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.
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.
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!
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.
“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.
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
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.
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!
