Hello fellow modellers.

you may have read my recent post on any news about an F/A-18D (or F) being released. Well i cant resist waiting any more
So i have decided to purchase Either a F/A-18C or a
F-14 Black Knights (by Tamiya) to pass the time while waiting for a F/A-18D (or F) to come out.
I have been looking for F-18's and F-14's and realised Academy did TWO versions of F/A-18's. (Hasegawa have done one but the detail is pretty bad). So i was wondering which is better: The F/A-18C "Operation Iraqi Freedom"
or the Normal F/A-18C and what the differences are.
And what are your opinions on both these great aircraft.


Thanks everyone.



LOL what is that smiley doing?

I was looking into both of those Academy releases myself, and it really looks like the OIF release is simply updated with decals pertaining to actual OIF aircraft. Beyond that, I believe the kits are identical.

When I finally get around to building one of these, I'm probably going to use aftermarket decals anyways, so the version won't matter much.

Good luck! I hear that they're a fantastic build!

- Frank

Hey thanks Frank. But i noticed on a couple of sites (they were clearly insane) the OIF Hornet was about $20-$30 different. is that just for some extra decals? if it is then i will be buying the standard Hornet and spend more on aftermarket products.

I think it's a case of trying to suck in someone for the "latest" offering. I've seen exactly what you're describing at a couple of sites.

I'm not sure what prices you're finding for them and if you plan on buying from sites outside of the UK, but www.militaryhobbies.com has them both for $109.95 US. They do ship internationally (based in Canada).

About a week ago, Great Models started their daily sales through Thanksgiving. Their very first sale was a huge sale on aircraft. Both Academy kits were going for around $90. I unfortunately was ready to place my order about 5 minutes after the sale ended...

Yeh, ive seen the Military hobby site a number of times and found out that they have lowered their Hornet prices.

i found this site http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/luckymodelOct10-2003.htm

i was like... WOOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!! :-) :-) :-)

IM BUYING ALL OF 'EM. They were so cheap.




if only i'd seen it a year earlier. DAMN!!!!!!!!!