Kit: Hasegawa 1:72
F/A-18F Super Hornet
Kit #: E18
Construction
began with the cockpit assembly. As per the instruction sheet, the colors indicated
were already in the Mr. Color lacquer-based series, so I didn’t have any
problem picking them up. Seat belts and harnesses were added by using masking
tape pre-painted with Tamiya enamel khaki. A couple of lead sheets were cut and
super glued to the base just in front of the cockpit area. Ejector pin marks and
mold separation marks were present in several locations such as the wheel bay
doors, pylons, and missiles; some were filled up with super glue and carefully
sanded down. The fuselage is a complex assembly. When I checked the wing fit to
the fuselage, I ran into problems. The fit of the parts are tight and not
precise. Mr. Surfacer 500 was used liberally in those areas and I needed to sand
in several occasions to allow a good attachment. There is a mould line in the
center of the canopy, I sanded it smooth and polished it back to clarity. Future
came as usual to add glare to the canopy.
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I
painted my Superbug with FS36320 and FS36375.
Two
decal options are included; my choice for the marking was the VFA-102
“Diamondbacks” U.S. Navy Mar.2002.
Decaling
was next. I airbrushed Mr. Color Clear Gloss all over the model to protect the
decals and let it alone for a day. Thinned black enamel wash was next, just
enough to bring out the panel lines and the rivets. I weathered my Super Hornet
with the darker shades from the gray tone of the pastel chalk to bring out just
a little dust and dirt; and then sprayed another coat of Mr. Color Clear Gloss
for the final finish.
For the finishing touches, I
blanked-off the jet intakes with protective Foreign Object Damage (FOD) covers,
since the kit lacks internal engine details. They were made from masking tapes
pre-painted with red enamel paints. Missile tips were covered with plastic tubes
made from Q-tip stems and painted with yellow, according to the reference
pictures. Remove Before Flight (RBF) tags were also pinned to various sections
of the plane. I know they were a little off-sized but didn’t bother to change
it anymore to prevent parts from falling apart. Charged to experience already
anyway….
Robert Chavez
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