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F/A-18A Kit Bash

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  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Tuesday, December 25, 2018 6:53 AM

WOW that's about as close to the real thing as you can get . Fabulous job Mate.

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    November 2018
  • From: Saskatchewan, Canada
Posted by sickdude on Monday, December 24, 2018 11:20 AM

Perfectly done man! Weathering done to the T Yes

William (Willy)

 
  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Monday, December 24, 2018 9:04 AM

...and here are some detail pics along with the cockpit B)

GhostCanopyMain-L.jpg

WeaponsLeft-L.jpg

MarinesMain-L.jpg

ProfileL-L.jpg

CockpitMain-L.jpg

CockpitCloseup-L.jpg

CockpitProfileR-L.jpg

 

Left1-L.jpg

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Monday, December 24, 2018 9:03 AM

FINISHED!

This build was for our local clubs Marine tribute in honor of past club President, avid modeler, and Marine Ed Kinney. I wanted to do a Desert Storm Hornet from the Hasegawa F-18 kit I had. Going through all the options I decided on a stinger from VMFA-451 because it received a purple heart for damage incurred from a SAM missile to the sidewinder station. The Warlords frlew out of Shaikh Isa AB in Bahrain. The Warlords were also the first Marine unit to attack Iraqi locations in Desert Storm so there was alot of history here to model.

This has been my most involved build, which ended up taking 6 months to complete (although there were a few family interruptions and that leaking 2nd floor bathroom lol but that's another "remodeling" story). Forward dating the model, which was essentially the prototype AC, was a chore helped along by 3 great LSP'ers (a special note, that's RedDog's belly tank you see). To this I added the Avionix cockpit and tail resin F/A-18A conversion set, AMR Reaver screens and vents, Flying Leathernecks decals, TwoBobs ordnance decals, a Navy pilot from my stash plus alot of scratch building.

My logic on weathering was that since this stinger was in action my first time weathering efforts would be ok if they were a little on the heavy side. I learned as I went along, practicing on the Haz parts I didn't use before doing the real thing. I used The Scale Hornet by Jake Melampy for reference. My WIP page has all the details on scratch buildings and techniques used to complete the project. Check it out!

Let's start with some main profile shots and then I can add some details in second post (Note the flap and tail position are set for the takeoff orientation I use on the stand).

FrontDownUnder-L.jpg

FrontProfileMain-L.jpg

Top_Rear-L.jpg

TopReaMain-XL.jpg

TopFrontMain-XL.jpg

Top_Main-L.jpg

TakeoffBelly-XL.jpg

TakeOffMain-L.jpg

LeftRearMain-L.jpg

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 1:14 AM

Really cool display.  Nice job.

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 12:45 AM

Finished her up in time for our club meeting. Wonderful night for sure. Here are a few pics on display. Will get some nice shots with my sons camera and macro lens later in the week for the FINISHED post. Still running high on the coffee i had in order to make the 3-1/2 hour drive home  tonight so thought posting some pics would be good to wind down on. The base is all sandpaper made to match Shaikh Isa AB in Bahrain where these fighters flew from.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Sunday, December 16, 2018 9:09 AM

Awesome, thanks!  I'll have to order some.  I've got a while before I'm going to need it.  I was looking for a good method to re-create the anti-slip rather than just dabbing on flat black paint. 

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 15, 2018 8:04 PM

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Saturday, December 15, 2018 7:23 PM

I like it!  Can't wait to see it all finished up.  So if you don't mind me asking what method did you use for the anti-slip area?  I'm not familiar with AK stuff, not carried in any of the local hobby shops, but if I can order it online I will.  I need to simulate anti-slip on the wings of my current project, and I like how yours came out.  Thanks!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 15, 2018 6:50 PM

Time to relax for the evening. Feeling pretty good about this. The plane itself is done! Cockpit is unmasked, I can finallyget those glamour shots the pilot wanted before i closed it up for painting. I used AK Interactive pigments and fixer for the walkways. This was so much less involved then some of the other methods i read about. Already colored and it has texture to it like the antislip surface. Horizontal stabs are still wet so will get them on for thefinal finished pics later.

 

tomorrow and onday i will end up doing the painting and decals for all the ordnance, looking forward to that. It’s getting pretty heavy, may have to get a steel rod instead of plastic. Will have to see if my balance point worked out or not for the final decision.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 15, 2018 6:48 PM

Yes Thanks sickdude  glad you’re enjoying the build

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    November 2018
  • From: Saskatchewan, Canada
Posted by sickdude on Saturday, December 15, 2018 11:12 AM

She's looking real good man. Great job on my favorite fighter! Big Smile

William (Willy)

 
  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 15, 2018 10:52 AM

Here’s a teaser for today! I’m chained to the bench today on a mad dash to finish her up...

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Thursday, December 13, 2018 10:44 PM

Just one pic tonight but it represents about 10hrs of work. Always surprising how much time passes when you sit down and do decals! Flaps are on and weathered, gun burn marks on, exhaust painted but not on yet, landing gear doors ready to go on, and pylons ready to go on (all sitting on left side of the booth).

 

tomorrow I’ll finish up decals and put a matt coat on it. My pilot decal fell apart. Not sure if i want to put another name on it or not yet. I may put out a call on the trader board first. Then Saturday it’s all weapons day! My sons going to start the base for me and then Sunday it’s time to travel with it. Going to be a busy few days for sure. Comments and critiques welcome. I still have some time for changes built in.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 11:56 PM

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 11:54 PM

Keyda it’s worth trying on anything that’s seen some rough service. My camera and location for pics isn’t the best so it’s hard to capture the tone variations accurately. They’re either too harsh or soft it seems in the pics. I tell you being able to fix my goofs here and there without feeling like i ruined the paint has been awesome. It really seems more realistic in person. My son stopped over and that was one of his first comments about it.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 9:26 PM

I've been following along, but couldn't comment, got locked out, lol.  I've never tried the black basing, or pre-shading.  Haven't gotten into either one yet.  I might have to give something a try with the current build though.  Looking good!

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Between LA and OC, SoCal
Posted by oortiz10 on Monday, December 10, 2018 12:14 PM

Hey Mongoose,

I think your paint looks great. Looks like a well used USN line jet. I agree that one of the benefits of this method is how easy it is to fix boo-boos. When there were a few spots on my build that I had to go back and address, the ensuing paint touch-ups just added to the overall effect. Even after final assembly! Some freshly painted spots ended up looking just like the random cover-ups we'd see on the real jets. 

As far as the mottling goes, yeah, it'll tone down a bit under the flat coat. I think that's one thing I'll do different with this method. Next time, I'll let the black show through a little more. I think that spraying my top coats a bit thinner will give a bit more contrast after the flat coat.

Anyway, your build is shaping up. Keep up the good work!

-O

-It's Omar, but they call me "O".

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 9, 2018 8:20 PM

Calling it a day. Time for a beer and some nfl football. I see Hornets over Hanoi is updated so maybe I’ll read a few build threads first...

Here she is with a gloss coat on her, ready for weathering. The last one is a collage of all the small parts i did as well.

the mottling really shows up under the gloss clear. Assuming it will fade when the matt clear goes on. Anyone with experience with this that could confirm how it looks with matt clear?

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 9, 2018 4:36 PM

It's been a completely uninterrupted day in the paint booth :thumbsup: Another 2 hours gone and the bottom is done in light ghost grey. The tails were supposed to be LGG too which I almost missed. Glad Dave Roof has the graphics with his decals for sure as I kept that sheet right next to me all day.

 

Here's something I really like about this system...I think I said that a few posts up too haha. These 3 pics are for a repair I did. Once I had the mottle coat finished I noticed some poor filler work, yeah I know go figure lol. In order of progression you can see how the repair goes and prior to the top coat it's almost unnoticeable.

 

I still need more work on my sanding and filling but it's getting better.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 9, 2018 12:54 PM

Who hoo thanks for the encouragement Anthony! 

 

This morning the bottom mottling is all done. Starting with th small parts was definitely the wayto go. If for no other reason this method is great for impoving air brush skills. Recognizng when it needs cleaned out and when my strokes are getting sloppy, like going too fast. So heres where I’m at plus a shot of all the different mixes and a bonus, had a few pieces of cork board left from my daughters room decorating request that were put to good use.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 8, 2018 2:58 PM

It’s a model fest weekend!!

heres the gark ghost grey and lighter dark ghost grey mottle coat. After the kids christmas carol concert tonight the darker dark ghost grey will go on mist likely Stick out tongue

I also redid the stabilators. Used bondo glazing putty instead of perfect plastic putty.it looks much better. Pics later once i get them repainted.

 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Friday, December 7, 2018 10:53 PM

One thing I can conclude, I must do a better job blending in the filler. Jury's out on how I'm doing at black basing. Let me know what you think good or bad? Some of my mixed opinion is that the paint is really glossy after applying the top coat with 70% thinner. The thinned coat is hard to lay down because it's hard to see the paint. Took aswhile to find the right reflection and set up the airbrush different than for the mottle coat.

1st off I'll show two stabilators side by side. On the left are 3 coats, primary color and a lightened mix and darkened mix. I used white and black to change the shades. 

 

Here's some progress pics. This 1st one is the set with just the base color on them.

Here they are with all 3 coats prior to doing the thinned cover coat with the base color.

And whenever I had some paint still in the cup I threw it on the hornet :-)

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Friday, December 7, 2018 4:04 PM

So I took a day off work for this. Originally this was supposed to be for a Marine tribute at our local IPMS club meeting in September. Since the water dripping into the family room from the upstairs bathroom took over my late summer lol, it has become a December meeting goal...So I took a day off work for this because it still felt too far from done to make the meeting on the 17th. 

Here is the overall state of things today (did some weapons too but no pics of those till they're done).

Does anyone have experience with how the filler looks once you start putting color on the aircraft? The black primer shows it way too well. When I use grey primer it seems to blend in pretty good. Will end up testing things out on the stabilator before I do the main plane so any advice ahead of time would be great.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Friday, December 7, 2018 3:55 PM

oortiz10

Hey Mongoose,

I'm interested in seeing how your paintwork turns out. Please post pictures of your progress. I'd love to compare notes when you're done.

So far your build's looking great. Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Cheers!

-O

 

 

O sounds great. So far I've learned that setting the stop on the back of my airbrush to limit travel is IMPORTANT lol at least for me. It was really easy to splatter paint. Now I'm figuring out speed and control. I still have some "dots" where it seems I'm stopping and staying in 1 place for too long. Did you have these when you did the random spraying? If so did they cover up with the next several coats? 

One thing I tried was to vary the black coat. It's not so heavy in spots like on the top side of the tails and on the trailing edge of the flaperons. Will see how that looks once I put a few different shades on it. I tried white on the top side of the tails and it didn't have the affect I thought it would so it may be that solid black is the best.

More on where I'm at in the build below...

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Between LA and OC, SoCal
Posted by oortiz10 on Friday, December 7, 2018 12:55 PM

Hey Mongoose,

I'm interested in seeing how your paintwork turns out. Please post pictures of your progress. I'd love to compare notes when you're done.

So far your build's looking great. Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Cheers!

-O

-It's Omar, but they call me "O".

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Thursday, December 6, 2018 9:18 PM

Started my first black basing trials tonight! The MCW paint is thinned 50/50 with gunze leveling thinner. One of the guys at our local club suggested this to get a smoother finish and to be able to control how much paint is going down. One of my best lessons yet has come from this experience. Probably the first time I’ve been able to get a fine line and this method is helping me learn how to put the paint down n layers rather than an overall spray that tends to be too thick. Below is just the mottle coat. Will do more over the weekend following some more practice before i spray a cover coat and some other shades. 1st I’ve got to get the whole thing together tho lol

IMG_3731-L.jpg

IMG_3753-L.jpg

IMG_3730-L.jpg

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 10:02 PM

Hit a milestone today, the cockpit is done and ready for a final check. :piliot:Let me know if you see something I should correct before I seal it up and get ready to primer the whole plane. I'm very happy I didn't launch one piece into the stratosphere! I masked the canopy while I was waiting on paint to dry. Wish I hadn't been so productive now that I had a chance to borrow my son's camera with the wide angle lens or I could have gotten some shots with it on too. The pilot is Vallejo's Green Grey which seems to be the match to sage green. I lightened the color with white and yellow for a few different tones. I darkened it with black and didn't like it at all, seemed to come out a deep grey instead of a green tone. I'm debating if a black wash would make it look any better. Let me know your thoughts. 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 2, 2018 9:34 PM

Not as far as I’d like but had more family stuff to do than i thought :-)

the upper movable canopy is done and drying in the canopy now. Made up 3 rear view mirrors but still need to install them. Found i didn't have the right paint for a Marine so will make a pit stop at LHS after work tomorrow. Hopefully done tomorrow 

Looked at this pic and realized some paint chipped so i got that fixed. The HUD frame came from the Hasegawa kit, cut them off and made a tab on the bottom to mount in the Academy coming. The green light is one of those sticky backed jewels from the art area at walmart.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

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