1/72 AirfixF-18A Hornet

[stillp]

The bay doors came off alright. The white interiors stayed clean, but there might be some touchup needed on the fuselage:
I fitted the nose gear:

The doors have had the red edge added with a 0.8mm paint pen, and been numbered so I can put them back in the right place:

One of them has to have a decal attached on the inside so I'll do that tonight, then I can start fitting them tomorrow.
Pete

 

[stillp]

I'm still not sure it was a good idea to finish the underside before unmasking the top, but for better or worse, the underside is (almost) finished:

The 'almost' is for the arrestor hook, which I'll fit after painting the jet pipes, which will involve moving the tail surfaces, so after the top masking is removed.
Any bets on whether I can fit the canopy, airbrake, and another 20 or so decals, without breaking off any of those stores?
Pete

 

[Deleted member 7181]

In my case it would definitely be how many would I break off, and how many times!

 

[yak face]

Me too , this is the part of the build where Im constantly sticking bits back on that ive knocked off while handling , the P-38 night lightning had the main undercarriage doors re attached about ten times!! Be careful pete as its looking mighty fine now , cheers tony

 

[stillp]

Well, the masking is off, with a little touch-up needed:

A bit of a mess where what looks like the clear varnish seeped under the masking tape, but nothing too serious. The nose has the underside colour extending right around, and it seemed easier to brush paint that rather than mask:

I'm not unhappy at all. Ironically, one of the bombs just fell off while I was typing this! I'm sure it won't be the last.
Thanks for watching,
Pete

 

[Jakko]

Look at it this way: bombs are designed to fall off aeroplanes, aren’t they?

 

[stillp]

Yes, but they're also designed to explode!
You can over do realism you know.

 

[Jakko]

Ah, but these don’t have fuzes, do they? So they can’t explode, but they can fall off the plane

 

[stillp]

Been quiet for a few days while fixing a problem of my own making (again... ). I finished the decals on the lower side, then noticed, after I'd removed the upper side masking, that the paint was a bit thin on one fin. Rather than mask it up again I thought I'd brush some more paint on - but the brush dragged up the paint that was already there, making a right mess. After a few choice words (oh bother, and so on) I let it dry, sanded it smooth, and started to paint it again... in the wrong colour! Rinse and repeat.
After all that, I think all the decals are now on. The hints (can't really call them instructions) show 4 of one Warning stencil, but there are only 2 on the decal sheet. Not that it makes much difference, as this "Low-Vis" scheme means most of the decals are very nearly invisible, being nearly the same shade of grey as the background.
Here they are, festering under a good dose of MicroSol:

Oh, and the score for bits knocked off is now 3: two bombs and one nosegear door!
Cheers
Pete

 

[adt70hk]

Pete

Just caught up on this and I see you've had a value on your hands. Well done for preserving!!

ATB

Andrew

 

[JR]

Does one good to realise I'm not alone in knocking bits off Pete.
I bet plane designers have a good laugh at the thought of a model coming out with loads of decals, I can just see them sniggering saying ". This little lot will fix them "
I put all mistakes , glue spots , and missing pieces under the heading of battle fatigue!.

 

[BigGreg]

Been quiet for a few days while fixing a problem of my own making (again... ). I finished the decals on the lower side, then noticed, after I'd removed the upper side masking, that the paint was a bit thin on one fin. Rather than mask it up again I thought I'd brush some more paint on - but the brush dragged up the paint that was already there, making a right mess. After a few choice words (oh bother, and so on) I let it dry, sanded it smooth, and started to paint it again... in the wrong colour! Rinse and repeat.
After all that, I think all the decals are now on. The hints (can't really call them instructions) show 4 of one Warning stencil, but there are only 2 on the decal sheet. Not that it makes much difference, as this "Low-Vis" scheme means most of the decals are very nearly invisible, being nearly the same shade of grey as the background.
Here they are, festering under a good dose of MicroSol:
View attachment 371059View attachment 371060View attachment 371061View attachment 371062View attachment 371063
Oh, and the score for bits knocked off is now 3: two bombs and one nosegear door!
Cheers
Pete

I feel your frustration... sometimes when i make as u did I invent new words (cursing) and i must tell it helps... can you explain WHY things happen when you thought everything is perfect/finished/done....

 

[Jakko]

I bet plane designers have a good laugh at the thought of a model coming out with loads of decals, I can just see them sniggering saying ". This little lot will fix them "

I too have often wondered whether designers of real planes, tanks etc. take conscious decisions to make them more difficult to build models of …

 

[boatman]

Well pete I think you have done a super build as I really love these hornet's like the tomcat's some of my fav aircraft I must admit I destest this low vis colour sceme as like you said you can hardly see the warning sign's deacal's an for me id proberly not bother to fit them. But I do see the point of it for the real plane makers as if you cant be seen easy then perhaps you wont be shot down but low vis don't protect the plane from bein picked up by radar though does it unless its a stealth aircraft so for me I love high vis an all the decalls that you fit can be seen so to me it worth fittin them as WHEN I build my two big kits they will be in high vis but back to your build to me its spot on an as Jakko says the bomb's are ment to fall off lol but from me pete very well done as ive enjoyed following this build sorry for waffling on ps are you not gonna paint in the nav lights an the orange strobe lights on the tails ?
chris

 

[stillp]

Moving on, the pilot survived unharmed under the masking tape:

and I've replaced the bits that fell off (two bombs and two u/c bay doors!):

Added the Sidewinders as well. Plan is to spray a final matt coat tomorrow, the fit the canopies.
Thanks for watching,
Pete

 

[scottie3158]

Pete,
Looking good, that's why I don't build wingy things to many decals lol.

 

[stillp]

I quite enjoy decals Paul, they seem to bring the model to life. Maybe not on this model, they're mostly hardly visible! Lots of sticky-out bits to break off on this one though, at least decals don't fall off!
Just noticed, looking at that last photo, one of the bombs isn't on straight, so that'll need to come off again.
Pete

 

[boatman]

YEA its on the strb wing

 

[stillp]

On second thoughts, that bomb can stay where it is - it doesn't look so bad in the flesh, and it really doesn't want to come off - I just picked up the plane by holding the bomb.
Pete

 

[boatman]

AN Pete I see you painted your ring ok then lol
an you wont bomb straight with a wonky bomb on the hard point lol
chris