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Kinetic CF-18 Hornet - DONE! - New Photos - 27 Nov


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I won't be starting this until I finish my current project but here's a few photos of what's in the box.

 

Variants you can build with kit decals

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Individually bagged sprues and a small PE fret

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Instructions with Ammo of Mig colour call outs.  Other mfgrs listed further on in the instructions for cross reference.

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Kit decals printed by Cartograph, including stripes for bombs and lots of stenciling for sniper pod, etc.

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I may use these instead but I'm not sure.  I'll see how the missile decals work out and then decide.

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Mike

Edited by AX 365
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Thanks CM.

 

Going to try my hand at some weathering on this one.  ALF has provided some tips on how he weathers his Hornets so I'll try those mixed in with some traditional weathering techniques.  We'll see what we end up with.

 

Mike

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Interested to see how this one goes, have the kit to do as an RAAF version.

 

How are the colours for the Canadian markings? Kinetic botched the colours for the unit markings on the RAAF variants.

Edited by Trojan Thunder
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/3/2017 at 9:54 AM, Neo said:

So Mike no F-86 what the catch ?

 

Missed you and ALF at Bagotville 

Sorry we missed you too.  Great show, except for the bit of rain.  The F-22 display was awesome.  I was going to do a Sabre but I picked these up from ALF when I was up there so I figured I better build one.  Besides, phantom has built three of them.  Maybe when I finish this one...

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On 7/3/2017 at 8:45 PM, Trojan Thunder said:

Interested to see how this one goes, have the kit to do as an RAAF version.

 

How are the colours for the Canadian markings? Kinetic botched the colours for the unit markings on the RAAF variants.

Ray,

 

They look pretty good to me.  Not sure if they're 100% spot on but close enough for jazz.  I think I'll do this one out of the box, decals and all just ti see what everything is like.  Good luck with your build.

 

Mike

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Okay.  I've started building.  Beginning with the cockpit tub first, of course.  As you can build an 'A' or 'B' model, it has a dual tub with a blanking plate for the 'A' model.  I'm building an 'A'.

 

Construction of the tub is pretty straightforward and turn out nicely.  A resin seat really is the way to go if you want added depth and realism.

 

When building either 'A' or 'B', add the rudder pedals (H15) before the instrument panel (h29).  Instructions are vague.

 

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A resin seat is the way to go.  Thee is a PE harness included, but only one.  If you build a 'B' then one seat won't have a harness.  The instructions also omits the addition of said harness.  In the first photo, you see a seat without harness.  In #2, it has a harness.  Nowhere in the instructions does it say when or where to add the harness.  Also, paint call outs are for Ammo of Mig. WTF?!  To maintain my sanity, as I get to each new step, I write the colours on the instructions.

 

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The tub is painted FS 35231 and the seat and blanking plate are flat black.  Seat cushion is khaki drab.  All dry brushed with light grey.  Switches and knobs are picked out with a tooth pick.  I used prismatic foil on the display glass.  I like the effect.

 

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Thanks for looking.

 

Mike

Edited by AX 365
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On 7/20/2017 at 10:38 PM, CorsairMan said:

funny that there is a whole other cockpit back there... and its just covered!

 

One day I will take on a teen fighter.....

 

On 7/20/2017 at 9:47 PM, phantom said:

That does look good.

 

On 7/20/2017 at 8:26 PM, ALF18 said:

Looking really nice, my friend. I also love the look of the foil on the displays.

ALF

 

On 7/20/2017 at 8:04 PM, Trojan Thunder said:

Nice start Mike, pity about the colour call outs. The detail in your pit looks great.

 

Ray, ALF, phantom and CM...thanks guys.  Kinetic's instructions leave much to be desired.  The fit of some parts is quite good and others have small gaps.  Other directions are just plain wrong.  As for the covering of the rear cockpit, Hasegawa does the same thing.  I didn't install any of the parts into the rear tub. 

 

I have made a bit more progress.  I've glued in the main gear bays.  It's a one piece assembly.  I'll paint and detail later.  The intake trunks rest on top of the gear wells.

 

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You can build the kit with the refuelling probe extended or retracted.  I'm building this one buttoned up.  The instructions tell you to glue the door (H6) to the probe well (H7) and then glue the well into the top of the right front fuselage half (C14).  Nice, but it won't fit.  To display with the door closed, simply glue H6 to the appropriate area in C14.

 

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One nice thing about this kit is that it comes with a separate CF-18 left front nose part.  No drilling out holes for the searchlight.  Very nice.

 

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In the instruction page photo above, part H21 is the front nose gear well bulkhead.  This is the only mention of this piece in the instructions.  There is a photo etch piece that goes on it.  Again, nowhere in the instructions does it say anything about adding this PE part.

 

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Finally, there's nothing in the instructions to tell you to add any weight to prevent it from being a tail sitter.  I've added a bunch of steel fishing weights to the nose (attached with CA glue).  I have never had a problem with adding weight in this manner as I avoid lead weights.

 

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Thanks for looking.  As usual, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome.

 

Mike

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Ray...Emvar...thanks for checking in.

 

As posted above, I noted that there was no mention of a particular piece of PE going onto part H31.  Good reason for that is because it doesn't go there.  Don't I feel like a mule's behind.  Fortunately, I only attached the piece of PE with Future or Pledge Multi Care Floor Finish or whatever the heck that stuff is called now.  It came off very easily.  I found out where it goes in the front nose gear bay.  It goes here:

 

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There's another large piece of PE that goes on the flat area at the rear of the bay.  There's no mention of that in the instructions either.

 

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The exhaust nozzles don't look too bad once you get them painted up and installed.  A neat feature is that tabs on the horizontal stabs fit into a slot in the exhaust part.  It should prove a nice sturdy point of attachment.

 

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The instructions have you glue the intake trunks into the fuselage before assembling the intakes mouth and splitters, etc.  Don't do it this way.  Install the assembled opening, splitters, etc to the fuselage and then glue the trunks in place.  You'll be ablt to line up the trunks much better.  The trunks are passable but there is a noticeable seam.  If someone does and AM set of seamless trunks...

 

As per instructions, you see the parts don't line up well:

 

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Attaching trunks after assembling outer parts.  Still a bit of work to be done:

 

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More in next post.

 

Mike

Edited by AX 365
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The cockpit tub fits nicely into place.  The seat is glued in as I'm finishing the model with the canopy closed.

 

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I'm not a big fan of the way Kinetic has designed the upper and lower fuselage join around the cockpit area.  Gaps galore.  Me holding the parts together:

 

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Now glued in place.  The rear fuselage join is quite good.  The front; not so good.  Some work will be required.

 

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There's also a gap underneath that needs to be filled.

 

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The undersides of the wings glue to the top of the wing / fuselage piece quite well.  Be aware that part A9 is mislabeled as A6 .  I'm not aware of any other errors like this but this is as far as I've gotten.

 

36402089605_281b1ff564_c.jpg

 

Thanks for looking folks.  As usual, comments and constructive criticism is always welcome.

 

Mike

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Thanks guys.  I have made more progress but no photos yet.  They're still on the camera which is in the model room.  There was a bit of putty used around the gaps and steps but for the big gap around the refuelling probe door, I applied gap filling CA glue and then applied a bit of putty over it after it had cured.  There were multiple filling / sanding / nail polish remover soaked Q-Tip sessions but the putty seems to be quite level.  A bit of primer will tell me if more work needs to be done.

 

As previously noted, I'm doing this one buttoned up; refuelling probe closed, canopy closed, flaps up, speed brake door closed, wings not folded, etc.  That lends a few challenges but nothing that can't be overcome.

 

Now would be the time to eat some crow.  I'll have mine BBQ'd please.  The reason I couldn't find anything about the PE stuff in the nose wheel bay early in the instructions is because it's buried in the nose wheel gear / bay assembly section.  Again, because I had only attached the PE pieces with Future, they came off easily.  I'll be able to put them in the correct place after all.  Don't I feel like a jack-a$$.

 

Once I download the photos and make a bit more progress, I'll post another update.

 

Mike

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13 hours ago, ALF18 said:

:cheers:

If you have any crow left over, I could try some... It keeps us all grounded.

Looking forward to seeing the pics.

ALF

 

You're absolutely right, pal.  After I've eaten my crow and if there are any leftovers, I usually have it in some humble pie.

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Next update.  Some good stuff and some not so good stuff.

 

Let's start with the putty.  As stated earlier, CA glue used around major gap on refuel door and then putty over top to smooth things out.  Putty only on other fixes.

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This kit, like Hasegawa, allows you to build with flaps up or down.  I'm going with up.  There are two pieces of PE that need to be added to the area at the front of the wing fold.  If you build with the wings folded, the PE must be folded.

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The canopy and windscreen have faint mould seams running down the length.  The seam on the front windscreen is the same as that found on the main canopy.  The seam was an easy fix.  Scraped off excess plastic with the back of a #11 blade and then polished with sanding pads; 3,000 to 12,000 grit and then a dip in Future.  Front seam still need to be repaired.

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More pics in next post.

 

Mike

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Here are the instructions and the diagram for the front landing gear and PE installation.   Roll the dice....and....GO!

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In this photo, assembly sequence isn't clear at all.  The gear is designed so the the front wheels may swivel, should you chose to do so.  There's a shaft on part H27 that fits into a slot on part H39 and then part H14 is glued in place to part H39 to allow the swivel.  I found this out after I had glued H14 to H39.  Furtunately that TECT hadn't cured so I pried the two pieces apart and put the shaft of H27 into the slot where it belonged.  Mine will not swivel and I'm okay with that.  The rest of the parts fit together well.  I attached clear parts L13 and L14 with CA glue.  I painted the back of the landing light silver to present the illusion of the dish of the light after everything has been painted white.  L14 is a single piece where Hasegawa's F-18 has a dish and separate lens.

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Here you can see were the nose well PE parts go.  One part goes on the right side and the other on the left side of the well walls.  I've gotten to the point that even if this isn't right, I don't care.  They're in and that's where they're staying.  They don't interfere with the main gear assembly of the door actuator piece.

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Further, where does part F13 sit in the nose gear well?  Here it is, placed in the well.  The instructions are vague and show it placed further to the left (as viewing the instructions) than it should be.  It fits into a small recess on the roof of the bay.

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More pics in the next post.

 

Mike

 

 

 

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