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McDD F-18C Hornet - Hasegawa 1/72


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This one is an old project as it was started back in 2008 for the "Mac Air legacy 30th anniversary in 2008" (9 years ago!!).

Long, long build, abandonned several times - happily some other projects were completed meanwhile. 

 

I decided to give it a few weeks ago as it was actually close to being completed. Lesson learnt, I should never to that again and take so much time to complete a project : loss of motivation, repairs on details/paint/putty add a lot of additional time. 

 

Finally here it is... 

 

Spotlight photographs

 

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Daylight photographs as usual

 

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Regards

 

Eric B.

250355smallF18C8895.jpg

 

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In the end it turned out really good. The resin cockpit really makes a difference. Can't find anything wrong with the model.

 

Can you explain what you did to have the flaps in the dropped position? What parts were cut off from the wing, and what had to be scratch built. I wanted to build that kit with dropped flaps, but I chickened out on the 2016 Strike/Attack Group Build and finished it with raised flaps instead.

 

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Thank you all; 

 

Hi Lancer.

I went as photos show and did the same on an F-18F Super Hornet which is around here on ARC.

 

I cut leading edge flaps and trailing edge flaps at hinge line.

Flaps were then files in shape at hinge line. The small flap cover (forward part of flap) was cut in thin plasticard - It appears as a white part in fourth construction photo then cemented in place (dee 5th, 7th and 8th construction photos).

Main flaps was later glued in position.

 

Regards

 

Eric B.

Edited by Eric B.
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Hi Jeem

 

Sorry for the late reply :

 

They are the original Hasegawa decals.

I very seldom use Hasegawa decals (last time probably was more than 12 years ago) but I wanted to do that specific livery with rare white tails for a  Navy/Marines aircraft and could not find them in afetrmarket form.

 

Cheers

 

Eric B.

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Hi

 

Thank you dearly

 

@Crackerjazz that is how I described weathering in an olfer Hasegawa 1/72 F-14 post some year ago here on ARC

 

 

WEATHERING

Weathering technique : there is no pre-shading (add no black basing)  and all weathering is achieved after the original TPS scheme is plainly applied (weathering over camo).

Technique follows a few simple principles. Origin is one of my friend, and master modeller once telling me : to paint a kit just figure out what happened in real life..

Based on that both F-14D (we are talking about TPS weathering here right?) are weathered a different manner because I guess no two Tomcats weathered the same way. Squadrons differ, operational conditions differ, environments differ !!

F-14 weathering is a result of an effect of time, paint touch ups, but also mechanic shoes strains, liquid spillage..

F-14 weathering doesn't build in one day and that is how I tried to do my kit weathering..

First step : paint the plain TPS scheme FS 35237, FS36320 and FS36375.

Then I start to work on panels, altering basic colours either darkening or lightening them with approaching colours. (exemple adding FS 36320 in FS35237 or WW2 Intermediate blue in FS3537). Panels are painted, starting to give model a patchwork effect.

Then I work on touch ups along panel lines. Airbrush tuned to paint thin lines I paint along panel lines again using approachnig but different greys (generally lighter greys)..

If possible all above is done in several days .. purposedly.

As in real life. You don't paint the same way on different days. Your hand will be steady one day, not so much another day, your airbrush lines will be slightly thinner or thicker another day, you won't use the same exact colour -  Doing all the job on a given day will tend to give your model an even finish with symetrical effects .. and that is not what you want weathering your model. Let your weathering build slowly.

I then process decaling, sometimes blending some decals with a very thinned spray of main camo paint.

Panel lines are then enhanced with very thinned sepia, black or dark grey oil based paint as my base camo is Gunze aqueous paint. This means I can wipe out excess paint from my panel lines with no risk for my main paint as thinners are not compatible..

I now have a decalled, panel lined, touched up Tomcat but the strains of mechanics are still lacking.

A lot of people walk on Tomcats (pilots, mechanics), soles generally are dark, they use oil and generally all this leave some black strains and soot on the aircraft.

I use very thinned black paint in my airbrush : I would call this mix coloured thinner more than thinned paint. Airbrush is set to minimum width spray (1 to 1.5 mm ie 0.1 or 0.15 in - as narrow as I can).

I then spray all areas of they aircraft that mechanics or pilots tread : upper air intakes, main fuselage, upper wings (avoid spoilers, flaps and slats), centre parts of stabilators. Also areas under cockpit around hand grips or footsteps.. Spray print is so thinned that you have to remain on an area to see the dark colour build.

Then I touch up again with small light grey dots over the dark stain effect...

The idea is mechanics came, walked on an area, strained but later touched up again (clean, dirty, clean layers pile up - I believe that is how it goes.. )

All is then sprayed with a very thin uneven layer of matt varnish.

 

I think the general technique st'ill is the same with this Hornet.

 

it grossely 

 

Walkways : masking tape  and very diluted dark grey - sprayed an unevenway

 

Regards 

 

Eric B.

  

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Hello, 

 

Whatever, 

Could be white, a slightly different grey or even a bit of greyish blue (see lines 10-11 above..) . If black that really would be a drop... Idea is to have differents hues of the same colour.

That is how my progressive weathering works. Different day, different mix (hue) for the same colour. 

 

I normally would avoid black in mixes actually as it shows very strongly. Or when I use it that would be for exemple on anti skid areas as on the F-18 or on darker areas of the aircraft as wings or fuselage top where mechanics would walk (often seen on Tomcats..)

 

Cheers 

 

Eric B.  

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