Monogram 1/48 A-18- can this be made into a F/A-18A?

[dann]

thanks.

dan

[Fishwelding]

It is an F/A-18A poorly concealed behind pathetic early 80s Monogram attempts at creative marketing. You get some LGBs, some pylons that others have written are of dubious accuracy, but most importantly, the smart-weapons delivery pods in place of the sparrow rails. Some boxings came with photoetch, too.

[Joe Hegedus]

It is an F/A-18A poorly concealed behind pathetic early 80s Monogram attempts at creative marketing. You get some LGBs, some pylons that others have written are of dubious accuracy, but most importantly, the smart-weapons delivery pods in place of the sparrow rails. Some boxings came with photoetch, too.

Build it as an FA-18A, but get rid of the kit-provided LGBs in favor of some later versions from the Hase set D. Also, if you're building it in post-1987-ish markings, you'll need to scrounge or scratchbuild some LEX fences as they did not exist when the kit was first issued.

[Spaced Marine]

Not to hijack the thread, but:

are both the guidance pods accurate? I have this kit and that has been my one niggling question.

[Charlie Cheetah]

I built this kit about 12 or 13 yrs ago, it was my first aircraft model since the early 80's. I built it up as CF-18A (what else?). I had no real idea at the time what a Canadian Forces Hornet should look like but a few books from the library helped me out. I used the fins from the LGBs to make the LEX fences and removed the Smart Weapons Pods, recontouring the sparrow rails. I used the Arrow Graphics decal sheet to make a 425 Sqn Hornet. I asked another modeler at the hobby shop what colors to use, he suggested gull grey underneath and a darker (non specific) grey above, that is what I went with, painted on with a Testors wide flat brush. I have sure learned a lot since then.

I don't remember much about the kit except that the targeting pods were not very accurate. The fit was much better than the current Revell F-18C kit, especially the forward fuselage.

hth.