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Hasegawa F/A-18D VMFA(AW)-225


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Hey everyone! Just posted this over at the Display Case, but then realized we're not allowed to critique there, so I bumped it over here. It's been a long time since I've been active on any forums, but I've gotten back into the game lately and figured I'd share my latest work, Hasegawa's 'D' model legacy Hornet. It's finished with decals from Twobobs' and weapons stolen from an old Tamiya F-16 build. I won't post all the pictures here, but if you're interested in the WIP photos and the full finished build album, it can be found here.

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IMG_2752-L.jpg

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I appreciate all your comments and critiques, it's the only way to get better. Thanks for looking!

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Welcome nicely11b,

If this is your first build, after being away from the hobby for a while, I'd say you haven't lost anything, looks really good. Remember seeing this jet everyday at Al Jaber AB in Kuwait 2003 during "OIF."

Steve

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Welcome nicely11b,

If this is your first build, after being away from the hobby for a while, I'd say you haven't lost anything, looks really good. Remember seeing this jet everyday at Al Jaber AB in Kuwait 2003 during "OIF."

Steve

Thanks, Steve. This was pretty much my third kit after really getting back into last year.

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A very therapeutic Hornet indeed! As we're in the 'Critique' forum, I'm gonna query the L-brackets on the insides of the vertical tails -Hasegawa instructions would have you put these on everything including your breakfast cereal; I think they're just for A & B models. This is a stunning build, nevertheless. :thumbsup:

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A very therapeutic Hornet indeed! As we're in the 'Critique' forum, I'm gonna query the L-brackets on the insides of the vertical tails -Hasegawa instructions would have you put these on everything including your breakfast cereal; I think they're just for A & B models. This is a stunning build, nevertheless. :thumbsup:/>

That's quite possible. They're on wrong anyway, they're set too far in and not flush with the vert. stabilizer. Thanks!

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Holy cow! That looks nice.

My critique would be of the weathering. It looks very good, but on top of the wings it looks a little bit like Luftwaffe mottling from the North Africa Theater. It's really good looking, but in this picture it looks a little unnatural:

IMG_2752-L.jpg

I couldn't see myself doing it any better, but for the sake of being critical that's would I'd point out.

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  • 2 months later...

Excellent looking build!!!

1) The blade aerial UHF/VHF antenna aft of the cockpit on the "turtleback" should be at the swept angle.

2) There should also be a GPS dome antenna to the rear of the above mentioned blade aerial antenna.

3) I can't really see it well in your pics, but there should be a large AN/ALQ-126 ECM antenna bulge on the nose landing gear rear drag brace door that is unique to the the F/A-18D & another swept blade aerial antenna on the starboard side just forward of that door.

4) The ejection seats should be SJU-17 NACES beginning with Lot 13 F/A-18D Buno 164196.

5) I don't have that TwoBobs decal sheet that you've used, but check your references for the APX-113 CIT 5 blade "bird slicer" antennas on the nose forward of the windscreen beginning with F/A-18A+, ++, C & D BuNo 165222 through 165532 & for the AN/ALE-47 dual chaff/flare buckets on the main landing gear doors beginning with BuNo 165171.

6) As already mentioned by other modelers, this bird doesn't have external tail stiffeners. The F/A-18D starting with BuNo 163700 has internal tail stiffeners.

7) The horizontal stabs should be in the drooped position when the aircraft is parked, shut down & no hydraulic power is applied.

8) Forward portion of centerline stores pylon should be angled.

9) Vents on underside of nose should be mesh textured or decaled (in 48th scale anyway).

10) The radars liquid cooling exhaust vents on the port LEX beginning with F/A-18C BuNo 163985 (Lot 12) should be the "Herringbone" shape & not the earlier lattice shape.

11) No AN/ALQ-126 ECM antennas on the bottom, forward portion of the intakes.

Hope this helps...you still have an OUTSTANDING looking Hornet there!!! Congrats!!!

Masterguns

Edited by Gunny
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I likes it, well done.

Now to some points;

1 LEX lights are missing on both sides, green and red on the appropiate sides.

2 The grease on the wings...maybe a bit much for me, just an indication the ground crew was a little to happy on the grease gun, so it could happen. And I have never seen grease come out of a fuel panel...the oval center wing panel.

3 The Horz stabs should be angled down...but there are instances where one has stayed up due to a bad bearing inside of the Horz stab.

Edited by AlienFrogModeller
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I likes it, well done.

Now to some points;

1 LEX lights are missing on both sides, green and red on the appropiate sides.

2 The grease on the wings...maybe a bit much for me, just an indication the ground crew was a little to happy on the grease gun, so it could happen. And I have never seen grease come out of a fuel panel...the oval center wing panel.

3 The Horz stabs should be angled down...but there are instances where one has stayed up due to a bad bearing inside of the Horz stab.

I would say it's pretty realistic...

DSC_0602.jpg

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True...but it still doesnt come out of the fuel panel...I would be choking my crew out if they let it go flying like that. And I did say it happens.

It's an operational aircraft not the Blue Angels ;)

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You'd be very surprised how much effort the jarheads put into keeping the jets looking clean. We know it's redundant and sometimes it seems a bit silly for a combat bird, but they bust their asses to scrub, scrub, scrub. Everything Marines learn about cleanliness and keeping a professional presentation gets carried over to the aircraft.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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