1/48 703 Hawk Mister Mulligan - 1935 Thompson Trophy Winner - One-Piece Box Issue
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: VG
Very rare and for the advanced model collector. This is the true first issue of the Mister Mulligan. It has a fascinating history for it is among the earlist injection molded kits produced in the United States. The Hawk model company was the most innovative in America and had been making constant 1/48 scale models in wood with metal accessories since the late 1920s. During the re-run of the World's Fair in 1933, Hawk may have made the world's first injection molded airplanes models - but they were not kits. The models were completely finished and were on display for the then-large sum of $25 each. The Mates brothers, who founded and ran Hawk, were quick to incorporate this new technology by replacing the metal detail parts with injection molded details to the wooden kits in the late 1930s. During the war, Hawk put it's injection molding knowledge to work making ID models for the US Armed Forces. Originally there was a nation-wide program to have children and adults make these from wood, but consistency was an issue - injection molded solved this problem. Immediately after WWII in 1946, Hawk made the Curtiss Racer model injection molded in black tenite. The box was a simple one-color affair. This may have been the first injection molded airplane kit produced in the USA; another contender is the Varney's PT-17. Both met a very cool reception at hobby shops. Hawk quickly changed the Curtiss box to two colors and added box artwork while molding the kit is bright yellow acetate. In 1947 Hawk approached toy stores since hobby shops were giving the kit poor promotion. The toy stores did much better. Spurred on by toy store sales in '47, Hawk added four classic racers in '48, all molded in acetate - the Gee Bee, Howard Ike, Laird Solution and the Supermarine S6B. In 1949 Hawk molded them in a much more stable polystyrene and additional Thompson Trophy Races were introduced to the line; this Mister Mulligan kit is one of those. It is molded in high-gloss white plastic, clear and with a dark brown pilot figure. Inside, the kit is factory-new. The small parts are still sealed in the factory 'krinkle' clear bag. The fuselage halves and wing were never factory sealed and inventoried complete. Includes the correct instructions with the '703' part number and advises the use of "...carbon tetracholoride" as a cement because plastic model glue was still not widely available. The instructions are also a detailed painting guide because at this point Hawk did not furnish decals with their plastic kits. The box is in very good condition with great colors. The box has not been crushed, bent or flattened, which is unusual since this type of box is not very strong. The instructions are in 'excellent' condition.
$125.00