Revell 1/32 F/A 18E Super Hornet - Finished

Only tip I have is get a large shelf!

If you do a search on Revell 1/32 F-18 you will see a lot of moaning about fit.

What kid of aftermarket is available for this kit.  I am thinking of buying one.  I got burned out on building MAC aircraft models while working there, but I have been away from MAC long enough to start building their aircraft again.

Hmmmm, first impressions with this kit is that there is quite a lot of flash on smaller parts. When instructions tell you to 'remove flash' then I guess you should have a concern!

I only bought this model as I found it on sale for a reasonable price and honestly didn't do any research. Having now looked (as Jeatons suggestion) I see that there a lots of complaints on fit. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what comes down the pike.

I am very surprised at this seeing as this is supposedly (Scalemates) a new 2019 kit.

Very nice!  I'll be following along.

Your friend's, Toshi

So, over the past few days I have been tinkering with this. It's not the easiest kit to work with what with the flash and fit. Lots of clamps etc having to be used to get things to stay in the right place when fixing.........but still enjoying it and thats the main thing isn't it ?!?!?!  BigEd kit (EBIG33101) and bang seat (AIRE2173) have arrived so that's something else to get my teeth in to. All this BigEd PE is a first for me, never used it before and decided this was the time to try.

The below 3 photos show some sort of intake, just to the rear of the wheel wells. The fit of the part is absolutely awful and I cannot find any photo of what it 'should' look like for real.

Anyone got a photo of what this should be like anywhere...............much appreciated if you do. Guessing that it should go flush with just a bit of the internal 'point bit' poking through??

I think it fits on the outside after some fettling.  Be sure to click on the photos to make them larger.

Thanks for the photos Jeaton. Now I know what it 'should' look like! Looks like they are just a little proud so thats what I'll go for.

A day of PE and a bit of seam filling/sanding........now got a headache! never used so much before and have found it 'fulfilling and frustrating' in equal measure!! BUT, the end result is a vast improvement so worth the headache. Still got a few more knobs and handles to go.....but that will be tomorrow!

That instrument panel looks great and that seat looks fantastic!

Thanks Chad,

I guess the pain of PE is worth it in the end 

So, a little more progress over the last couple of evenings, got the front fuse built up and mated to the main body, got all the seams filled and sanded. Then a coat of primer...then a bit more filling for bits I'd missed or was not happy about.

Have just fitted the vertical stabs, boy....there are gaps big enough that you could drive a bus through them!!

Will leave this the night to go off and then I guess tomorrow will be a bunch more filling and sanding to fill the massive gaps at the stab roots.

For such a 'new' 2019 kit this is massively bad...........but from other build reviews it was expected............and this is not the last of it either.

Aren't the horizontal tail surfaces flying surfaces/  That is, I think they are one piece, called stabilators, where the whole surface rotates.  You must leave some gap.

I have no idea what the correct name for the horizontal tail fins are called either, but yes, they are one piece and the whole fin rotates. Nowhere near that stage yet - stangely, they are THE final step in the assembly book!

Tubosteve

yes, they are one piece and the whole fin rotates.

They seem to droop a bit when the a/c are parked, in a "down" (stick forward) sort of way.

Much as the flaps and slats droop when parked, too.

Had little spare time over the past few days but have managed to get a little more done. Have got the wing front flaps on now. They were a little awkward to get on and involved some sanding of internal hinge parts to get stuff to line up properly, but a little perseverance (and filler) paid off!

Also made some progress on the undercarriage. Front one looks fine but think the 2 underwing ones are gonna be difficult to fit as parts don't seem to line up with where they are supposed to go. I'll have another look tomorrow in the clear light of day.

Finally got more or less the whole plane built and primed now. Also pre-shaded it, trying a mottled look this time. Have tried pre-shade before with (to my eye) good results so this time I thought I would try a mottling as I have seen others do..........we'll see how it goes over the weekend. Also going to try pre-shade some areas with white (reverse high lights?)

Going to spend the evening building up the ordinance, once I have decided what the load-out is going to be ​​​​​​​

TPS always seems to render link you ought to have both light and dark in the undercoat.  Like maybe hitting panels with a mix of Sky type S and a dark blue-violet.

Or not.

Loadouts on supers seem to be set up with a roulette wheel--any pick you make is likely legit.

CapnMac82

TPS always seems to render link you ought to have both light and dark in the undercoat.  

Sorry Capn................TPS?...........render link?   I don't understand

The cockpit is amazing and your build up is really nice too. I am also eager to see how your 2-3 tone pre-shading is going to come out.

Ben

So, the top side has been sprayed. Using a different paint for the first time time, Alclad Mil-Spec Enamel. Haven't quite figured it out yet as seems very prone to 'pebbling'............very unlike the MRP I have been using of late. Instructions on bottle say to spray @ 15-20 psi, I started with 20 then worked my way back to 15, had this problem all the time. sprayed from  2 to 3" and still there!  It seemed to work OK for the first 10/15 seconds then started going bad.........maybe I should add flow improver (if I had any 'cos I've never had issue before with MRP or Tamiya.  Any suggestions?

I would be interested to now anyone else used this Alclad paint with or without success??? I can't be the only one.

Undecided if the black and white pre-shade worked. The black is fine though the white doesn't seem to show too much.

As for the pebble-dash effect.........hmmmm. Have found that a good rub with a soft cloth removes the pebble-dash so it's not a train wreck!

Anyways, onward and upward as they say!

Tubosteve

Sorry Capn................TPS?...........render link? I don't understand

Oops, TPS = Tactical Paint Scheme, the current USN a/c painting format.  Uses a bunch of pre-catalyzed paints that never dry to match.  The brownshoes call it "easter egg."

And the sentence ought read "render like"--referring to how the same base color scans as not just light and dark but greener and/or bluer at the same time.

And, I'm still not decided if they render better as an undercoat, or as a tonal variation put on top.

Hope that helps any.

So I have the major painting done now, and I also have a clear coat on as well (Alclad ALC-310 Klear Kote Gloss)

Was 'surpised' to note a big difference between  Aclad and MRP, both claiming to be FS 36375 - LGG (A+B) and FS 36320 DGG (C+D). When Alclad used on model (B+D) I had to double check what I used as the difference between the Light and Dark was so little that I thought I'd accidentally used the Light on the top side.........(I hadn't).

Used a thinned down Tamiya X-18 semi gloss black for the exhaust stains.

Not so much difference between the dark and light ghost grey (Using Alclad Mil-Spec). Wasn't terribly impressed with it to be honest and had planned on using MRP for the underside. However, I didn't think I had enough on hand so I persevered with the Alclad for the underside. Still had issue with slight 'pebble-dashing' despite playing around with pressures.....bottle says 15-20 psi.......I went down as low as 10 psi (which was slightly better). Once dry, a rub down with a soft cloth removed the dusting/pebble-dash effect.

With the painting and clear coat done and dry I have started with a 'dark dirt' flory wash.

This may be well known, but it's a new discovery for me. Stumbled upon a better way to remove the flory than with a damp cloth..........just scrub it off with a dry piece of sponge. To my eye, it leaves a better look (and slightly dirtier than with a damp cloth). 

Just a quick note on the Alclad paints. I sent an email to Alclad asking if they had any explanation for my experience with their paint. I was contacted within 20 minutes by a guy called Robert asking "Could you please tell me what Mil-Spec you have, also if you have any Alclad Airbrush cleaner you can use this to thin the Mil-Spec down". Sent him details and he again relied within 20 minutes with "What is your address I will put some replacements in the post also with an Airbrush Cleaner, I won’t use any of the ones you have. It looks like bottle from the end of a filling run that has dragged some think stuff up". Sent him my address and again quickly got "Hi Steve, It will go in the post tomorrow" 

So......, maybe I just got a couple of bad bottles which they are replacing FOC, along with FOC cleaner as well!!

What great customer service  

Progress report. So, I've got her all dirtied up and sealed with another clear coat.........and now on to the mind-bending business of decals..........there's loads of the little blighters!! This is going to take a few days I think, keep popping out to my shed and do a few and then take a break as I am getting cramps in my hand and I'm sure I'm boss-eyed when I come in..........​​​​​​​

An excellent WIP my friend.  Your progress is amazing for the amount of detail that's been applied!

Your friend's, Toshi & Ezra

Looking very nice.

Finally got all the decalling done! On the home leg now, got a semi gloss top coat to go on, finish up the ordinance and then final assembly of flaps/wheels/doors/ordinance etc.

All in all, not as bad as I was expecting given the reviews I read online, few few quite bad fit issues and a fair few minor 'niggles'..........but not so bad as to make me want/need to shelve it.

Off to do the clear coat now............then finish up painting/decalling and weathering of the bombs.

And before anyone else says anything, I have just noticed my 'deliberate' mistake and the stars'n'bars are upside down on the right side of the cockpit..........oh well!!!

Well, that's a bit of a PITA!  Someone in Revell messed up as they do not supply you enough decals on the sheet!

For the weapons pylons you have 4 inner and 2 outer. For each inner pylon side you require 1 x #74, 1 x #78, 1 x #80 and 1 x #81.......2 sides per pylon (obviously!) so 2 x 74, 78, 80, 81. 4 pylons so need 8 of each for all. So...what do they give you............6!!! well done Revell!!!!

Need 12 of each when you do all the inner and outer pylons ​​​​​​​   So I'm just gonna have to do one side of the pylon only.............dammed annoying.