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F/A-18E heat exchanger question


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Hello- i was looking at an F/A-18E model kit and it did not have the 10 heat exchangers on the rear fuselage.

I don't know much about Super Hornets so when were these added? I have heard there are different "block"

airframes? The newest coming up will be block 3? Thanks for any information.- jon

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If I understood well you are referring to the ECS exhaust pipes that are located between the fins. Early build Super Bugs had flat exhaust ports. The new AESA radar and its increased demands for cooling required a change in the system. So they installed a new ECS exhaust. I am presuming that all operational Super Hornets will carry that as they are all fitted with the AN/APG-79 radar, so its not really a question of production block if you are building a jet as it is these days. 

 

  yuW4hrR.jpg

 

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I can't remember when the new stacks came out but if you are modeling something within the past 8-10 years, it will have the new style of pipes. All aircraft that had the old style were retrofitted with the new style within the last 8 to 10 years, even the old lot 21 and 22's being flown by VX-23 and USNTPS.

 

hth

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I just read an article stating all new jets in 2005 had the stacks for AESA radar and the first 135 without

were starting to be so equipped in 2008. It's hard to find any Hasegawa 1/72 ones, they seem scarce

or maybe no one has any interest in Super Hornets. I was trying to find ROGs "new" mold they made in

2009, not the Italeri repop, but that seems rarer than hen's teeth. I emailed ROG and they said you can't

get parts or that kit because they "culled" it. Oh well.- jon

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1 hour ago, Darren Roberts said:

It seems the Super Hornet gets no love. There are some great new schemes, but no decals for them. The Tomcat on the other hand...

That's because most people know that Tomcat's are cooler.

 

Remember, they're two types of aircraft in the world, Tomcat's and targets.

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While the Tomcat will always reign supreme, I actually do like the Super Hornets, especially the Growler.  I think what really won me over, was seeing the Super Hornet demo.  Again, the Tomcat demo will always be the best, but the Super Hornet one is impressive for a "regular" aircraft. 

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I'm a Superhornet fan. I never saw the F-14 fly so it was just a dream, a hollywood star or a picture in a book to me

 

I have however seen several Superhornet displays. The thing that sticks in my mind is Ricardo Traven flying a display in 2007 where he rolled the plane just before the slow dirty pass.  A slow almost dainty roll to bleed off speed. Any other aircraft I had seen fly before that, pulling that menoeuvre would have fallen out of the sky. The hornet was something else.

 

I've seen F-22's, Typhoons, Mig-29's ect but nothing ever compares to that roll.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, for 1/72 Echo kit with bard stacks You can get Academy. Or You could get a Hasegawa Growler. It comes with bard stacks and ACS WSO station, plus an E from Hasegawa, swap parts. You would get a "early" F and a late "E" models. Plus some Growler stuff if that's Your thing 😉

I've not build any Academy Super Hornets, but they seem like nice kits, save from some "snap tite"-ish features, such as crude landing gear cover attachments and closed only canopy.

Still, You can bet on Hasegawa to release some special box with E model. It will undoubtly come with late ecs exhaus vents.

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On 12/11/2019 at 11:18 PM, Thadeus said:

Well, for 1/72 Echo kit with bard stacks You can get Academy. Or You could get a Hasegawa Growler. It comes with bard stacks and ACS WSO station, plus an E from Hasegawa, swap parts. You would get a "early" F and a late "E" models. Plus some Growler stuff if that's Your thing 😉

I've not build any Academy Super Hornets, but they seem like nice kits, save from some "snap tite"-ish features, such as crude landing gear cover attachments and closed only canopy.

Still, You can bet on Hasegawa to release some special box with E model. It will undoubtly come with late ecs exhaus vents.

 

Hasegawa updated their Superhornet, in 1/48 and in 1/72 years ago, when they released the Growler in both scales.

Now, in both scales, non PT boxings are released with Bard stacks ECS.

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