2006 F/A-18 Super Hornet GB

well just a small up date no mojo to work on them today. the cockpit is done all that is need is for the cockpit  section to be joined and  this one along with the E is ready for the paint booth. i figured out a way to get a better fit with the phot etch stuff this one turned out better than my frist one i did.

a very good night at the bench. heres what i have done so far with the second  hornet i am building the  group. the f is coming along very nice. should be able to get most of the cockpit done 2mrow. i will be placing a order with great models and spruces brothers for some things for the 3 hornets that i have going at one time. so here is a pic of the f hornet. john did you ever get your part yet? i may be able to help you out. i have a deal that i am working with brain of vf decals on a couple of revell kits that he is selling.

well just another small update. the bird has a full body now. i had one heck of a time around the front office were the two meet together a lot of sanding to get it the way it should be. also had a huge gap were the fule tank goes. again i had to do a lot of sanding but it has turned out all right i guess when i paint it thats when it will show how good of a job  i have done on it..well this one is now ready for the paint booth. but i want to paint both at one time so this one will be sit aside and i  will start on the f -hornet.so here are just a few pics of the e hornet

thanks for the b- wishes john it was a good one its been a long time since i gave my self a self induce headace needles to say not much of anything done the next day

well the cockpit is done. i guss for the first time all the sutff turned out ok. i did muck up on one of the screens down in the middle. well john i to hate doing cockpits escipally the seats, but if thier is a photo etch set out for what i am doing thats whats going in the pit. so her are here are just a few pics. i hope to have it all joined togeher this evening after dinner and she will be ready for th paint booth 2mrow.

Hi Rob

Your cockpit is coming along nicely. I hate painting cockpits, not my strong point.

Happy Birthday, hope you had a good one.

I lost the throttle this morning while trying to dry-fit/glue (serves me right for trying to squeeze modelling in before work). Will have a second look tonight, otherwise will see what can be stolen from another kit or I might just fill it up.

The 'OS' doesn't mean anything, when I joined finescale I wasn't sure what to use as a username, so I used the network login I was given on one of our clients domains.(was at work when I registered) It made sense at time, wouldn't forget it and its kinda stuck. Use it at ARC as well.

well john since i cant aford the 48 birds i only build in 72 scale. and the phot stuff is in 1/72. well i made some progress on the pit today. i played hookie from work today since it was  my b-da and i did mange toget some of the front office done before the partying started and the beer started flowing the consoles and black boxes were put in then i started on the ejection seat and the snafu bug hit thank god for resins seats. i got about 20 of them being painted by a fellow on the arc for my future builds of  the f-1 8 hornet. i new my luck would run out eventually i see i have alot of sanding a maybe some puttying when i join the under section with the cockpit  tub  section and the main fusalge together.  still working on the instruments panels and i hope to have it done 2mrow. so here is a small updae with pics. i hope you get what u need for you hornet john. its a shame that revell wont do anything since its their muck-up.not bieng nosie but what is the os in front of your name stand for? thanks rob

Hi all

Liam, I checked all the images I have on my pc and on the carrier and when landing there isn't a gap and the vents aren't visible. Unfortunately all the inflight images don't have enough light inside the intakes to see. Create a post on ARC, some of the Navy guys might be able to help.

As for weapon loadouts, Rob is right. You can pretty much loadup anything you want to since its one of the test squadrons. However if you're after accuracy as to whats has been tested/cleared, again ARC has some existing posts regarding loadouts in one of the forum areas, just do a search.

Rob, looking good. The kit in the pic regarding the photo-etched parts, is that 72 or 48?

I ordered the photo-etched stuff for the Hasegawa F-4G I just ordered.

There is light at the end of the tunnel regarding "part 93". Luckymodel were amazing in their service and should be shipping the part on Monday. Should be with me early next week along with my F-4G.

Still fumbling in the dark with GreatModels.com. They eventually understood what I was after and told me that they would order the part. It appears as if they've ordered an entire new kit, which doesn't actually help. Will keep emailing them.

Should have some photos of the cockpit ready in the next day or 2.

Whats happened to everyone else?

well not much done this evening only thing i got done is the top side and the side panels with the photo etch stuff. if this turns out all right i will use nothig but this stuff from now on with all my -f18 builds and any other builds if its avaible for it.

wel liam as for vx-9 anythig goes since its a test and evaul squdaron. well here are a few pics of my E-f18 hornet.  should have stayed home and worked on the hornets not a critter in site that i was lookning for only seen 4 wood ducks and they were pretty but i dont hunt ducks yet. so here are just afew of the e and to i got my 2bobs decals for 143 so now i am all set to build both

12-01-06

Hi all

Liam, I painted my MFDs black and then I added a drop of Tamiya clear green on the top 3 and Tamiya clear blue on the bottom one.

Rob, feel free to post ur pics of your "quick" superbug, followed the progress on ARC. Looking forward to seeing the results.

I'm still waiting on news about a replacement part. Received an automated response from Revell-Germany informing me that they received my email and will get back to me.

GreatModels response was hilarious, even though I explained that only one part was missing and that I actually did receive the kit etc, they responded informing me how the kit was shipped and that the method didn't allow for tracking items.

I responded with a detailed email explaining myself yet again and adding additional information. Still waiting for a response to that.

So the saga of the missing part continues, will keep everyone posted.

11-01-06

Hey John and all!

I have the cockpit tub,instrument panel and seat painted and ready for assembly.

Can you tell me please, the screens on the instrument panel, the two oute ones ( based on the pics on ARC) seem to be a green color, but what color would be appropiate for the other three screens?

Thanks in advance

Liam

Liam, the correct colour is Dark Gull Grey, FS36231. Standard colour for all US Navy cockpits.

09-01-06

Hey again.

Can anyone give me an FS number for the cockpit tub?

Color guide says Light Grey....and there are so many shades to choose from. Looking at photos, I went for FS 36495, which is almost white, though it dries a tad darker.

Any advise?? ( also thinking of using 36251)

Thanks in advance

Liam

Hi all

I started the nose assembly today only discover that my RM kit didn't contain part 93 This is the top part of the nose and contains the gun vents etc.

Went to RM's site only to discover that the part replacement service is only valid for users in the US and Canada. I attempted to order the part 4 times incase it work but no joy since I'm in South Africa.

I searched the RM site for a contact email address but no joy there either.

Went over to the RoG site and I've emailed them explaining the situation, hopefully they can resolve this. Emailed GreatModels.com as well which is where I bought the RM kit in the first place. Hopefully between the 2 I can get a replacement.

Luckily I have the RoG kit and it does contain part 93, so my build can continue but until RoG comes back to me my other kit can't be built.

Hope the rest of you are having an easier time.

06-01-06

Hey John.

Yup, in the walkaround section on ARC, there are cockpit shots of the F/A-18E. They're pretty good and clear.

There seems to be two versions of the instruction sheet available, depending upon which side of the company has released the kit. Here in Europe, the color of the rest of the seat is "anthracite grey" which has also been described as coal black ( mix black with a small amount of blue and a dash of silver). The seat cushion is dark green, not olive drab and so on.....even, as I said earlier, the fuselage colors are listed as mixed percentages of odd-ball shades instead of an FS number or something like Ghost Grey. It's odd that the sheet is reprinted depending upon the region.

Another minus point to Revell.

Liam

The Monogram instructions say Olive Drab for the cushion, white seatbelts(dunno?) and the seat sides is flat black with a centre panel in Dark Gull Grey.

Now that I think about there might be some walk-arounds at ARC, will headover and feedback to everyone.

06-01-06

Heheh. Actually, good quality cockpit shots are needed! I was wondering also, the instructions say the seat-cushion area should be "dark green". Do I take it this means olive drab???

So it has a good fit? Goody-goody!!

Liam

LOL

Monogram kit has it as well, atleast there isn't any detail to be lost if you sand it off.

I did a test fit of the two fuselage halves and they fit like a glove, well almost. One or two swipes on the one corner and you have a fit like a Tamiya kit.

Will start the cockpit work this weekend, anyone got a good quality photo/image of an 'E' cockpit?

Hows everbody else doing?

05-01-06

Hey John:

No worries. I have started the painting with the cockpit..as usual I guess and have sanded off the seam along the main canopy.

However, has anyone else noticed the infamous "copyright Revell" molded onto the OUTSIDE of the wing? On the bottom?Part number2

God! I thought Revell had learned you don't  do that!! A bit of a let-down on an otherwise beautiful kit.However, I am looking forward to this, so, onwards and upwards......

Liam

Hey Rob, been hiding out underneath the xmas tree and finishing off my Italeri AH-1Z. Glued the last 2 hellfire missiles on this morning. Will move it to the shelf when I get home.

That leaves my desk open for the Hornet.

Liam, welcom aboard, I've added you onto the build list.

We will be glad to help out in anyway, just ask away.

04-01-06

Hey John.

Taking your advise. Looks like I might need a hand with the Revell kit. It is puzzling how they can muck up the instruction sheet. Just look at what they have down for color M, which is the yellow on the stabs.!! It's the color for the fuselage???

I don't think so.

Anyways, sign me up...I'll be starting this bad boy on the morrow.

Strange to be back on FSM. Been away for a while.

Liam

Hi all

At long last its finally time to open those superhornet boxes and sniff in the smell of fresh styrene!

I'm just attaching the weapons to my current build and cleaning off the residue on the canopy left over from masking. I will start on the superhornet this weekend.(hopefully sooner)

Looking forward to seeing all the progress pics.