Colin K

Looks good! Is that for Pierre Clement?

I have done this with all of my Kinetic Hornet builds, and it has worked for me. It enables me to get a good, seamless intake. Than I do the paint fill method, empty the paint and let it dry. I did have to remove some plastic from the right intake opening, as you did, in order to get the right side to fit. Left side always seems to be a better fit for some reason. Weird.

Actually, the SAC gear would be appropriate for a CF-18. All that needs to be added, is the correct shock absorber. I used SAC gear on a 32nd CF-18B build, many years ago (article is in R/T 34-4). What I did for the shock strut was assemble the kit parts, then cut off the ends that attach to the gear legs. Then, I made the new strut out of plastic tubing, glued the attachment points to either end, and done!

I have to disagree. The Kinetic F-5A and B kits are very easy to build. I am on my fourth F-5 and I love them. Fit is good, for the most part. Intakes can be a bit tricky, but can be made to fit with a little extra work. Joining the front and rear fuselage halves are a breeze. Virtually no filler required and the seams form natural panel lines. I don't get R/T at the moment, so I cannot read the article.

I used to be gung-ho for group builds. Nowadays, I'm hardly on the forums. I'm so immersed in social media pages on Facebook, that I simply don't visit the forums anymore. Also, the biggest thing for me is forgetting to take in-progress photos, then having to upload them to a hosting site, then upload them here. Add in the editing and I simply lose interest. Posting photos on social media is just faster for a lot of people. Also, maybe there are too many group builds going on at a given time? I'm thinking limit the number of GB's per year and maybe have longer time frames? Just spit balling it as, like I said before, I'm hardly on the forums anymore.

Actually....looking at a copy of the checklist, there is an ON/OFF function for the displays. So I guess that answers that. No one in the back seat, no powered up displays.

I would think the screens would be on, no matter if someone is in the backseat or not.

Just a couple of things if you are intending to build this kit. The IFF antennas in front of the windscreen needs to be removed. 188720 was never upgraded, so it did not have them. At Step 25, they show the correct part number (P6), but show a swept back antenna. P6 is the straight antenna, which is correct for 188720. Just a heads up to avoid any confusion. At Step 26, the instructions tell you to put part E83 beside the nose gear door. You should actually place part P7 there instead. Part E82 should go where the instructions tell you to put part P7. Last bit of info is that the kit seat will be incorrect for this jet. You'll need to replace the NACES seat with an SJU-5/6 seat. Only the upgraded jets received NACES seats. These differences were not identified in the instructions.

Carmen....did you experience any clearance issues between the windscreen and the instrument coaming at all? I've found I had to trim a bit off of the front of the coaming, in order to get a better fit. I'll have to keep that spreader idea in mind. If that alleviates any big fit issues, then perhaps trimming the coaming won't be necessary on future builds of mine.

Ok, all good. I already have the 2017 jet built and another in the stash. In answer to your question, the markings for the 20th Annuversary Hornet have been out of production for many years. As Scooby mentioned earlier, Canadian Hornet demo schemes are a popular sell, especially in Canada. Also, as Raymond mentioned, Kinetic has been able to keep the price very reasonable. Truth be told, when the generic CF-18 kit came out, it retailed at $110 Canadian, at my local store. When the 2017 demo came out, it retailed at $87, as will this new release, I suspect. I've also been wanting to do a new build of the 2002 demo, and with this release, I now have that opportunity.

Are you saying you bought the new kit, with the demo decals and have no use for said decals?

Carmen.....I've been away from the forums for a while and have just started following your build. Fantastic work as always. But, I want to pass on my heartfelt condolences on the loss of your son. I can't even begin to fathom what you are going through. My thoughts are with your and your family. If I can do anything for you, just let me know.

PLEASE do the 2018 Demo Hornet!!!

Kursad....not sure if the artwork is finished or still being finalised, but I have a bunch of photos of Aussie Hornets that I took at Maple Flag, just a couple of weeks ago. If you could use any, I'll send them your way.

Last time I ordered decals was probably late last year and I did receive the decals. I honestly had high hopes for Canuck to fill the void for Canadian decals, but with nothing new from them in a couple of years, those hopes have faded.