I wanted to share with all of you ARC'ers my current project and show off what
an awesome kit it is! Those of you who don't have this kit have probably heard
some good press about this kit and seen a few built but until you get into it
yourself you have no
idea how great it really is. Despite the massive box and the hundreds of
parts this is the best engineered model you will ever build, it is flawlessly
designed and goes together better than anything else I have seen. I thought this
would be the most difficult kit I have ever built and so far it's turning out to
be the easiest.
I
assembled a lot of after market parts for the project because I wanted to really
make this beauty shine. The goodies include; Eduard color interior set, color
placard set, and the mesh set, the Cutting Edge cockpit set (late lot) and the Black Box (click
here to read my review of this
Black Box exterior detail set) and Daco's new F-18
book. I include the Daco book as an after market item because I bought it for
building this kit and it is essential! I have never seen anything like this
book, it is the best reference book ever produced hands down! A true must have.
The
cockpit set is incredible, I chose this over the black box set because I like
the clear resin instrument panel that allows you to make great looking
multi-function displays.
I made
mine pop out a little more by painting clear green and blue and backing them
with white instead of black (this is not as accurate but I like the look). After
painting I used some of the PE parts to add even more detail to what is a great
pit already (I really like the tiny stencils on the Eduard parts). The
ejection seat also got some PE placards and careful painting, man it looks
great.
I have yet to add it but this set even includes a mesh screen to fit over the
hell hole behind the pilot, a very nice addition.
I
really like the kit nose wheel well, even though it could use a few more wires
and
hydraulic lines (I may add those latter) it is very easy to paint it up
and get a accurate nose bay. I added some Eduard placards here too.
The nose and main
gear are a work of art, I am amazed at the quality and engineering here too.
They actually come with a metal strut that you build the gear around making them
strong enough for what will be a heavy load, and yet they are dead on
representations of the real things. Academy did not compromise one bit on these
little gems. The only things missing are the hydraulic lines but these are
easily added with varying thickness of wires. I also added placards from the Eduard set but
the kit includes decals for this as well.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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The Eduard
mesh set is not necessary but for $6 it adds a few nice details and is worth
buying. It replaces the nose vents (this is for late lot Hornets only), the
upper and lower vents near the exhaust, and the vortex generators on the intake
splitters. Some cutting is required, so be careful and follow the panel lines and you will
get a nice fit.
I cut and assembled
the wings and the wing fold mechanism, but have left the final assembly for
later. This is again a great addition, the limited Hasegawa release
in 1/48th is the only other kit out there that includes a wing fold option as
part of the kit, and not even half as nice (or as accurate) as
this. Academy reproduced it in perfect detail including the upper
wing latches that might be over looked in many other kits (I know Hasegawa
forgot this).
I also built up the rear fuselage and joined the wings,
there is a small gap in the wings joint but this was easily filled and
re-scribed. I am finding that even though it is a very big kit with big parts,
it all fits very well.
That's about
it for now, but I am chugging along on this baby and should finish it in no
time. This is the first 1/32nd model I have built since I was a kid and now I
see why so many people like them, they are easier because they aren't so many
tiny parts. I have ordered some decals from Eagle Strike with VFA-105 markings for a dirty
bird from OIF and I am still trying to decide what to hang on the wings. The
only bone I have to pick with Academy (and it's minor) is with all the ordnance
included in the kit how could they forget the most common air to ground weapon? The GBU-16, the 500
pound Mk 82 based LGB, this is by far the weapon of choice for the modern
Hornet. Oh well, if they included everything, what would the after market companies be left
with? God I love this kit, if you don't have it yet go out and get it! It
rocks!
Stay tuned for more.
Everett
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