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Canadian f-18 - best kit to start from


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What is different with the Oleo's? I've looked and can see no real difference between the CF and F/A.

Also what extra parts are included in the 1/48 Hasegawa kit? I am quite familiar with these kits and see no added parts other than the substitution of tails, aside from that the kit's (A to C)are the same.

Curt

Has 1/48 FA-18A+

Has 1/48 F/A-18A/C

ARC CF-188

Link

CF-188-c-4.jpg

Link

FA-18A_162843_081.JPG

Edited by Netz
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The different oleo is on the main gear, not the nose. The nose gear is identical to the USN version, right down to the functional launch bar (until we disabled the hydraulic actuator, but kept the exterior structure).

Here is a Canadian oleo:

07a_zps904d7828.jpg

And here is the USN/USMC equivalent.

IMGP6012_zps48c262f3.jpg

ALF

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Thanks, what can I do with my 1/72 Hasegawa "Chippy Ho" kit?

Kit 768 and I think it has both oleos and both tails. It is

a C so can I do either Canadian A or C version? Not wanting

to confuse anyone but I am totally lost on Canadian Hornets

but definitely interested in building one.---John

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Thanks, what can I do with my 1/72 Hasegawa "Chippy Ho" kit?

Kit 768 and I think it has both oleos and both tails. It is

a C so can I do either Canadian A or C version? Not wanting

to confuse anyone but I am totally lost on Canadian Hornets

but definitely interested in building one.---John

A tails for all Canadian Hornets, the closest the Canadian Hornets ever got to being a C was the ex-CF-18B nose that was grafted onto a Finnish Hornet to make an almost-D (which then immediately crashed). You'll also need the spotlight for most Canadian Hornets.

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Thanks, what can I do with my 1/72 Hasegawa "Chippy Ho" kit?

Kit 768 and I think it has both oleos and both tails. It is

a C so can I do either Canadian A or C version? Not wanting

to confuse anyone but I am totally lost on Canadian Hornets

but definitely interested in building one.---John

In 1/72nd scale the MLG Shock would not make a difference, If you have the "A" Tails then use them and the Hasegawa 1/72nd scale kits do not have the IFF Bird Slicers on the nose if you were to build an upgrade Hornet. Your best bet is the Academy Export kit if you wanted a more accurate RCAF CF-18AM.

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Thanks, My options are the 1/72 Hasegawa or Academy 1/72 C model.

I don't have "Export" kit so I can steal A tails from Hasegawa?

Or modify Academy C tails, sand off extra bumps? I also think I

have a set or two extra Hornet tails in my spares box. I can't see spending

extra for minor problems I can scratch fix or swap with what I have,

bad case of "frugality" among other things. Thanks for the replies,

trying not to hi jack thread but it is very interesting. I am looking

into Leading Edge decals, maybe Gulf War era.---John

Edited by john53
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A tails for all Canadian Hornets, the closest the Canadian Hornets ever got to being a C was the ex-CF-18B nose that was grafted onto a Finnish Hornet to make an almost-D (which then immediately crashed). You'll also need the spotlight for most Canadian Hornets.

One of our A models had a C rear plug from Spain. This was the jet that the pilot ejected on take-off in England. I always forget the tail number but I think it was 757 or 767. When it was rebuilt it had a new rear end grafted to it in Spain and it had C tails.

Edited by Scooby
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Thanks, My options are the 1/72 Hasegawa or Academy 1/72 C model.

I don't have "Export" kit so I can steal A tails from Hasegawa?

Or modify Academy C tails, sand off extra bumps? I also think I

have a set or two extra Hornet tails in my spares box. I can't see spending

extra for minor problems I can scratch fix or swap with what I have,

bad case of "frugality" among other things. Thanks for the replies,

trying not to hi jack thread but it is very interesting. I am looking

into Leading Edge decals, maybe Gulf War era.---John

John if you don't mind the major details and you are going to do Gulf War than stick with the Hasegawa kit using the 'A' tails. The Light on the side of the aircraft was not always installed so you can get away with just using a decal for the plug. As always check your references. Your two best options for the Gulf War Would be Canuck Models Symmetrical Hornet Canuck Model Products or Leading Edge Hornet Sheet Leading Edge Models Both products are good it really comes down to price.

I think the only thing you would need to scratch build on the Hasegawa kit is the Tail braces..... the rest is pretty much OOB.

Personally I have both in my stash (kits and decals).

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John, just so you know the light was blanked out in conflicts. The light was removed and a circular brown tape was applied to the back of the plexi-glass opening. I can't say for sure this occurred during the Gulf War but it certainly occurred during the Balkans campaign. We didn't want out pilots accidently turning on the lights when they were bombing.

For AA/Q duty it is required to be installed.

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Thanks, My options are the 1/72 Hasegawa or Academy 1/72 C model.

I don't have "Export" kit so I can steal A tails from Hasegawa?

Or modify Academy C tails, sand off extra bumps? I also think I

have a set or two extra Hornet tails in my spares box. I can't see spending

extra for minor problems I can scratch fix or swap with what I have,

bad case of "frugality" among other things. Thanks for the replies,

trying not to hi jack thread but it is very interesting. I am looking

into Leading Edge decals, maybe Gulf War era.---John

If you're looking for Gulf War markings, my Symmetrical set offers those. This is the Academy kit in symmetrical markings (for 425sqn, but the package comes with the proper Gulf War markings).

[edit] the sidewiders should be grey for this time period, but I prefer the look of the white ones, so that's what I went with :)

333546_141270919349574_1371107314_o.jpg

www.canuckmodels.com

thanks

David

Edited by RiderFan
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I didn't realize Guns was flying 718, I have a shot of the intercept. 718 is an old tired jet and wasn't upgraded. It was scheduled for storage but was pulled back when the q-jet shortage was realized.

Guns no longer flys Hornets.

Your right Guns (aka "CHIP")is off of the Hornet and is now an instructor

on the Hawk with 419

This is a crop of a photo taken by the lead-

718_Bear_intercepts.jpg

My Model again this time "in flight"-

Hornet008s.jpg

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If you're looking for Gulf War markings, my Symmetrical set offers those. This is the Academy kit in symmetrical markings (for 425sqn, but the package comes with the proper Gulf War markings).

[edit] the sidewiders should be grey for this time period, but I prefer the look of the white ones, so that's what I went with :)/>/>

www.canuckmodels.com

thanks

David

Dave your Hornet decals rock!

Now can we please have them for the CF-188 Hornet in 1/144 scale?

I am well aware that it would be difficult to justify doing these with

all of the numbers that are on your existing sheets however a very nice

set of Canadian Hornets could be done by printing a single sheet with

numbers for 5 different Hornets. I suggest 5 as if you used the numbers

for aircraft 188901/923 for the twin and 188745/767/789 for the single

seat Hornets. Anyone could use these straight off the shelf and be happy

with them and for those of us who needed a specific aircraft covered then

two sets of decals and a sharp blade would give a person any Hornet that

has been in CAF/RCAF.

The Revell Hornet is a nice little kit as but there are no standard CAF/RCAF

decals for it in 1/144 scale worth buying. I have four others Revell Hornets

that are built and painted awaiting decals so that’s 5 (or 6 – in this scale

I can make mistakes!) sets sold already!

Note the additional Hornet pilots await their ride!

RevellHornet.jpg

Please don’t anyone mention Canmilair decals to me I made the mistake of

ordering decals from them and the print/colour quality leaves a WHOLE LOT

to be desired - sorry I mean they leave EVERYTHING to be desired.!

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One of our A models had a C rear plug from Spain. This was the jet that the pilot ejected on take-off in England. I always forget the tail number but I think it was 757 or 767. When it was rebuilt it had a new rear end grafted to it in Spain and it had C tails.

I think you're thinking of 761 here, which has a C nose originally intended for one of the Spanish Hornets, among other replacement parts when it was rebuilt in Germany by DASA and MBB. It was still wearing A tails when it was the Colour Bird for 409 Squadron's reactivation.

Edited by mawz
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Thanks to all for the help. The Hasegawa is slated for a U.S.

bird so I guess I am doing my Academy 1/72 "C" as an CF-18AM.

It has the bird slicers so I guess I have to sand off the extra

bumps to make an A tail, no tails in my spares box. :( Then I need

upgrades, antennas, searchlight and GPS dome. I will pick up another

Hasegawa A in the near future to use as my Gulf War project. Thanks

again for the help, a most interesting read.----John

Edited by john53
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This is great! I think I helped out a few modelers with my question. Thanks everyone for the inputs!

So here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to start with the 1/48 scale hasegawa f-18c kit, I looked and it does have both sets of oleos for the MLG, however I only have one set of tails and I assume they are for the c model hornet. I might try to fix those, but I'll probably talk to Curt first. I also ordered the Wolfpack cf-18 update set. I'll probably scratch build the searchlight if the aircraft I am building has it. I also have the LEM decals on the way. Load out for Op Mobile bird will probably be 2 aim-9s, an AMRAAM on the hip, 3 tanks and 2 GBU-10s and of course the sniper pod.

Not sure when the build will start, defiantly after the f-16 and f-4 I'm working on right now, but maybe concurrent with the f-18d I have slated for later this year. Stay tuned and thanks again for all the help!

Mike

Edited by Skinny_Mike
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If your doing an Op Mobile bird then the searchlight will be removed and the hole covered up. What I would do is scribe a circle where the searchlight is and paint the same colour as the rest of the jet, but check references to judge how you might want to tackle that.

Denis

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Hi,

There is a fairly common photo showing a CF-188 returning from a sortie during Op Mobile, going through it's water wash, and the search/ID light is still there.

Brad

If your doing an Op Mobile bird then the searchlight will be removed and the hole covered up. What I would do is scribe a circle where the searchlight is and paint the same colour as the rest of the jet, but check references to judge how you might want to tackle that.

Denis

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Do you have a link?

I suspect this picture you are talking about is from when the jets of 425 Sqn arrived at Trapani. It is possible that the first sortie or two had the light since the jets from 425 that originally went over for Op Mobile were slated for the Iceland NATO Air Policing Op and might have still had the lights in place since that was a NORAD-like mission. I remember the rapidity of when the jets left here for Trapani, the next week I went to Iceland to control jets from 409 Sqn.

Denis

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Hi,

There is a fairly common photo showing a CF-188 returning from a sortie during Op Mobile, going through it's water wash, and the search/ID light is still there.

Brad

Hi Brad,

That doesn't mean the light is there. The outer plexiglass always remained. Normally the inside was taped over with a brown mask. The housing on the inside was removed.

I know they didn't fly with them in the Balkans as I removed them. It was SOP in conflict.

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If your doing an Op Mobile bird then the searchlight will be removed and the hole covered up. What I would do is scribe a circle where the searchlight is and paint the same colour as the rest of the jet, but check references to judge how you might want to tackle that.

Denis

The hinged door still remained with the plexiglass. The plexiglass was covered from the inside and was a pale tan color.

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I think you're thinking of 761 here, which has a C nose originally intended for one of the Spanish Hornets, among other replacement parts when it was rebuilt in Germany by DASA and MBB. It was still wearing A tails when it was the Colour Bird for 409 Squadron's reactivation.

Correct, I've had it backwards for years.

I was in 409 for the re-activation.

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