Christmas 1/72 build: SuperHornet: A Wish For Wings That Work

[Twokidsnosleep]

Hasegawa 1/72 F/A 18F SuperHornet




A fitting title for the Candadian Air Force, who must use old CF-18's from 1989 as the government cancelled an order for the new super hornets. SO no new fifth generation technology planes, we are using strings and balloons and spending 4.3 Billion to buy a pipeline for oil that only a select want. I am not a big fan of my current government, but it could be worse I suppose, ahem, US of A...

The plan is this









There is much added technology in the Super hornet with Satcom electronics and such

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Going OOB if I can. Cockpit done and nose weights in. Nicely engineered kit so far, fits together well


Her bum parts look like this


If you have not seen the Bill and Opus Christmas special, it is hilarious

[Tomcat64]

Oooh - you got started already!

Nice work in the cockpit too

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oooh - you got started already!

Nice work in the cockpit too

God man it was three parts
I added a thin styrene cover on both instrument panels before putting on the decals to makes things smooth
Very hard to not detail more, but I am resisting

Preparing to paint her up..grey and grey

[Tomcat64]

Oooh - you got started already!

Nice work in the cockpit too

God man it was three parts

Yah - but that's still three more bits of plastic than I managed to stick together last month!

Take the little victories when they show up

[Twokidsnosleep]

I have the fuselage ,cockpit and wings glued up and currently in clamps.
The fit is surprisingly good for 1/72...but then I have only made Tamiya 1/72 and they were mostly re-boxes of other manufacturers.
Grey Ultimate primer has been shot on everything, get some pics up tomorrow or Friday morning
I will get this done soon and then push back into the WNW SE5a

[Twokidsnosleep]

Some good progress so far this weekend. The first layers of primer on and the main fuselage parts together.
I always add lead weight to the nose...dental film lead foil that I saved up for years




Then working on the seats, some good reference




Mine are cemented in. Belts are from Ultimate US aircraft, rest is just wires and stuff

[DBMiller]

Fast work! I've got to get moving along to catch up!

[Homerlovesbeer]

Love the SH. Agree with Miller, you are cracking on at a great pace! My first return to the hobby since 15 years old was the 1:48 Revell version which needed me to learn all sorts of things to get it finished!

This is my grand total of completed builds since starting again (last was when I was 15 and I was terrible lol)

I was pretty damn happy with how my Super Hornet turned out.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Nice Homer, she is a beautiful Hornet

[Twokidsnosleep]

Whoa Nelly I got her topside pretty dark..and the grey of her tummy matches the darn decals
Well whatever, just plopping some other decals on that stand out a bit not going to bother with all the tiny stencils that blend too perfectly







Canopy, feet and little bits and will be done

[bfrd]

Wow, that came together quickly. Bob must have really been cracking the whip! Looks awesome.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Wow, that came together quickly. Bob must have really been cracking the whip! Looks awesome.

Bob has been great help
He has suffered some terrible wrongs at the hands of former employers interested only in money, swamp draining, fuzzy partisan logic and formation of cesspools.
He has embraced a new country, clean air, union membership and seems a little friendly with Kevin the Minion...and I do mean friendly

In other news, I lost a freaking decal.....cut two out, moved the sheet, turned round and BOOM GONE
Anyone who bugs Paul for his surgical workspace needs a bop in the head. My desk is too messy to avoid such stupid errors

[DBMiller]

Wow! And all the sudden it has wings and a paint job!

[aur0ra145]

Looking good so far!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Looking good so far!

S’alright
Kind of a mishmash of things but non existent so I can make it anything I want
True CF-18 is single pilot ......as we are too cheap to train two guy
Also have to do the false cockpit on the bottom. I thought my Canadian decal set had that but nope

[Twokidsnosleep]

Damn, I muffed the canopy
Sprayed a clear orange inside and then used BMF on outside as masking for black spray edging
There was tape residue from the BMF and the internal spray went all rough....So wiped it all off and will try again
Will paint the edges by hand this time

[Tomcat64]

Wow - I turn away for a couple of days and you've got the thing built and painted

Most of mine is still in the box...

It's looking great so far even with Bob's help - hope you get the canopy sorted easily.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Bob has been a model worker.
Really quiet, just get things done and stays out of sight
He smokes a bit more than I like.... these funny shaped cigarettes he rolls himself, I guess to save money??
It kinda stinks a lot

[Twokidsnosleep]

My canopy recovery...not as crisp and clean as the first one, but ok for having to strip everything and start over.
I kinda wish I did clear red inside for a Christmas flavour Nope, not stripping it again





I pulled out the Ultimate Dark Dirt last night and messed about past my bedtime. Had to stop and go to sleep
Will do some highlighting of all the rivets and such with the Ultimate DD

[Tomcat64]

Nice... very nice

[bfrd]

I really love the canopy. That is a much better result than I could hope to achieve.

[Twokidsnosleep]

I really love the canopy. That is a much better result than I could hope to achieve.

Pfffftthhh
I am watching you build the WNW...that is far harder than this

[Twokidsnosleep]

I did some paint touch ups and put her on temporary brass struts for feet to avoid breaking all the small belly parts installed or wearing off paint.
Some weathering got a bit out of hand on the wings but I am liking the closed canopy look.
Fuel tanks and ordinance got sprayed primer and white is the next spray job






Should finish this week

[Kevthemodeller]

Looking good Scott

[bfrd]

Oh Canada! Me likey Eh!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oh Canada! Me likey Eh!

Looking good Scott

Cheers gents

[Twokidsnosleep]

Painted the dreaded white tonight on the landing gear and weapons...good test fit
Canopy is glued now




Hey @bfrd I think something is wrong with Bob
He just wants to sleep all day and seems to have late night munchies. His work has tapered off as he is often “going out for a smoke”
Kinda passed out by the doghouse in this photo

[bfrd]

He starts off strong and then slacks off. Kinda like my current build.

[Kevthemodeller]

Loving it

[Tomcat64]

That looks superb!

Bob looks like he's pining for the dog house

[Twokidsnosleep]

Loving it

That looks superb!

Bob looks like he's pining for the dog house

Bob spends most of his time in the dog house....some guy named 'Snoop Dog' comes around a lot?? I don't think that is Snoopy

I tells ya boys and girls, white is a unpredictable B.
I have sprayed Mr Colour surface finisher and then Tamiya flat white both with MLT about 50:50 ish
The paint seems rough, just not as crisp and clean as I want. May be the super wet weather at the moment and humidity .
I was really careful with my layers. Oh well

[Twokidsnosleep]

Getting closer and closer to the finish line
I made a black false cockpit for her belly, a search light for the port side, her fuel tank and got her feet all glued on





Still some touch up paint, outer fuel tanks and weaponry to attach

[Fridgy]

Looks the business mate
She looks very dark... is that the Canadian scheme or just my screen settings?

[Tomcat64]

Lovely looking bird (or bug?) Scott

[bfrd]

Wow!!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Looks the business mate
She looks very dark... is that the Canadian scheme or just my screen settings?

She is multinational Canadian
Got a bit dark in the spray mix, ahem, in the paint cup
Then got carried away with the dark dirt and well, here we are
But the aircraft doesn’t exist, so I am all good

[Twokidsnosleep]

My girl’s got a red nose for Christmas
False bottom canopy with Tamiya tape painted Ultimate black; Port side search light by the cabin ...those things make her a CAF style, as would a single cockpit
Landing gear all in and central fuel tank on...just the ordinance to go

[Twokidsnosleep]

Ok I am calling this one finished







Hasegawa 1/72 kit is actually quite good and went together well.
My only beefs are the lack of weapons provided (only four missiles) vs attatchments points (eight available) and no pilots
But really a pretty straightforward jet to assemble.
My paintwork could have been a tad better and the weathering is a smidge spotty. I think I will Black base my next jet with Ultimate
I did like tinting the interior of the canopy with Tamiya clear paint...I think that worked out well