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Twin F/A-18A+ build in 48th - I needed a change!


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Hey guys,

I've gotten the first of two Revellogram F/A-18 kits that I will be building for this GB. I'm sick of F-16s right now, so I'm doing something different, and Hornets are about as different as I can get at this point. Never thought I'd be building so many Navy kits, but here I am. Its a little odd, being an Army guy and all, but hey, it works.

So, build #1 will be from VFA-204, using the Twobobs Katrina Relief sheet. I think I'm gonna keep the loadout simple. This pic confirms a good a/g load, so I'm going with that.

http://image64.webshots.com/164/7/81/2/212...rtcuts/FullSize

Right now, I've done a quick overview of the parts, what I'm gonna do to em, etc. I had originally envisioned this as a quick OOB build, but with some of the things I'm seeing, I may end up getting some resin flaps for it after all.... we'll see.

Build #2 is going to need a bit more in terms of resin, since it has the APX-111 IFF blades installed. I'll be building it as a VMFA-142 bird. Gonna focus on this one first though

Here goes nothing!

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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Wow, I actually got a lot done on this build today.

I started off with painting the gear wells and anything else that is white on it. Once that was done, I primed the speed brake and put the two-part decal on slowly and carefully. It came out great, but the decal is a tad big for the Monogram speedbrake. Since the decals were optimized for the Hasegawa kit, I'm wondering if there's a significant difference in size between the two manufacturers.

I painted and detailed the cockpit, and I'm quite happy with it. Haven't done the seat yet, but I'm going to use the kit's parts.

I debated back and forth for a while, and finally decided to drop the flaps. So, I cut em off and I'm in the midst of shaping and re-fitting them.

So far so good. Hopefully I won't have any priming issues like with my Viper builds.

Jon

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Well, here's my progress so far!

P6140020.jpg

Right wing with dropped flaps.

P6140021.jpg

Cockpit and spine details.

P6140022.jpg

Right wing and fuselage.

I've attached the pylons on the right wing as well. Loadout will be 2 CBUs outboard on a CER and a single CBU inboard. Here's what she'll look like when finished:

VFA-204Loadout3.jpg

Jon

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She's comin along nicely. Got the CBUs built and sanded and I'll be focusing on the left wing's flaps this evening.

#2 arrived today and I will most likely do some parts prep on it as well. This one's molded in gray, so I think it'll be a bit easier to deal with than the Blue Angels boxing. I'm going to add a resin nose to this one for the APX-111 IFF antennas. I thought about scratchbuilding them, but I don't think it'd look right.

Loadout for my Marine Reserve Hornet will be a single live AIM-9M on 1, GBU-12 on 2, tank on 3, LITENING on 5, Tank on 7 and GBU-38 on 8. She'll be Modex MB210, BuNo 162409. I'm gonna have to tweak the SuperScale decals a bit, since 164209 was the squadron CO's bird when they did the decals. Its different now.

I'll post more pics as I make progress!

Jon

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Looks like it's off to a great start Jon! Good work with the flaps and leading edges. I"ve built some RM Hornet before, and whenever I build some more, I'll do the same. I also notice that the right missile rail was slightly bent. Don't you just hate how RM packaged that kit? Every one of mine was like that. I mean, it's an easy fix, but still.

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Tonight's progress:

I added the left wing's flaps, all gear doors, windscreen, upper and lower angled antennas, tailhook, and the bumps just aft of the radome.

P6180002.jpg

P6180003.jpg

P6180004.jpg

Here's tonight's progress on my Marine bird too.

1421.jpg

142.jpg

euphrates03.jpg

Here's what she'll look like finished. Photo courtesy gatorsiniraq.com

I'm contemplating a third build since these two are going so well. VFA-201 Hunters from the Twobobs "Patriot Hornets" sheet. Considering I've spent less than $20 on three Hornet kits, I may just go for it!

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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Nice progress so far ;)

Does the Blue Angels boxing (presumably you got one 'o these judging by the blue plastic!) come with all the usual weapons pylons and fuel tanks?

I'm asking as a Blue Angels one tends to pop up on Ebay fairly often and goes pretty cheaply, but I'd rather build it as a 'fleet' bird than a display one, yet I had read that the Blue Angels boxing doesn't come with any weapons pylons or fuel tanks, where as the standard A and C boxings do!

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Will,

It comes with four Mk83 LDGP bombs, full pylons and two dual ejector racks, plus two AIM-9Ms. I'm adding some stuff from Hasegawa Weapons Set D as well, but the kits do come with some ordnance and full ability to hang stuff on em.

I've made more progress this morning. I've modified the Hasegawa LANTIRN pod and made it a LITENING II. Still have to finish the intake on it, but it is looking rather good right now.

I've run out of super glue, so the leading edge flaps on both birds have a bit of a gap, but that'll be taken care of pretty quickly. At this point, I'm getting pretty close to painting. Gotta order some decal sheets!

#3 is on the way and I'll be building her as a VFA-201 bird from JRB Ft. Worth. Since the Hunters are a fairly familiar sight to my wife's family, I couldn't leave them out!

Jon

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Aaaaaand we're ready for paint!

Both birds are together, up on their gear and as you can see, have their loadouts ready to go. I've gotta get a compressor, these propellant cans are killin me!

Gotta pick up some propellant today and I'll get em sprayed.

P6220001.jpg

Jon

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Looking good...may follow your path with one of these, assuming my ebay purchase goes well. Can't decide on markings though, not many F/A-18A+ options out there compared to 'C' models. VFA-201 or 204 favourites at the moment!

EDIT: Just bought meself a Hornet (1/48 Monogram F-18A, black boxed version with markings for a Finnish jet...not seen this version of the kit before, and its odd since Finland actually has C models...but it was cheap so I figured I'd take a risk) ;)

Edited by Will2K65
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I'm looking forward to seeing all of those Rockeyes hanging off of the VFA-204 bird. That's a pretty cool loadout, and one that you don't see on a Hornet every day. I didn't happen to see if you mentioned it Jon, but are you going to put a pair of Sidewinders on it as well?

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Steve,

Nope! No sidewinders on the 204 bird. The pics I've got show em loaded out with rockeyes and nothing else.

Will,

Congrats on grabbing that A model! I've gotten rather lucky as of late. Grabbed three off of the Buy/Sell forum for real cheap.

Today's progress filled and sanded all seams. It was my first time working with Bondo and I REALLY like it. It dries quickly, sands well and doesn't shrink. Both birds are now primed in black and will get their actual paint as soon as I can get a hold of a new can of propellant.

I'm hoping that we'll be able to get a new OIF VMFA-142 decal sheet made within the next few weeks so I can really mark my second Hornet the way I want.

Pics tomorrow after my damn checkride.

Jon

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No further progress, but #3 did arrive yesterday. Decals for it should arrive shortly.

#1 is ready for paint and will be getting that this week. Decals are ready to go.

#2 needs a couple things tweaked, but is pretty much ready for paint as well. Decals are in the works, but I may be doing some possible alternate decals for VMFA-142 instead of the outdated Super Scale sheet.

#3 will start going together within the next day or so. Decals will be for the CAG bird for VFA-201 from their OIF cruise aboard the Teddy Roosevelt. I'm thinking a loadout of 3-wet with a GBU-31 and HARM underwing with a targeting pod and an AIM-120C on the fuselage stations.

I'll update as soon as I take more pics.

Jon

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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I'm looking forward to seeing all of those Rockeyes hanging off of the VFA-204 bird. That's a pretty cool loadout, and one that you don't see on a Hornet every day.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I saw that photo of it on the first page. Great work on both of these so far.

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