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1/48 Centennial Of Naval Aviation VFA-122 F/A-18F Digital Super Hornet


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The first and most important thing right away: A big THANK YOU to Robert and Ian! Without your help, patience and references I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off.

Alright, maybe first off some pics of the original for all the nitpickers :P :

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=&airlinesearch=&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=&keywords=165677&range=&sort_order=photo_id+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=

After quite a few months of not always funny modelling work my DIY Digi-Bug is finally in a presentable state.

Tadaaaaa!

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Edited by bushande
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Maybe some explanations and rants about the kit and what has been done first?!

I used the RoG kit (the one with the red VFA-102 anniversary camo).

I really don’t want to unnecessarily jabber around again but I just can’t follow why all the world is so fond of Hasegawa and after that build it just stays a riddle to me.

Yes there is quite a pile of rework that has to go into the Revell kit but one won’t get around that with Hase too. At least Revell’s flaws are somehow manageable for the average modeller with average tools and effort but how does one correct Hasegawas way too short spin just for example?

In that respect I just have to come to the same conclusion as with the Tomcat. Revell is waaaayyy cheaper, partly even more accurate in shape and that bit of lacking details can easily be compensated with a little spit and creativity and Hase’s few open panels and extra panel lines and rivets just don’t justify the hefty price tag for usually unarmed kits.

Anyways here just a short rundown of the changes and alterations the kit went through:

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O.k. admitted Revells engines simply ARE crap but recently there are some nice resin replacements out there that are also quite recommendable for the Hase kit too. When I started this baby the resin pieces were not available so I went the scratch-road again. It was actually quite interesting to quasi completely rebuild the whole engine since I had to wipe out every bit of detail and structure and start from scratch. Well I had to take Hase’s burner cans as a pattern since these are admittedly better than Revell’s. Especially the angle of the nozzles is bogus. Albeit the Revell burners where good for something in the end.

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Especially „full body make ups†such as this digi camo require dimensions from the kit that are as close to the original as possible, as you run danger to hit some real problems adjusting all the details once something doesn’t quite match up at one point. As for Revell, the LEX’s are somewhat too thick and end too early but contrary to Hase’s screwed spine that problem is a rather easy fix.

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165677 had at least in my eyes a rather unusual configuration, i.e. a pre-ACS-cockpit but already the newer BART stacks installed between the fins. I know there are resin parts out there but since I was scratching other things on that kit anyways I just though go all the way and do that too. I actually forgot to take some decent in progress shots of the BART area and that's the only shot that might suffice. There is already a thick shift of clear coat applied but one should be able to see at least something.

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Edited by bushande
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Revell’s and Hase’s cockpit frames are both not quite right. The original Foxtrott features a slight step between the border on the windshield and the one on the canopy. Since Revell’s dimensions are roughly equal the fix via some putty is a rather easy one. I still don’t quite know how to do that on the Hase-kit.

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Further changes were less substantial like erasing the ALE-50 launcher on the belly, adding som detail to the LAU-125 and –127’s, alter some grids, vents and detailing some tubes and probes on the fins.

Eventually the canopy received some scratch extras like mirrors and handles.

2w689qc.jpg

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Revells cockpit is actually quite o.k. in my eyes and is, save some adding of wires and cables and some extra details, quite sufficient, at least if one wants to build the pre-block 25/26 standard.

As VFA-122 crews are often members of fleet squadrons with their own equipment I went for reasons of neutrality with black white HGU-55/-68 helmets without extra markings and visors and turned them nice dirty and used off. Both crew members got a little CONA patch on their shoulders. Why and what the WSO is photographing has to stay a secret for a little while longer.

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What might be visible here under the flash light is that rainbow effect that Hornet cockpits among others currently feature as well as the slight tinting of the windshield. The first batch of Super Hornets had the whole canopy tinted but currently it seems only the windshield remains darker.

Edited by bushande
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Controls, panels und displays received some extra scratch detailing along some lid up displays to make the cockpit look a little more alive. The HUD is scratch as well.

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Little things like replacing the position lights with clear plastic give a little more life to the model.

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That little mount to fix the pylons on stations 2 and 10 is missing in the Revell and also in the Hase kit and need to be scratched if you want to present a Hornet without these pylons. The pylons on stations 3 and 9 received some further detailing and rework.

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Here is another look into the engine. Turbines are scratch built too and maybe from this angle one can see the slightly tilted nozzles after the rework. Revell’s engines meet each other in the middle, i.e. the diameter seems to big. By sanding them off and rescribing them I got the necessary space between the nozzles. On the original a bit of the clamps that hold the engines stick within the airframe. That can easily be imitated with some plastics and putty.

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That rainbow effect is something really nasty and cost me a lot of time and nerves, I tell you. I just hope it was worth it in the end. I think the difference in tinting between windshield and canopy is quite visible here too.

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The CONA writing disappeared on the original by now but I just left it. I just like it a lot! As I unfortunately cannot print gold or shiny clear I just had to compensate with brush, gold color and some clear coat. I think it still went quite o.k. after all.

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For lack of better ideas I printed a faded bluish NAVY logo as some sort of background for the CONA medal.

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A little plaque so even the unknowing can gather what they see:

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And since some none-insiders just don’t want to believe me that this baby flies for real I added some small shots of the Original from every side and angle to the display so you got a little comparison or reference – whatever – just turns the whole thing a little less boring.

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Ooooookaaaayyyy ..... and now why and what Mr. WSO is photographing:

Actually it is more authentic to depict this particular Hornet without any ordnance and one should be careful to not optically overload a model with such a sick camo, but let’s be Honest, if you put a model onto the shelf you want it look bad *** and though the real deal might look nasty even without a load this tine 1/48 fella looks a little blank after all.

I still couldn’t decide which road to go – rather authentic or "Yeeeeyyyy!" and so I just chose the flexible way of using magnets after the kind heads up of a fellow modeller. This way I can choose just whatever way I like at a time – realistic or "woooaaahhh". I stuck with blue inert amo since live rounds really WOULD have looked inappropriate and since we are talking about the “Blue Rhino†we just stay consequent with the load as well.

So what the hey is the WSO photographing now? Well … since I do like to present my jets “in action†I just thought why the hey not go all the way and ……

Klick Klick Klick - Gotcha!!!!

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Well there are certainly little discrepancies but basically everything fits way better than expected. All panel lines meet the right cubes and squares in about the right angle just as on the original and also the right cubes are roughly on the respective vents, grids and access panels just like on the real one. At least I am quite o.k. with how she came out or let’S say it this way – I just don’t know what and where to still change.

Weeeeell …. roughly fits and be done with it!

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Here’s another little show off as well with the lady packed and we should have about everything covered and there should be something for every taste now – the defenders of authenticity and the lovers of "Kaboooom!".

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slightly lower view:

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slightly from top:

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Edited by bushande
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The direct sun light produces nasty shadows but this way the clear CONA writing stands out from the flat surface and one can see the rainbow effect again. I don’t know if it is visible here but I tried to imitate the different consistencies of the colors applied on the original. They used flat and semi flat colors there as well as it seems, which kind of gives the surface some effect as if it would be “alive†under direct light.

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And finally ........ booooyyyyy I just like this perspective. I really have to paint her this way some time.

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Wow, Fantastic Rhino ! :clap2:

I don't know how you don't go "Bat-Crap-Crazy" doing these "busy" schemes but you sure have a knack for them ... :worship:

Excellent display too and like other's mentioned, props on the Slammer Launch ... :thumbsup2:

-Gregg

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Many thanks for the praise! Happy you enjoyed that one.

Hm ... kind of ironic, I was so occupied with getting that darned camo right that I absolutely forgot about properly documenting how I did the launch depiction.

But I want to do that again anyways. I'll see to posting some proper pics and a good description of how my approach.

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If that Slammer was to hit something, it was me for sure... I'm blown away!

It's obviously not easy to forget that camo for a second to appreciate the rest of the work you put into this baby, but in the end, the digi scheme somehow fades away a little considering the corrections you made to the kit, the gold CONA decals and that awesome canopy tinting. I'm begging, please tell us how you achieved it! :pray:

As for the loadout, that just makes it look meaner and I totally went for it, with a model looking this good, who cares if the real thing ever packed that much punch. Having a choice to display the model in its accurate configuration or loaded simply makes it better.

It's so good that we get to see models like this here!

Hats off man!

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Really nice work, and great job drawing/ making the decals (and upgrading/ scratchbuilding on the model itself)!!

I, too, would like to know how you did the incredibly realistic "missle launch" - I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that so well!

Niiiiice job on a really "impossible" paint scheme!

:cheers:

- Rob

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