This is Academy’s 1/32nd scale F/A-18D. It was built several years ago. I scratch built a deck section with a catapult track to depict an impending launch. I had three areas that I wanted to improve on. 1. The paint job on the Hornet. The original paint job looked very unrealistic. Barely weathered at all. 2. The carrier deck section. Because I was in a rush to finish, the original version looked comically unrealistic. (The catapult track was too wide). 3. The rear landing gear wheels. They look more like something out of Fast and Furious movie (Not vertically straight). Both are angled out considerably.
Two areas have been fixed. The paint job, and the deck section. I have to figure out how to fix the wheels, without destroying the gear legs.
The paint job. First, the model was thoroughly cleaned with cotton cloths and q-tips in a mild soap solution. After drying for about an hour, I took a can of compressed air and blew off any residual fibers that had tried on the surface. For a more weathered appearance, white was added to the original color. Individual panels, and sections were picked out The paint was thinned quite a bit with lacquer thinner to achieve this. The paint job was fixed about 2 months ago.
The original base was scrapped. I started from scratch. I looked at several photos of catapult tracks on the internet. It was made with polystyrene sheeting, and micro Scale rivet decals. The deck surface is open face hardwood floor, sanding paper. I forgot what grit it is, but obviously it’s aggressive. The metal tiedowns are from Tom’s Model works.
It was built so long ago, that I can’t find the original photos. I’ll post them here once I find them to see the changes that were made.
Highly interesting and well done. I wished I had space to build all my aircraft models in that scale, but alas I don’t, and therefore I have to resort to 1/72 scale models instead, but yours is indeed a jewel, particularly with the figures you added and the interior cockpit, but even in general this is a museum piece indeed. Great job!
I really regret allowing a bunch of older models assembled and painted with a teenage level of patience and skill to be thrown out when I see how beautifully a model can be reconditioned like this. Would love to see your before photos if you have them available.
From what I read of your description, you haven’t needed to remove the previous paintwork rather just cleaned the dust off and then the original paintwork was applied consistently enough to act as a base for the new paintjob?
Thank you. Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have of the model and it’s original state. These overhead shots shows the areas where I lightened the original colors to get the faded weather effect.
My chin is hanging wide open on seeing this. Absolutely flabbergasted! I can hear the wind and the roar of the engines lighting up at full throttle ready to take off. Impressive. Once I am ready to build my own Desert Storm models I will take some hints from this build of yours.
Re-reading your post I finally understood the difference of your former build and the updated one. Quite a bit of difference indeed and what an original idea to use sandpaper as the ground floor (I must keep that in mind for my more smaller scale which will happen later). Actually I plan a much larger flight deck, since I build in 1/72 scale and will probably add another two F/A-18C Hornets to it with a full complement of deck crews at work, as well as some deck vehicles. But all that much later, when I’m done with my current WWII projects.
Very nice revisit of this subject. I’m not sure I will ever go back and redo anything once it’s completed but maybe? I’m only a year into this round of modeling and all the builds from 30 years ago are, alas, long gone.
I’m trying to look at each build as a chapter in my building history book. That way, the viewer should be able to see change (hopefully improvement) over time. In fact, I’m thinking of displaying them in chronological order in the case, once I get one.
Your way is no less valid though, seems like you had a fun time revisiting this old subject and from the photos and your description, you made a huge improvements. Your flight deck is especially cool as scratch building something is, so far, outside my skill set..