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Need pictures of a naked F-18 prototype


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I'm looking for any pictures of the unpainted #4 Hornet prototype. I've got the two pictures from the Great Book of Modern Warplanes, but my web searching has come up empty. I think I can recreate it from those pictures, but it would be nice to have some more. If anyone could point me in the right direction to find some, I'd be much obliged.

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21 minutes ago, fasteagle12 said:

Google 'unpainted F/A-18' and you'll get some hits.....

 

I originally tried that, but the only pictures were of the C. I'm looking for the prototype. The C pics will help a little bit, but most of the aluminum areas on the C were painted in chromate yellow.

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3 minutes ago, fasteagle12 said:

Aren't the first couple of these the Alpha?

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/a6EIM

The second picture is the 4th prototype (BUNO 160778)

 

Correction, it's the first prototype. I saw the "4" on the tail and couldn't read the last digit of the BUNO but upon further review, the "4" on the tail is tape and the last digit looks like a 5 so I'm thinking this is the 4th flight of the 160775.

Edited by GW8345
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Thanks everybody! Fasteagle and GW. those help immensely. The picture of the one in the hangar has the graphite areas already painted chromate yellow, but it gives me a great idea of what the top looks like. How do you guys find these? I found bubkus when I did a search!

 

Is it me, or does the aluminum areas seem to have a goldish tint to them?

Edited by Darren Roberts
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The aluminum probably has an anodized coating.   This helps, along with primer and paint, to prevent corrosion. Anodize can be sealed with a nickel acetate seal which more or less keeps the base aluminum color or sealed with chromate which will give it a golden color.  I would assume the gold tint is from this process. 

Edited by fasteagle12
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8 hours ago, fasteagle12 said:

The aluminum probably has an anodized coating.   This helps, along with primer and paint, to prevent corrosion. Anodize can be sealed with a nickel acetate seal which more or less keeps the base aluminum color or sealed with chromate which will give it a golden color.  I would assume the gold tint is from this process. 

Thanks! That's good to know.

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