A silly idea? (F-18F kitbash with RM and Italeri)

[Jay Chladek]

Well then, I have a weird idea cooking in my head. Thanks to the half price Hobby Lobby sale, I now have in my keep a second RM F-18E Superbug kit. One of them will be done as a single seater. But, I really like the looks of the F model with its second seat. I know, I know, buy the Hasegawa kit right? Well, I plan to get one of those and build one, but for the price and the markings they offer, I will probably do that one just with its out of the box markings (for the Jolly Rogers).

My problem lies with the excellent Two Bobs sheet with the Diamondbacks hi vis scheme with the red spine and tails (very tastey looking). Frankly, a lot of the F models are getting the best looking schemes compared with the single seaters and I want to add one to my collection. But, at about $56.00 US a pop, the Hasegawa kit is a pretty expensive bird. Considering how long it took for RM to do the single seater, I anticipate not seeing an F model for another year even though all they have to do is offer the kit with the right F model sprues.

So, I've been toying with what could be an idiotic scheme. I already have a dirt cheap RM F-18E model. So what if I were to pair it up with a potentially equally cheap Italeri F model (assuming I can get one for cheap with modelers discarding it for the RM and Hase kits) for the twin seat canopy and portions of the rear cockpit? Then I can combine the two and perhaps make something useable out of the pair and using a little kitbash work in the process to jazz up the rear cockpit (which is probably spartan in the Italeri kit anyway or loaded with bogus detailing).

So, might it work? I know that the Hasegawa and RM kits are sized slightly differently (one being larger then the other), but where does the Italeri kit fall in terms of scaling? I can't tell since I don't have an Italeri kit to compare yet. Can somebody with both the Italeri and RM kits tell me if they are dimensionally similar in the canopy area that it could work? If they are, I think I will have a go at trying. If not, I'll probably just bite the bullet and get a second Hase kit or await the RM kit. Eitherway, I probably won't do this right away as I've just gotten back to work on my F-14 Ali-cat using the Hasegawa kit as a basis.

Edited October 6, 2005 by Jay Chladek

[Cyrus Tan]

Jay,

Anything is possible! I've thought of converting the E to an F model too. IIRC...the kit was delayed due to the licensing/royalties issue. Now that the issue has been resolved, we just might see the F model out sooner? Who knows?

If you still want to convert the E model to an F, another idea is get the new BB pit for the Hase kit and rob the Hase kit tub for the RM kit. You may need to do some trimming & scratch building for details here and there, but it should be a lot easier than robbing the parts from the Italeri kit. The only thing you need from the Italeri kit would be the canopy.

Just my 2 cents,

;)

Edited October 6, 2005 by Cyrus Tan

[Darren Roberts]

Hey Jay,

I picked up an Italeri F long ago for just that purpose. When the Revell E came out, I sized everything up, and I'm disappointed to say that it would be more work than it's worth. The issue is in the spine area. The Italeri kit is much narrower than the Revell kit, which translates into the rear decking and the canopy. It can be made to work, but it will require Milliput to reshape the canopy/spine area. It all depends on how long you want to wait to get an F if you can't afford the Hasegawa kit.

[Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy]

Why not? I once kitbashed a Monogram F-4J and a Fujimi F-4B/N to make a really decent 1/72 F-4N, better (IMO) than the Fujimi. Surprisingly enough, it was really enjoyable! And I think it was less work and less frustrating than the New-Tool Hasegawa F-4B which I'd built shortly before that.

Edited October 6, 2005 by Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy

[j-basset]

Jay,

The same idea has been floating in my head the last couple o' days too.

The Italeri F canopy hinge is in the wrong position, though.

I did however rob the parts of an Italeri F to convert a Monogram A-18A to a F/A-18D last year, in Malaysian markings.

Jason C.

[Jay Chladek]

Thanks for the replies guys. I still might try it even if it is a lot of work. The cockpit idea sounds like a good one, although I might stick the BB cockpit in the Revell kit instead of sticking the Hase pit in there (we shall see). The main thing this depends on is if I can find an Italeri kit for cheap enough to try. My local club has a kit auction coming up at the meeting next week and I have a feeling I might be able to snag an Italeri F model for dirt cheap. If I don't, well we shall see then.

One more question then. If the rear canopy is a little slim in the spine region, then did Italeri just use their 1/48 F-18D clear sprue for the F model? Sort of sounds like they did or used it as inspiration at least.

In the mean time, back to the Ali-cat. I have to get something done for the next area show to prove that Darren Roberts isn't the only modeler in my region who builds Tomcats (although he builds a lot more of them then I do). :)

Edited October 7, 2005 by Jay Chladek

[Karl Sander]

Can it be done?

The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can't, are both right

(sorry, I used to be a coach for my summer job in college - I couldn't resist!)

I say go for it! :)

[GreyGhost]

Can it be done?

The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can't, are both right

(sorry, I used to be a coach for my summer job in college - I couldn't resist!)

I say go for it!

"Do or do not, ... there is no try ..." - Yoda

I learned that in the Summer of 1980 ...

BTW, I believe Colin Kunkle did a beautiful CF-188B that he converted from a Revel-O-Gram F/A-18C and a Testors F/A-18A/B .. the "believe" part is on which kit he used for the larger -pit ...

Gregg