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1/48th F/A-18C Aggressor


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My current project, a VFC-12 F/A-18C Aggressor schemed Hornet.

Here's the kit, and the aftermarket for the build

Hornetproject_zpsbaec9d06.jpg

P26 Hasegawa F/A-18C

Wolfpack F/A-18 Update set

Royal resin wheels

Fightertown Blue bandits VFC-12 Ambush decals

Edited by ShaunBD
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I started work on the cockpit area.

I'm using the Wolfpack SJU-17 seat for this build (with my jet being a late production "C"), this looks real good with the molded seat belt detail.

The Hasegawa kit side walls have no detail but the real aircraft has a few items located around this area. I spent a little time adding some plastic card items to busy up the side walls but I'm planning a closed cockpit so 100% accuracy is not needed but the area looks a lot better for it.

A pic of the unpainted pit.

hornetcockpitunpainted_zps51012424.jpg

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With the cockpit now painted work has now started on joining the rear fuselage pieces together, check in later for an update on my approach to a tricky area of this kit.

Shaun.

Edited by ShaunBD
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Not 100% sure yet, I was going to build 07 but there a small problem that the decals don't provide a split colour star and bar for the port fuselage.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7380161

I could do the repainted 06 by cutting up the serial numbers from the light blue items on the decal sheet to get the correct tail numbers?

Shaun

Edited by ShaunBD
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Here we go and I hope this makes sense and helps other builders,But I think this is a great way to join the rear side fuselage pieces.

Take your time and a nice neat join can be achieved with very little clean up required.

Tools required are the excellent Berna clamp, super glue and Tamiya extra thin liquid glue.

Step 1

Check and dry fit side pieces against the area to the rear of the undercarriage bays, apply small dabs of super glue along joint to get a hold. Once this has set use the berna clamp to hold the side pieces tight while applying Tamiya liquid glue to the inside of the fuselage along the long joint(do not let glue run up the vertical joint) allow to set.Leave the area near the intakes clean from glue at the moment

fusejoin_zpse5e5c3da.jpg

Step 2

Once the above stage has dried, you can add two rods of scrap sprue to the inside of the fuselage to strengthen the seam/joint. Next to tackle the vertical joint on the fuselage sides. Cut a small section of plastic card to fit along the inside of the joint. Again using the super glue, stick this piece of card to the inside faces while aligning the vertical join, the super glue will set quite fast so plan your alignment before committing to glue.Once happy with the set joint apply Tamiya thin on the inside of the joint seam and allow to dry.

fusejoin2_zpsb043821e.jpg

Step 3

Once this has dried you can do a similar approach to the join near the intakes.

You may find this process has resulted in the lower fuselage to become pinched slightly and won't align with the upper fuselage section.

Again using a pieces of scrap sprue, you can force the lower fuselage component outwards to the correct width to allow a neat join with the upper wing fuselage section. This process/method has resulted in a very tidy/clean rear fuselage area which requires almost no sanding or rescribing

fusejoin3_zpsabde6a55.jpg

Hope this helps Folks

Shaun.

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Wow, another aggressor! :woot.gif:/>

Those camo are spectacular, I also I have just finished one and I must say it has given me great satisfaction, I will follow with great pleasure! :thumbsup:/>

F-18CAGGRESSOR1078.jpg

F-18CAGGRESSOR1077.jpg

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Wow, another aggressor! :woot.gif:/>/>

Those camo are spectacular, I also I have just finished one and I must say it has given me great satisfaction, I will follow with great pleasure! :thumbsup:/>/>

F-18CAGGRESSOR1077.jpg

Very nice!!, that looks great.

Hope my effort looks that good, any tips on your build?

Shaun.

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Looking like a Hornet now.

The nose cone was replaced with the Wolfpack update set item.

This is a nice casting, it has the IFF bird slicers molded on and the IFR probe is open.

The side vents have been filled to represent the newer mesh type and are replaced by a neat set of decals

Airframebuilt_zps4eaf1fdf.jpg

GPSdome_zps859060af.jpg

I've also filled the LEX vents(green dots), these will also be replaced by decals from the Wolfpack set. You can see the GPS dome has been added to the spine.

Now time to work on the fiddly bits like the undercarriage and tackle the flaps

Shaun.

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You had me concerned for a minute that we missed something but we did 07 from the 2007-2009 timeframe. Your picture is 2012. If you're doing 07 from 2012, all of the names will be different, the buno font is different and looks like they repainted the jet sometime between the 4 years... I can send you a spare light blue star if you want to do it that way.

VFC-12landing2_zps17b8f020.jpg

leftfuselage07x_zps6875dc73.jpg

-brian

Not 100% sure yet, I was going to build 07 but there a small problem that the decals don't provide a split colour star and bar for the port fuselage.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7380161

I could do the repainted 06 by cutting up the serial numbers from the light blue items on the decal sheet to get the correct tail numbers?

Shaun

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You had me concerned for a minute that we missed something but we did 07 from the 2007-2009 timeframe. Your picture is 2012. If you're doing 07 from 2012, all of the names will be different, the buno font is different and looks like they repainted the jet sometime between the 4 years... I can send you a spare light blue star if you want to do it that way.

VFC-12landing2_zps17b8f020.jpg

-brian

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the reply. I was in no way knocking your excellent work but that was the only photo's I could find of 07, so I presumed it had allways be painted that way. Thanks for the offer of the spare star(be easier to paint/decal the solid star anyway) but now I know your decals are correct for the time frame I'm happy to build it as it appeared 2007-2009.

If you have any more ref shots, I would be very greatfull if you could send them?

Cheers

Shaun.

Edited by ShaunBD
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Happy to help. I've got a good 50+ shots...

Will try and upload them on photobucket this week

-brian

Cheers, it would be great to have a walk round of the jet

Do you want my e-mail and send a file?

Shaun.

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Spent the week getting the hi lift devices sorted out on my build.

The Hasegawa kit provided a great set of dropped surfaces, but they are not 100% accurate. My AMS had kicked in, so I've tried to resolve a few small issues.

The leading edge flaps on the real jet hinge downwards but on the kit when you set them down, it leaves a gap along the hinge area.

To fix this problem I filled the slot. By using Vallejo water based putty you can just wipe away the excess with a cotton bud and leave the surfaces detail undamaged. If you use tape to protect the surrounding area it also saves a lot of clean up.

fillingslat_zps1003892e.jpg

filledleadingedge_zps606aef88.jpg

Next to tackle the massive trailing edge flaps. The kit provides the flaps dropped to the the half flap setting, when Hornets park most aircraft display the flaps deployed to full droop.

To achieve this I bent the flap hinges once they had set to the lower setting, this sounds a lot easier than it was!!! but I'm happy with the results.

fulllflap_zps76d5750e.jpg

All most time to get some primer on the model and see how the construction looks

Shaun

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Looking great! I'd swear I already posted this but here it is again -

A reference gallery for VFC-12 Ambush. Lots of the shots are from Glen Childres and the squadron. (Now I know for sure that I posted this because I've typed this before...)

http://s106.photobucket.com/user/renegades24/library/VFC-12%20Ambush?sort=3&page=1

HTH

brian

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Looking great! I'd swear I already posted this but here it is again -

A reference gallery for VFC-12 Ambush. Lots of the shots are from Glen Childres and the squadron. (Now I know for sure that I posted this because I've typed this before...)

http://s106.photobucket.com/user/renegades24/library/VFC-12%20Ambush?sort=3&page=1

HTH

brian

Many thanks Brian, they will be a great help.

I also had the disappearing post syndrome, The photo's of the work on the flap disappeared so I added it again.

Quick question, It appears that they have over painted the antislip LERX areas with the camo paint, whats the best way to represent this?

Shaun.

Edited by ShaunBD
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Maybe dust it with some gray pastels at the end?...

You may want to add a layer of Mr Surfacer/putty in the shape of the walkways before painting to get the texture.

I was thinking of applying the kits walk way decals as a guide to later dusting/weathering the area.

Shaun

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Time for a small update-Although progress looks slow I've been doing a lot of small work!

filledpinmarks_zpse6250df8.jpg

The kits undercarriage doors have numerous ejection pin marks on their inside faces, so out with the filler and sandpaper

I've also spruced up the kit PE part for the front wheel bay by adding some small plastic card blocks and adding larger wire on the PE part. You can also see the Wolfpack front bulkhead part which covers what would be a seam if the kits parts were used

Pylonandbuckets_zpsc3584997.jpg

Intake area has now also been cleaned up and rescribed. Flare buckets have been added and the center line pylon has been reshaped to the swept style found on later Hornets

Getting closer to priming now

Shaun

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