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F/A-18F "VFA-122" in 1/72


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My second contribution to this GB will be the brown-camoed F/A-18F "101" of VFA-122.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/3/0/8/1637803.jpg

I will use the Revell-kit, and for the markings Lancer512 promised to do some custom-made stencils so I can paint the markings on. We will see how that works...

This is the kit I´m going to use:

IMG_5147_zpse72a6221.jpg

Since VFA-122 is a training squadron, what possible loadouts could go to the wings?

HAJO

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Slow progress this time (weekend out of town, a business meeting on an evening, a flightsimulator-session)...

Painted the cockpit and attached the decals, gave the MFDs some life by painting them with clear green.

IMG_5153_zps743dd8cd.jpg

Installing the two cockpit-sessions into the fuselage was a bit tricky, as they kept interfering a bit.

IMG_5152_zps85237329.jpg

HAJO

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Went to my LHS today and bought a couple of Revells Aqua-color colors. Then added them to my "brown list" and checked which colors match closest to the brown Super Hornet.

Came up with this:

IMG_5156mark_zpse1790c38.jpg

Revells 17 and two mixed ones (based on Revell 84 and a very bright Sand 16) will be the colors I´m going to use. Maybe I will change them a little bit by toning them darker or brighter, but now I have a fairly good idea what I will be brushing.

HAJO

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Thank you, since I have to use the colors I have at home (can´t spend a fortune on modelling items), I have to replicate the colors with what I got using eyeball MK.1. But for others it will surely help!

I have also dug out my Fightertown spare decals for the "Iraqi Hornets" and will see if the stencil decals will fit into the scheme.

HAJO

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Sorry for the pause, but I was partially busy with other stuff, but also did some good work on the Hornet.

Here we can see the model with nearly all parts glued on:

IMG_5159_zps13604b28.jpg

A quick jump forward, I put on the first coat of paint with a mixture I can´t remember with which colors...

IMG_5160_zps0234e063.jpg

As usually it´s hard to make it out with my crappy camera.

IMG_5161_zpse8ca650c.jpg

HAJO

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I´m thinking about the loadout for this Hornet. Would it make sense to have a MER (for practice bombs) on one side and a LAU-68 on the other side?

HAJO

No, it wouldn't. Super Hornets are not, to the best of my knowledge, authorized to use any rocket pods.

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Thnaks a lot! If your method doesn´t work out, I may go by simply printing the markings on paper, put it on Tamiya-tape and use it as pattern to cut out the markings with a sharp knife.

Does the draft you sent me some weeks ago is in the corrrect size already?

HAJO

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Does the draft you sent me some weeks ago is in the correct size already?

No, this was just a screenshot of the CAD file imported into the cutting software. It was still a notch too large when the problems appeared. I could make a pdf and adjust it to match the Revell Kit, tough.

I'll give it another try today, and hopefully will have something I can send you in a letter.

Edit: Does this look about right?

VFA-122_ARC.jpg

Edited by Lancer512
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I seated the pilots yesterday evening:

IMG_5173_zps90dfa1c0.jpg

Today in my mail:

The self-cut stencils made by Lancer512! :)

IMG_5174_zps16c0d552.jpg

Lots of spares to f***-up at least one or two...

Problem was, though, that the cutter already ripped of some of the stencils during the cutting process. Lancer had warned me about that, but it still looks manageable.

IMG_5176_zpsf1b459d1.jpg

Also, I won´t use a couple of these decals. For the Stars`n`bars and the "Jet Intake" I have spares from a Fightertown Decal-set for NSAWC-Hornets, and the Eagle-Head will simply missing. I don´t feel like doing THAT to me...

And the result after one hour of careful applying, cutting and zipping off:

IMG_5177_zpsc4614f2c.jpg

IMG_5178_zps778dda6c.jpg

I made a small test-bed, applied a coat of clear over the decal and then the final color. As soon as this test shows decent results I will start doing it on the real thing.

HAJO

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I'm glad they arrived so fast. Yes, cutting the small details was a challenge, as I've reached my cutter's limits. I am still not satisfied with delivering something like that, but in the end it's only the result that counts! For my little 1/144 scale F-16C, I guess I've cut about 20 times the tailcode knowing I am going to use only a couple of them on the model.

Dude, I can't wait to see how it turns out!

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To be honest, I prefer decals, but the painted-on markings are great if you don´t have any decals! I will post pictures as soon as I have the decals attached, the advantage of the painted markings is that they match the color perfectly - we will have to see how the decals perform in this aspect.

HAJO

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Decals are on!

It´s not brilliant, but they still look ok. Of course the color was a bit off, especially for the decals that were meant to match the sand-tone.

IMG_5189_zps53ec74d6.jpg

IMG_5190_zps9f6d731b.jpg

With flash:

IMG_5191_zps420b496d.jpg

IMG_5192_zpsfa0e4642.jpg

Without flash:

IMG_5193_zpsf149ea73.jpg

Close-up of the different colors:

IMG_5202_zps4682bf36.jpg

And a short look at my LGTR that I scratched myself. Used an old Sidewinder for the main body, mated with the seeker section of a GBU-10.

IMG_5204_zps0d812021.jpg

HAJO

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