This is Hasegawa's new F/A-18F Super Hornet. I am pretty sure this is the first one shown in progress on Armorama so here we go. The overall detail in this is great. Small, crisp details and thin, I was amazed at how thin some of the parts are and how needy they are to be handled with care. Positionable flaps, leading edges, rudders (if you remove the tab inserts), positionable canopy, etc. all there

As long as you follow the instructions at certain times (specifically fitting the major subassemblies) gives you a good fit without having to jam pieces, but you still get gaps, some considerable (see below). While I haven't built one myself, I have heard that the Hasegawa F-14s have fit problems in the intake area and this seems to be the case here. Because four major sub assemblies must come together in a certain order, this is one of those moments that doing it any other way outside of the instructions is a bad thing.







Both cockpits need a some more touch ups, including in areas I had not seen until just now looking at the pictures. The interior is pretty good but tailored to you using the cockpit decals, something I just said no to. Interestingly neither of the pilots would fit into the cockpit, so it would appear that I am leaving them out. It is a shame since they can be fitted with the new helmets and decals on the side of the helmets too.


Ah...details


The great - and tiny details - can be a nusance as some are right next to the gaps. This is very hard to apply and sand without messing up the detail.

Questions, comments, please post them. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Jeff

Hey Jeff

Sofar it looks good. I really like your cockpit. Nice done. How did you do the radar screens?? Looks like a nice color for periscoops of armor to.

Looking forward of new pics

Greetings Roel

Hey Jeff,
Looks like a great start, how long is the fuselage. The cockpit looks busy as it should. I can offer a few tips, starting in the cocpit, when painting screens and dials use Bare-Metal foil to mask them off. Stuff works super great. If you don't have any on hand then use masking tape. Take the square screens (yeah say that three times fast :-)) Lay some tape over them, then using a tooth pic brandish it in the centers and cut the squares out with your hobby knife and then paint.

Doing the putty, remember the tape trick I showed you when using putty. You should give that a try. Also when sanding lay some masking tape between the area of what to be sanded, that way it saves the detail from being sanded away. Looking at what you already sanded, it seems that the sand paper is a bit to course. I like to use medium nail files that you can find in a drug store or just about anywhere. You can also buy them in a few other grits. They make for easy, cheap sanding sticks.

Please keep the progress photos coming

This is a trick of mine that I heard somewhere. Pre-paint the entire piece with a thin coat of flat black and let dry. Then paint the screen (or periscope) silver (use a silver and not a duller metal color); the black brings out the silver. Then add a thin coat of clear green. The green isn't a bright as I want it, but the silver makes it look more of a neonish/computer screen green.

Mother, thanks (BTW I finished my SH-60 so look for the post within the next day - or hours depending on how boring my class is ). I completely forgot about the tape tip for the gap filling. And thanks for adding the idea of adding the tape to the screens.

The course sandpaper I used was that for a reason. I usually use a coarse to quickly get a rise between two pieces down and then use a finer grit to even and smooth it down. The area that has a coarse sanding was not so much a gap as the upper and lower not being level and fine sanding just wasn't cutting it (haha pun!). I just didn't get to the smoothing part. Thanks

As for the deminsions, I am back at school and don't have my model with me. However I can tell you that it really feels big...like a Super Hornet (haha, I am full of laughs today ) Anyway, while I don't have any measurements on me, it feels accurate. When I get home in about 3 weeks, I'll take measurements and try to compare them.

Thanks Raul and Joe

Jeff

Jeff,
if you ever find that a section of the fuselage doesn't want to match up take a strip of plastic and run it along the edge of the fuselage that has the problem. Doing this will draw the two edges togather. I hope the drawing makes sense, if not I can do one using a fuselage and posting real photos.

Yeah I see what you mean. I usually use a strip to fill in gaps large enough for my smallest strips, but hadn't though of this. Thanks, I will see if it works.

Jeff

Okay new update. I'll have pictures shortly, but I wanted to let you know where I am. I am painted almost completely and currently decalling and trying a few new processes at the same time (leaving small pieces off and adding decals. There are over 200 decals on the sheet and I estimate well over 100-150 of them are used! So needless to say, this is going to take a while.

Mother a couple of things. I did the masking off tip and it worked pretty well. And as you requested here are my rough specifications of the aircraft v. model.

Real Aircraft
W 42.65 ft (wings not folded and w/o Sidewinders)
L 60.07 ft
H 16.01 ft

Model
W 42.25 ft
L 58 ft
H 15 ft

I want to emphasis that my measurements (especially the length is rough. I'll try to refine it down, but I also confess that even if the model is 2 feet off in length, it is darn hard to notice. It looks large just as the real E/F is (I personally vouch for that) and I'd be interested in seeing a model of an E/F version side by side with an F/A-18C/D.

Pictures shortly.

Jeff

This was taken without the flash. The gloss spots are for decals.


This is taken with the flash and better shows the color difference, but sort of blinds a lot of the smaller details


In the finished model, I am portraying the canopy open, however, I left the interior supports off when taking this picture so the canopy lies closed. I am using the canopy as reference for placing decals. The weapons included are four fuel tanks, 2 AIM-9X (the first in 1/48 scale), and 2 AIM-120 AMRAAMs. Typical Hasegawa. I am waiting to find the elusive Weapon Set D (Smart bombs) mainly for the JDAMs.


I still need to repaint some of the tail to get rid of the red. The blemish on the exhaust has since been corrected.



The detail on the front and rear wheel bays is absolutely great. OOB is great. With any bit of superdetailing, and your wheel bays are going to be perfect. The only thing lacking is detail on the interior sides.


Thus far, the biggest downside of this kit, a large mold line straight down the canopy! I removed it with a sharp hobby knife, and used progressively finer pieces of sandpaper from a CD repair kit. The optics (that is, how it looks as light bends down the canopy) will never be fully corrected, but with a little polishing compound, I should be in good shape.

Comments and criticism are more than welcome.

Jeff

Looks good Jeff. In regards to the canopy, what I do is sand the entire canopy with progressively finer grits and finish off by rubbing the canopy with my finger covered in toothpaste (the regular paste, no gels or grits). Then I dip the canopy in Future, cover it with a bowl flipped upside down, and let dry for two days undisturbed. Sanding the entire canopy makes for a more uniform (although slightly cloudy) appearence. The toothpaste cleans the canopy as well as acts as a final superfine grit. The upside down bowl prevents any dust or particulates from collecting on the drying Future. This is not my idea, read it in a past FSM. Hope this helps.
Kyle
BTW I have that Hasegawa Weapons Set and would be willing to part with the JDAMs or any of the other LGBs in the set. PM me if interested.

Taking shape Jeff, starting to look real good. Love the Jolly Rogers decals. It’s a shame what they did with the canopy, you’d think over they can come up with a better way. I can’t recall but someone makes a super clear, vacuum formed canopy. Tip on the leading edges of the red panels, I use a red sharpie marker to color in the edges. Use the big fat one for more control.

Kyle, thanks for the tip. I'd heard about the toothpaste thing before but hadn't had it backed up. Thanks for the offer too. I think I found a set for sale. I'll let you know in a couple of days if I can't get one.

Joe, thanks for the tip on the red lining. I completely forgot about that as I have some red Prisma markers in the house.

Jeff

Your super bug looks great so far. Just one other suggestion, mask off the area in-between two colors (like below the cockpit the gray and black), if you burnish down the masking tape, so that no paint leaks under the edge you get a very nice straight line. Yours looks a little ragged, or could just be the picture. Again great job so far.

Thanks. The problem is in the tape I used. I was using regular masking tape (something I know I shouldn't do, but the only thing I had at the time). I just found some blue painters masking tape and used it to remask it.

Much of what it in the latest pictures has changed, but I currently don't have access to my model and won't for another couple months - college (Spring Break baby! ). Once I do, I'll finish the model which includes adding a pair of JDAMs on the middle wing pylons. My biggest problem is that I inadvertantly ripped off most of the VFA--103 decal on the right side with the masking tape, so I am looking for a replacement....Anyone?

Jeff

USNAVY,
It's deffinately an impressive kit. I settled for the Monogram/Revell F-18E as it was released first. And not as exspensive at the prerelease price. This kit has a lot of parts just like the Mono kit. She'll be a site when completed. Keep us posted.

Will do Todd.

Jeff