Hawk Model Company: Difference between revisions

{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Hawk Model Company

| former_names =

| logo = Hawk models logo.png

| logo_size =

| type =

| industry =

| fate = Acquired by [[Testors]] in 1970, then defunct, became a [[brand]]

| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->

| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->

| founded = {{start date and age|1928}} in [[Chicago]]

| founder = Dick Mates <br> Phil Mates

| defunct = 1970s

| hq_location_city = [[Chicago]]

| hq_location_country = U.S.

| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->

| key_people =

| products = [[Scale model]] [[model aircraft|aircraft]], [[model ship|ships]], [[model figure|figures]]

| owner = [[Round 2 (company)|Round 2]]

| num_employees =

| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->

| parent =

| subsid =

| brands =

| website = {{url|https://www.round2corp.com/hawk-model-kits/|round2corp.com/hawk}}

}}

The '''Hawk Model Company''' is an American [[brand]] and former manufacturing company of [[scale model]] [[model aircraft|airplanes]], [[model ship|ships]], and [[model figure|figures]], established in 1928. Headquartered in [[Chicago]], Hawk was one of the first American manufacturers of [[injection molding|injection-molded]] [[plastic model]] kits.

After some attempts to revive the brand, rights to Hawk Model were finally acquired by [[Round 2 (company)|Round 2]].<ref>[https://www.round2corp.com/hawk-model-kits/ Hawk Model history] on Round 2 website</ref>

== History ==

"Hawk Model Airplanes" was established in 1928 by brothers Dick (Sr.) and Phil Mates in Chicago, [[Illinois]]. Promoted as "America's Oldest Model Company", the company was purchased by the [[Testor Corporation]] in 1970.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jupiter Corp. Acquisition|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=September 18, 1970}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Hawk Model to Merge Into Testor of Rockford|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=September 18, 1970|page=C9}}</ref> The Hawk Company assets were later acquired by J. Lloyd International, Inc. of [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]], which, in turn, sold them to [[Round 2 LLC]] of [[South Bend, Indiana]] in 2013.<ref>Round2 LLC, press release, March 18, 2013</ref>

From its inception in 1928 to the early 1950s, the company manufactured a successful line of solid-wood [[model aircraft|aircraft]] models, which eventually included [[injection-molded]] generic plastic propellers.<ref>Fischer, Dave: ''[http://www.oldmodelkits.com/blog/plastic-model-kit-history/early-plastic-model-kit-development-in-the-usa/ Early Plastic Model Kit Development in the USA]'', oldmodelkits.com blog, September 2, 2009</ref> The Mates brothers exhibited built-up and painted plastic models at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934.<ref>Fischer, op. cit.</ref> During [[World War II]], Hawk helped to supply plastic identification models for use in military training.<ref>Fischer, op. cit.</ref>

In 1946, Hawk produced one of the first all-plastic model kits, the [[Curtiss R3C]]-1 racer.<ref>Fischer, op. cit/</ref> Four additional kits (all classic 1930s racers) were added in 1948; the [[Granville Brothers Aircraft|Gee Bee]], [[Howard DGA-4|Howard Ike]], [[Laird Solution]] and [[Supermarine S.6B|Supermarine S6B]]. These early kits were molded in [[acetate]] [[plastic]], but from 1949 Hawk employed [[polystyrene]] in its injection-molding process.<ref>Fischer, op. cit.</ref> The kits were advertised as "1/4 scale", meaning {{Convert|1/4|in|cm}} equals 1 scale foot or [[1/48 scale]]. Additionally, increasingly sophisticated tooling was developed in the 1960s. By the time of its sale to Testor Corp. in 1970, the company's catalog included a wide range of realistic scale replicas of aircraft, [[model ship|ships]], missiles, vehicles and conceptual subjects in 1:48, [[1:72 scale|1:72]], 1:96, [[1:144 scale|1:144]], and smaller scales.

== Product lines ==

Among Hawk's most notable releases are:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

* [[LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin]] {{refn|In 1:245 scale, when finished, this kit measured 38.5 inches long.|group=note|name=graf}}

* [[Lockheed Constellation]] {{refn|The company's first polystyrene kit|group=note|name=polyst}}

* [[Lockheed U-2]] {{refn|In 1:48 scale, one of its most popular and accurate examples - based on the Garry Powers-flown variant.|group=note|name=lockh}}

* [[Spirit of St. Louis]] 1:72

* [[Messerschmitt Me 163]] {{refn|'Komet' German Interceptor|group=note|name=komet}}

* [[Gee Bee Model R|Gee Bee]] {{refn|Gee Bee racer. The original 1948 tooling was still being re-boxed by Testors Corp. into the early years of the 21st century.|group=note|name=geeb}}

* [[Spad XIII]] {{refn|World War I-era biplane.|group=note|name=ww1}}

* [[Mister Mulligan]] {{refn|[[Benny Howard]] racer.|group=note|name=benny}}

* [[Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship|Travelaire Mystery Ship]] racer

* [[North American P-51 Mustang]]

* [[Vickers Viscount]] {{refn|735 Series in Capital Airlines markings (1/96 scale) - later re-issued by Glencoe Models.|group=note|name=vickr}}

* Manned Orbiting Laboratory {{refn|Conceptual space model.|group=note|name=concept}}

{{div col end}}

Many of these original Hawk kits have been reissued periodically using the original molds. They have been reboxedbyTestor or its successors and continue to be available.

===Weird-ohs===

One of Hawk's best selling kit lines was the "Weird-ohs Car-icky-tures", [[Dragster (car)|dragster]] and [[hot rod]] caricatures (along with the related "Frantics", and "Silly Surfers" series), based on concepts and art created by their often-used [[Freelancer|freelance]] illustrator [[Bill Campbell (illustrator)|Bill Campbell]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldmodelkits.com/blog/plastic-model-kit-history/a-biography-of-bill-campbell-box-artist-for-hawk-plastic-model-kits/|title=A Biography of Artist Bill Campbell - Illustrator For Hawk Plastic Model Kits|editor-last=Bussie|editor-first=Alan|accessdate=2010-04-16}}</ref> This model line serve as the inspiration for the 1999-2000 CGI cartoon series ''[[Weird-Oh's]]''.

==== Weird-ohs characters ====

* Daddy - The Way Out Suburbanite (racer; aka. "the Swingin' Suburbanite"), also known as Toilway Daddy; issued in the UK by [[Airfix]] under license

* Davey - The Way Out Cyclist ([[outlaw motorcycle club]] rider: ''"He's a Psycho cyclist! This cat's a terror on the road ..."'')

* Digger - The Dragster (racer)

* Drag Hag - The Bonny, Blastin' Babe (racer)

* Endsville Eddie - The Shortstop Stupe (racer)

* Freddy Flameout - The Way Out Jet Jockey (test pilot), issued in the UK by [[Airfix]] under license

* Huey's Hut Rod - The Way Outhouse Bomb (racer)

* Sling Rave Curvette - The Way Out Spectator (race fan)

* Wade A. Minut* - The Wild Starter (race 'official'; aka. The Timeless Timekeeper)

* Francis the Foul - The Way Out Dribbler (basketball player)

* Killer McBash - The Dazzling Decimator (football player)

* Leaky Boat Louie - The Vulgar Boatman (motorboater)

==== Silly Surfers characters ====

* Beach Bunny (''"[[Beach bunny (surf culture)|Beach Bunny]] Catchin' Rays"'')

* Hodad Makin' the Scene (''"Hodad Makin' the Scene With a Six Pack - Detailed Personable Pelican and Crusty Crab, Insect Pests, Sand Crawlers, Etc., included"'')

* Hot Dogger Hangin' Ten

* Riding Tandem (''"Hot Dogger and Surf Bunny Riding Tandem - The Dazzling Duo of the Surf - Goony Gull, Crusty Crab & Friendly Fish included"'')

* Woodie on a Surfari

==== Frantics characters====

==Notes==

{{reflist|group=note}}

* {{official}}

* [http://www.oldmodelkits.com/blog/plastic-model-kit-history/early-plastic-model-kit-development-in-the-usa/ Early plastic model kit development in the USA]

* [http://www.oldmodelkits.com/blog/plastic-model-kit-history/history-of-the-hawk-%e2%80%9cweird-ohs%e2%80%9d-plastic-model-kits/ History of the Hawk "Weird-Ohs" Plastic Model Kits at Old Model Kits.com]

* [http://www.weird-ohs.net Official Weird-Ohs web site] Classic 60s model kits reissued

* [http://www.j-lloyd.com J. Lloyd International, Inc. web site]

{{scale model brands}}

[[Category:Model manufacturers of the United States]]

[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Chicago]]