1/32 Academy F-18D to CF-18B kicked up a notch.

[AlienFrogModeller]

Just sent the pics with a little explanation.

HTH

Cheers

[geedubelyer]

Hi Chuck,

This is shaping up rather nicely.

Neat catch on the main gear doors. I'll watch for that in the future, cheers.

Do you plan to add any wash on the gear legs to accentuate the detail? Would a light grey pin wash around the surface details followed by a dry brush of white add any depth to the undulations without making the legs look dirty I wonder? On the other hand, ignore my confused ramblings,.......just thinking out loud..............

I'm eager to see what comes next, keep at it buddy, she's looking good.

[chuck540z3]

Do you plan to add any wash on the gear legs to accentuate the detail? Would a light grey pin wash around the surface details followed by a dry brush of white add any depth to the undulations without making the legs look dirty I wonder? On the other hand, ignore my confused ramblings,.......just thinking out loud..............

Hi Guy!

One thing I've noted on the gear main gear legs is how dirty they are on the inside (brake dust?) and fairly clean they are on the outside. A typical inside pic of a CF-18 looks like this:

http://data.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_col...0Lake%20022.JPG

The outside is much cleaner, like this pic I took of 910 a few years ago....

Sooo, to sort of replicate what these pics look like, here's what my gear looks like today, with one side dry-fitted into the Aires wheel bay....

A closer pic of the inside main gear....

and the outside.....

I used pastels (Tamiya oil stain), which don't photograph too well with all the white paint of the legs. They look much dirtier in real life.

Edited December 26, 2009 by chuck540z3

[chuck540z3]

Thanks to some pics "Bear" (AlienFrogModeller) sent me all the way from Cold Lake, here's a pic of the right side of the rear pit of a CF-18B. My Avionix pit doesn't look too much like this, so I'll just have to live with it. Those little yellow switches I had placed there, however, are now gone. Thanks for the tip and pics Bear!.....

Now for some dry-fitting of the cockpit, now that I've got the front fuselage more or less put together. The rear pit glareshield over the IP is correct for a CF-18B, since it's flat on the top and it doesn't have the "step" of the 2 glareshields supplied with the kit (I-3 and I-4). With the kit IP inserted into it, however, there's a couple of gaps I have to deal with. Better to find out now than later when I have everything sealed up....

The front pit fits really good, so there's no more work here, other than to add some details like the ejection handle, etc., when I'm nearing the finish line of the build. As you can see, I've done almost nothing to the front glareshield yet, other than to paint it. You can also see the flawed mold marks on the side of the fuselage filled in and sanded.

The scuffed up sills are my attempt to replicate the real deal as well. Here's another pic of the front pit of 910. Note the scratched up sills....

Now another angle of the rear. Note how I eliminated the join mark of part I-5 along the sides, but not the back.....

This is because of a pic I took of the rear of 910, right behind the seat. There is a natural join mark here, so the gap left is the equivalent of a sort of "panel line".....

A close-up....

Thanks for your interest.

Edited December 26, 2009 by chuck540z3

[Marcel111]

Chuck, great work on the cockpit, it's coming along very nicely indeed It's goo to get stuck in on the really fun stuff :wub:

Cheers,

Marcel

[chuck540z3]

After a bit of a Xmas break, I’m back on this project again and the more I do, the more I realize how much more there is left to do. I’ve been checking some more of John Wolstenholme’s amazing F/A-18A in the Gallery section of ARC (see page 7 of F-18's) and I learn something new every time I read the 4 part build.

One thing John did not have at his disposal was a solution to the horrible intakes of the Academy kit, so he build some from fibreglass. The intakes in the kit are very undersized after the front lip, because they constrict unnaturally about ½†into them, choking them off. Like most kit intakes, they also have seams that need to be filled, but since the constriction is so narrow, fixing this flaw is very hard to do.

The solution is to use either Seamless Suckers (SS-7) or the new DMold intakes (DM32002). First, here’s pic of the front intake parts of the kit on the left vs. the DMold intake on the right……

A side view with the kit part on top….

Another angle with the kit part on the right this time. The kit part also has lips that are a bit too sharp.....

Another option is the Seamless Suckers, which are pictured below in the middle. They are a little wider, but they still don’t match the DMold one on the top for accuracy. The are, however, truly seamless, since even the DMold ones require a splice at the same spot as the kit parts….

[chuck540z3]

It turns out, however, that there are a few counterfeit DMold intakes out there, being sold on ebay and other places as originals. I figured this out in a warning from Dmitri Malkov, owner of DMold Modelworks, who had discovered that some of his 1/32 F-4 intakes were being copied and sold on ebay, so he put out a warning in the Jet Forum. Since I had purchased my intakes from the same ebay seller, I PM’d Dmitiri with pics of my 1/32 F-18 intakes and, sure enough, they were fakes too. Once busted, this ebay seller has since disappeared.

Like the F-4 fakes, the easiest way to detect them is the extra “fences†they have when they are molded. The pic below shows the fake on the left, the DMold original, and the kit part on the right. Note the extra fences….

The reason I have the real ones in the middle is because Dmitri sent me a new set for FREE and mailed them all the way from Russia. Either he felt sorry for me or he knew I’d use them in my next build and show you guys how they work, but either way, thank you Dmitri!

As good as the intakes are, they can use a little upgrade by way of the Eduard mesh set (32-111). In order to get the new mesh to fit properly, you need to cut or sand the front intake panel down about 0.5 mm. Here’s the mess I created using a modeling knife….

Then the result of all my work, after I inserted the photoetched parts and attached them with CA glue, being careful to avoid getting glue in the middle where it will clog the new mesh. After a little sanding, you can really see how the photoetched parts are made of brass……

Since painting an intake is almost impossible after assembly, I gave these a thin coat of FS 36375, inside, outside and also on the back. They’ll get the “Pig Fleishmann white latex paint dip treatment†later, once I get everything sanded and put together. One last thing, is to check your reference pics for the front of the mesh for a panel or line (or not). I left mine at the front…..

…because my pic of 910 shows it not only has it, but it’s quite pronounced. Some of them are very subtle or even gone….

Thanks for your interest, and Happy New Year!

Edited January 4, 2010 by chuck540z3

[Marcel111]

Chuck, nice to see you back at it! If only I'd used those DMold intakes

Also good to see you using the mesh, it really makes a difference and you managed to put it all in place perfectly--sweet!

:huh:

Marcel

[dpwatson]

Turning out nicely!!

David

[Av8fan]

I just placed an order with Victory Models for the Dmolds.

Thanks for showing the differences.

[MaxPower]

One problem for my CF-18 build, however, is that I'll have to flip the shock absorbers. Canuck bugs have the piston of the shock positioned downward and the shock is quite different, so I've got my work cut out for me to convert this metal into something more accurate.....

Hi just wanted to mention as a point of interest all F-18s shocks actuate exactly the same with the piston coming out of the bottom. The difference is only in the upper housing, with Canadas (A's) having the upper housing as more of an all white tube and American planes have a part the isn't painted and has a different diameter. I've seen people flip that shock over for a CF-188 and all you end up with is an American absorber that is upside down so now it's wrong in two ways.

Oh your Hornet is looking fantastic by the way. Do you go to the RMMC or GOMBS show here in Calgary with them? I build 1/32 as well so I'm just wondering if I've met you. :)

[chuck540z3]

Do you go to the RMMC or GOMBS show here in Calgary with them? I build 1/32 as well so I'm just wondering if I've met you. :)

No, I haven't met any fellow modelers in Calgary yet, mostly because I've been too shy to show my work. I'm getting better every year so maybe I should join a group or maybe even a model contest one day. So far all my work has been 1/32 fighter jets, but I have some Lancasters and Spitfires in my future, maybe very soon. BTW, what group is GOMBS?

Cheers,

Chuck

[Av8fan]

chuck,

You have nothing to worry about re showing your work.

Oh maybe other folks turning green.

[Voltaire]

Following the master class with devotion!

Loved your detail on the gear doors lip asymetry. Never noticed that one.

Reminds me of another detail easily missed: the front gear doors' red lip asymetry:

The red lip of the port front landing gear bay door is visible from the side of the aircraft (red arrow) when opened, whilst nothing is visible on the starboard side (blue arrow). That red lip is missed on 99% of the Hornet models that I have seen. Another detail is that it does not run all the length of the gear door (green arrow).

I wonder if the Academy molding catches any of that as, to scale, that lip has no thickness.

Edited January 4, 2010 by Voltaire

[chuck540z3]

The red lip of the port front landing gear bay is visible from the side of the aircraft (red arrow) when opened, whilst nothing is visible on the starboard side (blue arrow). That red lip is missed on 99% of the Hornet models that I have seen. Another detail is that it does not run all the length of the gear door (green arrow).

I wonder if the Academy molding catches any of that as, to scale, that lip has no thickness.

Thanks Man- I never noticed that one, or a whole bunch of others that John W. has noted in his build. Between all of us we might actually get one of these bugs looking half-way accurate!

[chuck540z3]

Just for fun, I re-checked several CF-18's and, sure enough, Voltaire is 100% correct about the front gear doors. As a matter of fact, the port side has a notch cut out of the front (hence the missing red paint), but this is not limited to CF-18's. Here's a pic of the NASA F-18A I took a few years ago. It looks exactly the same.....

Academy Part J-19 for this door has a lip on the outside for this, but not the notched cut-out. Of course "Eagle Eye" John W. got it right in his build, as if we had any doubt!

Edited January 5, 2010 by chuck540z3

[Voltaire]

Same business going on at the back:

[MaxPower]

Same business going on at the back:

The forward door there shows that bump that you guys were talking about sanding off?

[chuck540z3]

The forward door there shows that bump that you guys were talking about sanding off?

That pic on the bottom is of the right/starboard side, which remains. The other side (left/port) should be removed.

Edited January 5, 2010 by chuck540z3

[MaxPower]

I was going to say chuck your work is looking more than contest ready. There's the 2 I mentioned in Calgary. RMMC is more a structured contest with judging and gold, silver, bronze medals as well as sponsor awards in each category. I'm telling you you'd do well there. Even if you don't want to enter I highly recommend going to check it out. It's a lot of fun and there are so many incredible models at both shows. The GOMBS (group of model builders) is a lot of fun as well. It's more a "show" than a "contest" with only sponsor awards and no obvious judging. Just a bunch of people of all skill levels showing their work, talking shop and having fun. I go to both and have a blast. It's nice for other people besides my wife and kids to see my models. Talk to builders and ask questions and have others ask you. For RMMC I just check their website early spring for the date it's usually may/june. For the GOMBS I just check with Rick Chin at Uncle Bills Hobby in N.E. Calgary (arguably the best model shop in town ... sorry to any McTavish that reads this!!! lol) it's usually within a few weeks of the other one. Like I said even if you don't wish to share your very nice work you owe it to yourself to just go look. And go meet Rick at his store. He has tons of resin/ PE/decals/kits/research material/magazines and free knowledge.

Edited January 6, 2010 by MaxPower

[chuck540z3]

Hey Maxpower, thanks for your comments. I really will look into one or both of these groups soon.

Now some minor progress, but I think it's another thing that most modelers miss on the F-18A or CF-18A/B. I know I did.

The big panel underneath the front fuselage right behind the nosecone may or may not have a reinforcement strip. I learned this in John W.'s build, so I checked the bird I'm trying to build and, sure enough, it has the strip. the best pic of this strip can be found in Steve's pic of a CF-18B here:

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1..._Bamford/53.jpg

Now here's a pic of 910 that I'm trying to replicate. Note the strip.....

To scratch build something I thought of Evergreen card, but it's way too thick (at least the stuff I have), so used an idea I learned from geedubelyer (Guy) in my last F-14B build: Foil! Not just ordinary foil, but the foil you tear off the top of wine bottles like the pic below which came off a bottle of champagne....

You can cut it fairly easily with a modeling knife and for reinforcement strips at 1/32 scale, it worked pretty good. If you have small pieces you can use CA glue to secure it, but for the long thin strips that I need to use, CA glue would dry too fast and not let me work the foil. The solution was to use ordinary white glue. It doesn't dry fast, you can be sloppy with it and clean-up is a snap with a fuzzy glue applicator and water. Once it dried for about 1/2 hour, I bled a coat of Future along the edges of it to help fill the tiny air pockets underneath it, which also helps adhesion. After a couple coats of paint and more Future, it should be semi-bullet proof. Once everything dried, I lightly sanded the strip (hence silver/gold color variations) and poked rivet holes into it trying to match as closely as possible the rivet pattern of the real deal. One other thing I learned from John W. is to fill some of the panel lines near the middle grill. They don't exist in real life.

I recommend attaching the nose cone before you do this so that you won't have sanding issues later with the reinforcement strip. BTW, if you leave the nose cone opened to see the radar stuff, you have to leave it that way. It won't swing closed like the Tamiya F-16CJ. After carefully painting and detailing the interior of the nose cone in my last CF-18A build, I learned this the hard way.

Anyway, some pics of this evening's work.....

Thanks for looking in.

Edited January 8, 2010 by chuck540z3

[ALF18]

I continue to be more and more impressed with the skill and attention to detail here!

Well done, and thanks for reminding me about this thread - I had kinda lost it. I'll be watching closely, mostly learning, and hopefully contributing if I can.

ALF

[geedubelyer]

Hi Chuck,

Say, did n't you mention that you're the kind of guy for whom the build is just a means to get to the painting stage? :huh:

For someone who suggests that they're not big into the details you sure seem to be going the extra mile on this build ^_^

Sterling work all round. I'll bookmark this along with Johns' build so that I've got loads of info for a future date.

Thanks again for taking the time to explain your findings so clearly, very helpful

[chuck540z3]

Hi Chuck,

Say, did n't you mention that you're the kind of guy for whom the build is just a means to get to the painting stage?

For someone who suggests that they're not big into the details you sure seem to be going the extra mile on this build ^_^

Hey! It's because of you I now search for wine with the best foil top seals. Who cares what's in the bottle? It's the quality of the foil top that matters! :)

You're right that I've changed in my approach to all the tiny gory details. Watching your amazing build of the F-14A has made me a convert, although I still get all excited when it's time to finally apply the paint. I've got some pretty good ideas (I think) on how to change the build of the main fuselage and intakes/exhausts. Stay tuned.....

[chuck540z3]

One thing that I found in my last build of this kit, is that if you follow the instructions and attach the upper and lower fuselage together before the sides, the sides do not fit very well. As a matter of fact, getting the sides to fit even close at the rear next to the formation light is almost impossible. The solution is to attach the sides FIRST, then attach the upper and lower halves. Another reason to attach the sides now is that his gives you a chance to attach the intakes to the sides before the top half goes on, which will be very helpful as you will see later.

With the sides attached, it would appear that the Aires gear bays are not only too short, they are also too narrow. Crap! Fortunately, with the gear doors on, you won't see this flaw too much with a little help from Evergreen styrene. This also gives me an opportunity to close up those corner bits that don't exist in the rear deal (see earlier post about the gear doors).....

After the Evergreen styrene is installed, the joins are sanded and putty is applied to any flaws, this is generally how things look from below today. Note that I also drilled out those little holes in the flare/chaff dispensers to give them more depth. These will be installed later after painting, but now is a good time to check how they will fit. Just forward of the chaff dispensers, make sure you also drill out the holes for the antennae under the intakes (J39 & J40) which are not in the instructions for an F-18C/D......

Although the sides now "fit", they show poor continuity and quality of some panel lines near the rear formation light. This join is fragile, so make sure you bolster the seam with either Evergreen card or CA glue from behind....

Here's a pic of 910 near the same spot on the port side for reference.....

.... and how it looks now, after a little sanding, rescribing and new rivet holes....

Edited January 11, 2010 by chuck540z3