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Hi everyone!

 

I can't really believe that the last time I added something to this topic was 7 years ago.  Life, other hobbies, other modeling projects, etc... Anyway, after finishing some Lamborghinis, an Academy 1/48 F-14A (sooner or later I will create an "in-progress" topic for it) and a Hobby Boss 1/48 Hellcat I wanted to resurrect this bird from the shelf of doom... 🙂

 

In my last post seven years ago (OMG) I mentioned the avionics bays - let it be then. As I created these boxes many years ago, the sides of them are already yellowed - I can just hope they will not break during the building process.

 

I started checking out photos on the net and cutting some plastic, here is the result. BTW, sorry for the image quality, I dropped my digital camera so I had to take photos using my smartphone.

 

AM-JKLW-23OBjIYWfnLLsKpMj-VCAXaMVs08WfPC

 

AM-JKLUawUpvrbWI7UWPs2F2rpRDYCkPs3qNna-u

 

AM-JKLUhzVPp0TZgG1sA8b8TVZ9Lt8ouldsSGLaH

 

AM-JKLUvLPYPJGlASrzGaZrzgmnZa5DspYLOMQm7

 

I hope you like this.

 

Cheers,

Zoli

 

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Nice. Glad You keep building the Italeri beast. It's not the best, but not the worst model. I think the spine is actually pretty well captured, if not for the spine to upper fuselage surface transition. It should blend a bit. And I'm pretty sure You know that already, but the ladder is in wrong position (ie. too far aft). And the panel lines on LEX are a bit wrong. And on the wings. And the upper fuselage. And on the lower nose, but You know that already. Man, they did get a lot of panel lines wrong with this one 😉

Awesome building skill. Your thread is one of the ones I keep hoping to see continue.

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On 9/14/2021 at 2:20 AM, Aigore said:

Outstanding! You are insane....but it's Outstanding! 😄

Thanks, Janne! That is exactly what my father used to say when he sees my display case! 🙂

 

 

On 9/18/2021 at 5:23 AM, Night Owl Models said:

Thanks for continuing this build a guy thinks he's a good scratch builder then I see your work. I don't know if I have the patients for the hundreds of hours it takes to see the end product.

Thank you, Night Owl Models!

Patience: I realized that if I put only one (or just a half) hour a day into the build, it will be ok... 😉

 

 

23 hours ago, Thadeus said:

Nice. Glad You keep building the Italeri beast. It's not the best, but not the worst model. I think the spine is actually pretty well captured, if not for the spine to upper fuselage surface transition. It should blend a bit. And I'm pretty sure You know that already, but the ladder is in wrong position (ie. too far aft). And the panel lines on LEX are a bit wrong. And on the wings. And the upper fuselage. And on the lower nose, but You know that already. Man, they did get a lot of panel lines wrong with this one 😉

Awesome building skill. Your thread is one of the ones I keep hoping to see continue.

Hi Thadeus, thank you! No, I did not know most of these problems. And now I am hesitating tossing this model into the trashcan - just kidding! 😄

We can find similar problems on most of the models we build - some of them are corrected, some of them we live with - modeler's life.

Anyway, I cannot explain why, but I suspect you are a Hornet enthusiast 🙂 - so I would like to ask you to point me a decent source for the correct panel lines/rivets for an early F/A-18F. Googling for "super hornet blueprint" gives a lot of contradicting results unfortunately. 😞

 

 

2 hours ago, LanceR21 said:

Dude! I'm so happy to see this topic again!
 

Keep updating! :yahoo:

Thanks you, LanceR21! I hope that the next update is not years away from now... 😉

I started drawing the other avionics bay details, but the photos are rare and poor quality, so there will be some fictional details in it...

 

Best regards,

Zoli

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While I really like F/A-18's in all flavours I refuse to use blueprints. I'm sorry I can't help here.

What I used when doing corrections on my Italeri EA-18 was taking a Hasegawa Super Hornet as a reference point. And it's instructions. They can easilly be found online. Such as this one: https://www.mojehobby.pl/zdjecia/7/7/5/1383_2_hasPT39_6.jpg My work on the upper LEX was an excersise in guesstimation. I'm generally bad with doing precision handywork. Luckilly, my selected scheme did hide most of the job.

Although even having one in my display case I did not notice the spine thing. And the ladder.

And after building an Italeri Super Hornet I really get the joke with the trashcan 😉 However Italeri beast captures the lines of a SH pretty nice. Afer all the work.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for You!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all,

 

again, a little avionics bay scratchbuilt content. 😉

 

Thadeus, thank you! I hope I can finish this bird one day. 🙂

Flight Line Media, thanks for the kind words!

 

I managed to finish avionics bays on both side. I am sure these boxes and details are not accurate but it captures the look of the bays full of tiny details.

 

AM-JKLUdBpHZpn-vJXFT0WgAaNBz_g5L9qHI7ChI

 

AM-JKLUFJBGVldZQXDCCg3dHHnMnA3z0ocDvr0Bi

 

AM-JKLWq44VkjuJxXb5bVQJqzjJuVtF_KZZ7JzPs

 

(here you can see that the other side is also finished, the "hedgehog" like boxes from my previous post got their wires bent to shape)

 

AM-JKLUqK_tLXTMpGnxjDMFlAOs77Ednw7GOEDeX

 

AM-JKLULJhrlgauojI6ytYEKKXImSSCkZw3oEn4u

 

I hope you like it. Now I start to rebuild the front wheel well as the one I built years ago is too narrow. On the other hand in its current, built form I cannot add (and paint) any details in it, as I am not a smurf... So It will be scratched again, but built only after the detailing and painting is finished.

 

Cheers,

Zoli

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hello everyone,

 

it is time for an update after another long scratchbuilding session. I can just hope you will like the end result.

 

On 10/25/2021 at 9:15 AM, Aigore said:

Oh man, do I like it! It's like styrene porn! Can't get enough of your mad scratcher-skills!

 

Aigore, thanks for the kind words! I am regularly checking your Viggen build, those 3D printed parts look amazing. Probably my other hobby (computer game development) can be connected to plastic modeling, printing the virtual 3D models as real ones...

 

On 11/4/2021 at 10:00 PM, tomfomes said:

Amazing scratchbuilding skills! Beautiful details added to the model. 

tomfomes, thank you!

 

So, as I mentioned in my last last post, let's play with plastic again: front wheel well...

 

AM-JKLXID9vJvWMJ52821ugELGt_hFf5se2JV4RR

 

AM-JKLXIQx9otmvw7NGIrEZsHwrjUtJiHCPBRYEC

 

AM-JKLVK5FzISYU6zsZTiU3nOrgS0Mf73EMh_ybw

 

AM-JKLXzHCWWx9p0aUxojXnIsrWz5ku1zmEK6DTC

 

AM-JKLWdnLvRyXRsATfEpffKVyaq27CD0GnyFHGu

 

AM-JKLXE06ACjP38p5mdFdC-iTUf7Ae81H0r-xGr

 

AM-JKLX1hDpy45SDJq8khp5BOgYpq3h-xqFe5KOZ

 

Continued in the next post...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone!

 

On 11/13/2021 at 4:48 PM, Aigore said:

Magnificent! 🤩


Thanks, Aigore! 🙂

 

I continued the build with the gun/radar bay.

 

AM-JKLUJp7RQw6VNLcch89pf7j8BS_DGj9U2hjvb

 

AM-JKLU7Niicus2TyuBAmXKBkjJjvpXsbKqyzg9d

 

AM-JKLUiXkeRpb_tB5AZJAzq1fEyHfE0tiA1Y5iW

 

AM-JKLUaeu51CnUrJCF3xyblGzDZ3Cf5nc4rsGkT

 

AM-JKLVikOhFPk1ah7Q6dkNSTztYo8damo9F1Sbz

 

AM-JKLWyq7xj7T0PNhAH7JdvC4JvYj5w6_gR4KJ-

 

As I mentioned in the first image, there was virtually no reference material for this part. I googled for "super hornet gun", "super hornet radar", "gun bay", "radar bay", "nose compartment", "gun maintenance", many other combinations - no real success. Got a lot of pictures but the real thing was hidden on most of them. Searched videos on youtube - found some legacy Hornet related material about "center barrel replacement" where the nose bay is filmed too, but that's all. Anyway, most of this will be hidden by the M61 Vulcan itself, and when the bird will stand on its wheels, almost nothing could be seen of it. Making the nose a bit "busy" is enough for me.

 

The wall at the end of this bay is not detailed yet.

 

I also added some details to the housing of the refueling probe before gluing it in place, but forgot to take a photo - next time...

 

I can just hope you like it.

 

Cheers,

Zoli

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8 hours ago, Aigore said:

Adding stuff is almost addictive.... looks fantastic 🙂

I can imagine it's hard finding refs for every part. Can't be impossible to find a hornet technician around here that  can help.

 

Hi Aigore!

 

Thank you! Yes, adding details / scratch building is one of the best parts in modeling, I agree. You start it by adding small details (on the landing gears, ejection seats, ...). And next time being overconfident you want more - cutting the whole model into pieces (exactly what is happening to me here 😄 ). Only to realize later how big and time consuming even a small detailing task could be...  I can just hope I can finish this bird one day.

 

To me it is still almost unbelievable that there are people on this forum who work on - or even fly - these incredible machines.

 

Regards,

Zoli

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Hello everyone,

 

next victim is the gun bay door.

 

AM-JKLWTXY8enSheE8rAnmIQr4z7iujACkRTg9tJ

 

AM-JKLUjv3JvLRM7Z0BKlgV3awMI9KTA2taAFG0c

 

AM-JKLUuvTQOSWlBfH18e0yDM50hBFh5MVehmvxE

 

AM-JKLX_z5bRN71rSlUx8tQCl3zTnTu9JC2SXi4S

 

AM-JKLU757u8BRjOVstFU8HYRB0PNLolEVgF-O3U

 

AM-JKLVy5zWSgSQulqxj1zGFuZeMX5Tv6Swvqt4O

 

This is the basic shape. I will continue with boxes and wires here.

 

QUESTION: exactly what is that fabric-looking "box" under the gun (between the meshes)? Is it a big bag, is there some electronics in it (on some pictures it looks like cables are attached to it)?

WARNING: if you try to copy this mesh creation method, do not use the actual curtain in your home, it could be harmful... 😉

 

I hope you like this.

 

Cheers,

Zoli

 

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Hello everyone!

 

 

On 12/6/2021 at 9:26 PM, mirage@enthusiast said:

Szia!  

Nagyon profi amit ezzel a Super kornettel csinálsz!

Jó látni más magyarok munkáit is ezen a Forumon!

 

Hajrá és alig várom hogy kész legyen.

 

Üdv Polo

 

Szia Polo,

nagyon köszönöm! Igyekszem mielőbb megépíteni, régóta vár már a befejezésre.

 

 

 

So - I finished another chunk of details on this beast. The gun bay door is detailed. Again, not fully accurate, but gives the "busy" look.

 

AM-JKLVNU3DFImF4BVlG4VTHz5c_PyEpc36oo7dj

 

AM-JKLWVqc_cssYJXIx4JHm27waWOk5Ou6HSpsWW

 

AM-JKLWV9UV0ZXej5aRcUhTHM7b8VMQ2avFzAfcg

 

I hope you like it.

 

The next will be detailing the M61 Vulcan that I already built when I started this project (photos can be found on the first page of the topic). Not much will be visible of it at its final place, but I like the idea of adding details. 😉

 

Cheers,

Zoli

 

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On 12/12/2021 at 9:43 PM, Aigore said:

What can I say....outstanding! Almost makes me itch for a dressing up of some old crappy matchbox kit!

 

Well, do it then! I like scratch building topics... 🙂
But after having a long scratch building session I feel the opposite thing: the urge to build something totally OOB, just cutting, gluing and painting. No search for reference photos, no
measuring, etc.

Speaking about long sessions, the "refurbished" M61 Vulcan is almost finished, hopefully tomorrow I can post some images of it.

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1 hour ago, ZAgocs said:

 

Well, do it then! I like scratch building topics... 🙂
But after having a long scratch building session I feel the opposite thing: the urge to build something totally OOB, just cutting, gluing and painting. No search for reference photos, no
measuring, etc.

Speaking about long sessions, the "refurbished" M61 Vulcan is almost finished, hopefully tomorrow I can post some images of it.

I have sort of such a build going on, it's a comission build of an old Swedish prop trainer. But it's a Patreon only build for my few followers 😛

I know what you mean.... I have a bad case of AMS (Advanced Modeller Syndrome) when I build jets but I can relax my brain on building submarines in 1/350.. I know nothing about subs, I just use what's in the box, I don't chase refs or aftermarket stuff. 😄

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Hello everyone,

time  for a little update...

 

19 hours ago, Aigore said:

I know what you mean.... I have a bad case of AMS (Advanced Modeller Syndrome) when I build jets but I can relax my brain on building submarines in 1/350.. I know nothing about subs, I just use what's in the box, I don't chase refs or aftermarket stuff. 😄

Yeah, I do the same - building 1/24 Lamborghini models, mainly during the Xmas breaks.

 

So, the updated Vulcan model that cannot be seen at the end 😉

 

AM-JKLUgQjuILpR0RKmfRsqlUynQjBiNT7RcGEJM

 

AM-JKLVNbkBOSNddT6lVtkoe5PpVes91yg2K-g__

 

AM-JKLUpZm8I9aJMxVK3Ms-HewnEuhxiDrWH0yGl

 

AM-JKLWy37_Qwh0XTJd-ZyCaA8zy2lfscICw3omY

 

AM-JKLVkzsqGLXhueK6phB-T-BPJs2_B29BdJrgg

 

AM-JKLUqFYUXM553gUncoozwvlaIfmPtpj9y9qrc

 

AM-JKLWgBet3WWWkThsLHXPU-jRFVXP9XbXmKs8j

 

AM-JKLXaX8KBQvIAN2OH8kpbHFipo1nG5yfRiH_C

 

That is all for today. I hope you like it. Next I will update the radar a little bit too.

 

Cheers,

Zoli

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