bi-plane aircraft. It was designed by Sydney Camm as a light bomber version of the Hawker Fury to include the forerunner of the Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine.

The type was a fast, versatile and robust biplane armed with a forward-facing port side .303 Vickers synchronized machine gun and a Lewis gun mounted on a Scarff ring over the observer’s cockpit with 520lb’s of bombs mounted beneath the wings. 992 were built and served with many frontline squadrons.

There were many variations of this aircraft built by Hawker under renamed versions. These included the Hawker Audax, Hawker Demon (the fighter version), Hawker Hardy, Hawker Hartebeest for the South African Air Force and the Hawker Osprey, a carrier-borne version created for the FAA.

The type saw service with the RAF in Abyssinia in 1935 and the North-West Frontier. It was still in service by the time WW2 broke out but served as communications and training roles before being deemed obsolete in 1943.

The Model

This was built from a rather disappointing AMG product although the end result is quite satisfactory. Many issues with fit and alignment, especially the fixture of the top wing, cabane struts and much PE. Instructions were vague with many parts not positioned correctly, a crystal ball would have been good. Having said that and working through the process of dry fitting and repositioning, it kinda worked; the finished Lewis gun is superb.

I must admit this project went on hold for a couple of months until I quickly finished the rigging and weathering in between two other kits. It very nearly got trashed. However, the end result is quite satisfactory. Once in a while, they do come along to challenge the experienced modeller.

This overly complex model represents a Hart K-2443 of No.11 squadron based in Arawali, India in 1930.

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