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NASA 840/HAVRV early days


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So, continuing a bit of a fascination with early Hornets -

 

NASA's F/a-18A 840:

NASA_F-18A_Hornet_HARV_in_flight.jpg

 

(Linked from Wikimedia.) This is one of those "I have got to try this...." schemes. The problem is, of course, that I can't find anything about this on the other side - as well as little details. 

 

I'm seeming to recall reading (and I think this is backed up by the picture, though I really don't recall the source,) that when NASA requested an F-18 for this project, the Navy had already started cannibalizing this aircraft either for the rest of the test fleet or for other early F/A-18As. I know prototype #6 (160780) was used as a spin test machine (thus the orange instead of blue trim on the prototype,) and I'm assuming that's what that other logo on the tail is from. (The sort of figure-8 on the tail in the orange.)

 

Sooo... I'm looking for information -

- Anyone know of other pics of this aircraft like this? There are enough (as it is) of it in regular orange prototype status, and in its various black/white HARV schemes.

- Anyone know of a better shot of that spin test logo? The only other shot I see of it is in D&S - and that's a smaller photo. (Does show it on the other side, though.)

- No, I'm not planning on adding the pink test dye. I think I'll have color enough... though I'm trying to determine if the white on the upper wing (outside the insignia) is wear or test-related. I'm *assuming* test-related, but I don't know for sure.

- As a sort of side question, is there an actual timeline of prototype test fixes (LEX slots getting filled in, full span ailerons, tail and wing snags being filled/removed?) and/or which prototypes had what? I am guessing all the single-seaters have the initial full-length LEX slots (there's a picture in the old D&S Hornet part 1 that clearly shows the slots on #7,) but I'm fairly curious about which combinations of features were tested together at what time... and the best I seem to be able to run across are "Early in production" or "Later."

 

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Can't help with the NASA F/A-18 above but some of the ones that had slotted LERX's were later filled in as you said. I don't have a time line when they were filled in as I lost all my references last year when my hard drives got fried. As for BuNo's early on with the slotted LERX, 150775 and 150777 both had them and were single seat. 160781 was two seat with the slotted LERX. All those I listed had different paint schemes through the years.

 

If you are looking for kits in 1/48, the old Testors #581 has parts for both single and two seat versions with the slotted LERX. The old Monogram #5802-0201 is a single seat with the slotted LERX. Both kits have the white/blue/gold paint scheme. The photo below shows the Testors on top and the Monogram on the bottom. Monogram later released another single seat F/A-18 without the slotted LERX but still had the white/blue/gold paint scheme.

DSC_4340_zpsynwzez92.jpg

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F/A-18 ship #6 was delivered to NASA in Sept 1984 and was in pretty poor condition.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-01.jpg

 

Along with ship 6, they also received ship 1 to use for parts.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-02.jpg

 

Cockpit of ship 6 looked very much like a test aircraft.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-03.jpg

 

After years of hard work, they finally put it back together.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-04.jpg

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-05.jpg

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-06.jpg

 

Prior to its first flight as a NASA test aircraft in April 1987, new tail markings were added.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-07.jpg

 

NASA 840 flew in these markings for about 1 year before being repainted into the black scheme in April 1988.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-08.jpg

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-09.jpg

 

With the cockpit looking a bit better as well.

http://www.edwardsflighttest.com/pics/harv-10.jpg

 

Hope that helps.

 

Tony

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Those are *exactly* what I'm looking for! Thanks! Absolute godsend, Tony. 

 

And yeah, I've got two Testors kits, since I've already done the #1 with LEX slots, etc. from the old Monogram kit (had to add a nose probe.)

 

20130427_002534.jpg

 

(That white ont he wing edge of the gold stripe is reflected ligth... ti does actually go all the way 'round.)

 

One's got the full LEX slots - which is going to be the #3 bird, also has the short-span ailerons and leading edge dogtooth (#3, IIRC, was determined to be the only one that could be properly done "out of box" there,) and the second, later reboxing with filled in LEX, production wing (except for those short-span ailerons, which are basically some filling and scribing - believe I need to notch the end, too, actually) -

 

Since I need what'll look like an early-production A, it looked like my best bet. (Even with decals for cockpit controls... swiping a Hasegawa -A seat for the cockpit, I think. It'll be closed, so I'm not overly worried - though it looks like some modifications will still be needed for the timeframe.

 

I know the black/white HARV markings changed, as well (most noticably in front of the nose - there was an angle back from the LEX at one point,t hen that got filled in, then we had grey stripes - I'm assuming photographic alignment-type markings, as well as the actual modifications such as adding deployable strakes to the nose cone - but I need more kits (and time and and and... :D ) for that.

 

Thank you *very* much again!

Edited by egmccann
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