anj4de Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Hello all Today I received a very old Italieri kit of the F-18 Hornet in 1/48...kit No. 809. It was super cheap since all parts are already off the tress and the box is ugly. The decals I think are not usable any more. What makes it interesting is the fact that it has the early wings with the teeth and also the open Lex still. It could be build as bird 3 and 7, both in their factory paint sceme. Now my question...these very early config birds, was there ever a plane that already had a "fleet like" paint sceme? How long were those features used? I am not the biggest fan of prototype scemes and hence would like to have something "darker" in stead. Also, what happend to the prototypes, are there any preserved until today? thanks Uwe PS: This will be an in flight model since the wheel bay covers fit nicely! :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hegedus Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 (edited) The dogtooth leading edge, snag in the stab, and exended slots between the LEX and the fuselage were gone by the time the test program was done. I don't believe there were any jets that had the tactical scheme applied that still had the FSD features. If you want a gray Hornet, you must make the production updates. There may be one of the original FSD Hornets on display at China Lake, but I doubt that it was reconfigured back to the original configuration. Edited January 14, 2017 by Joe Hegedus Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vidar_710 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 None of the YF-18's were painted TPS. There were: Blue - Gold - White, Blue - White, Red - White, and Orange - White airframes. The schemes varied slightly, other than the color differences. Tracy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird3a Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 In the first D & S book on the F-18, there is a couple of pics of TF-18 #2. It is in the gray scheme, and you can tell it has open LEX slots and the dogtooth LE. It did crash in Sep '80. Hornet #9 was also painted in the Gray scheme, but I have no pics of it. HTH, Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anj4de Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Hello Tony Great news...will have to start digging for details! thanks Uwe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) I have a book with a photo of 160785 (Hornet #9) in TPS grays. It is a profile shot and hard to tell for sure but the jet does not appear to have dogtooth LE or LEX slots. The jet has no FSD markings, just TPS gray and a blank tail. edit: found more photos in a very old Koku Fan Illustrated (#6), it has photos of the FSD jets only, I think it was published before any production jets were delivered. There are color photos of FSD 9 in TPS gray, there are no LEX slots or dogteeth in these photos. Edited January 15, 2017 by habu2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anj4de Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Hello again I did some diggging meanwhile and what the sources I found so far say ist that Hornet No.8 was the last with the open LEX. The only picture I found of No.9 is the one below...where the details in question are not visible. What is visible though is the older, longer Sparrow rail that reaches all the way to the air intake. cheers Uwe Need to check my basement I guess...I have quite a few Koku Fans from the time of my youth ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 You will find photos of the FSD airframes both with and without LEX slots and dogteeth. The changes were made and tested in the development program (thus the D in FSD) By the time the first production jet rolled down the line it had both changes incorporated. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anj4de Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Another one of 16785...no open LEX and no teeth...:-( cheers Uwe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 21 hours ago, anj4de said: Also, what happend to the prototypes, are there any preserved until today? look here: http://fa-18.wikia.com/wiki/FA-18_BUNOs_Wiki Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird3a Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 7 hours ago, anj4de said: Another one of 16785...no open LEX and no teeth...:-( cheers Uwe Look closely, I see open LEX slots and a dogtooth. Standard stab though. Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 In b&w but grey schemes: http://postimg.org/gallery/8abafff8/ I took some pics of an early F/A-18 that was at the Abbotsford airshow back in the very early 80's, i'll see if i can find them. Jari Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anj4de Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 WOW...this is great! All early features on a single seater in gray, just what I want. The elevators I understand were the first changes they made since they suffered from unsatisfacturing effect on take off and landing. So far the Italerie kit (Testors?) is not too bad. Fit is a lot better then on later ex Monogram, Revell Hornets. The cockpit is non existing but this can be addresed. Since I will display mine in flight I will beef up the kit pit a bit and just put in the seat and pilot of a Monogram bird. Wheel well covers fit quite ok in this kit. thanks Uwe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I looked for the pics i took but they are nowhere to be found but as expected others were at the Airshow with cameras so a bit of searching found this: not hard to tell the Lex was open. Jari Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anj4de Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 Quote Hi Finn Wow...thats a total surprise! This bird is actually not a pre-production bird but 161214 from Lot 3 ! This subject is getting better and better...since I think the comman belief so far was that only the FSD planes had the open LEX and that not even through out their whole life/test period! Will do some more research on 161214! thanks Uwe PS: I like the red flight helmet ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tosouthern66 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Hole Smokes! I can't believe I had forgotten about the open LEX and the leading edge teeth. I worked on the A's with VFA-151 and we had the standard production air craft, No Teeth and no open slots in the LEX. After reading this thread it jogged my memory and I remember building an old Revell kit that had them. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I worked on the fourth jet, it is now in Camp Borden as a training aid and now carries Canadian low viz colors. We used it for Air Weapons training when I completed my conversion course in 1999. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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