F/A-18D Hornet done

Not that anyone keeps track, but I finished another kit at last.
Vitals as follows:
Hasegawa F/A-18D Hornet, 1:72 scale (Thanks Grandad’s Hobbies in Springfield VA)
Pretty much OOB with the Hasegawa Special US Weapons set
Armed in a “Goofy Bubble” config per a Corps Aviator I spoke with; 2 tanks, 2 Sidewinder, 1 Sparrow, 3 JDAMs and a FLIR pod. Good for missions with a permissive air environment.

I gotta tell ya - I love the Model Master Acryl Flat - it puts down a great final finish.

Lots of flaws - most noticable being that tan dome on the nose is just ginormous - at least I know the technique now though when I start my Super Bug. Also, the stick is in the back seat, but from what said pilot told me, that is rare, but out there sometimes, (Trivia note - in D models, the nub to mount the stick is still in the back 'pit but isn’t generally used except for trainers.)

Feedback is appreciated as always - critical comments are the only way to get better.

Thanks!
Mike Dahlstrom

Great job!! I did a F/A-18D kit bash a while ago and it didn’t turnout that good! I used the Monogram F/A-18C and the Testors F-18D kits. The Hasegawa kit is so expensive. Just like all their other stuff.

Looks really good mate. I can’t see any flaws on it at all. I wouldn’t have even noticed the tan dome on the nose if you hadn’t of told me. Thanks for the pics.

Great looking bug!!! Can’t wait to see what’s next

Paul

I think it looks pretty darn good myself, flaws not withstanding, as I couldn’t locate any of them! [:)] Great job and thank you for sharing your work!

Take care,
Frank

Nice looking “Hawks” Hornet you got there.[:)]

WOW, what a great looking hornet nice bird thanks for the pics.[:D][:D]

Nice one!

Just some minor flaws with the canopy paint job but nevertheless a great piece of work! Keep those models coming and thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
onyan

it looks great nice work. whats next?

joe

Thanks for the kind words.

Yeah - the Canopy paint job leaves a lot to be desired. I masked with metal foil and still had some problems. The black went down fine, but the grey seemed to creep. I started trying to fix it by hand, but felt like I was making it worse so I stopped. I think I will try and fix it again tonight with some Tamiya thinner and Future.

I did have some creep with the black walkway climbing the forward fuselage too after I put the MicroSol on. At that point - it is too late as many ruined decals will attest to.

I was a little disappointed with the lack of contrast between the top and bottom colors, but looking at photos, that seems to be accurate - VERY subtle color difference.

Ah well - live and learn.

Next on the plate is finishing the F-16CJ I started concurrently with this one and then the F/A-18F (Hasegawa) and Eurofighter (Airfix). Then the last 2 1:72 kits I intend to build for a long time. sigh Working this small is no fun, but it keeps the paint bills reasonable.

Mike Dahlstrom

Good looking build. Nice work on the ordinance. Thanks for sharing.

Regards, Rick

Looks good on an itty bitty model. Great finish to it.

Mike,

“I was a little disappointed with the lack of contrast between the top and bottom colors, but looking at photos, that seems to be accurate - VERY subtle color difference.”

The only time I’ve seen Hornets or Harriers with sharp color/gray contrast is after a new paint job. It doesn’t take long for the colors to blend in, and with all the access panels getting repainted it sometimes has a more “gray spatter” look. [:)] I know carrier aircraft are more notorious for this than land based aircraft.

Good job![:)]

Carl

Man Im jelous… both of the plane and Grandads. Grandads was my place for supplies till I moved here. Wish I could have picked the store up and brought it with me

Very nicely do, thanks for the great pics.

One more thing - regarding cost. This is a REALLY inexpensive kit (under 10 bucks) and was my first Hasegawa build. Maybe because of the small scale or because it is “profited out” but I can’t complain about the way it went together. The breakdown was much more logical than other bugs I have built with my two boys and the joint lines are generally pretty well disguised once it is put together.

Mike Dahlstrom

great looking build…the only thing i don’t know about is how he landed in that carpet without breaking a nose gear.

Nice work Mike! I am currently working on the Has 1/72 Super Bug and it’s a real nice kit with lot’s o detail. The only thing that was lacking was ejection seat deatil and I don’t like decals for instruments. But anyway, you do some real nice work!

it looks excellent friend!![tup]