Starfighter Jock Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 (edited) (Photos Credit: Seaforces.org) After a long break from doing any serious model building, and since we are moving into the fall/winter season here in northern Michigan where I live, I have some regenerated mojo to spend some time at the workbench and get my model building hobby back into forward gear. After looking through my kit collection and all the aftermarket stuff I have collected over time, the Academy F/A-18 Hornet grabbed my attention, along with Flying Leathernecks USMC F/A-18A/C “Hornets Swarm” decal sheet. I had my subject, a F/A-18A+ assigned to VMFA-142 during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. Specifically, BuNo 162469 “212”. As the building of the Academy kit has been covered in-depth in both book and forum formats over the years, I am not going to present a blow-by-blow build report, just going to highlight what I am doing with the kit as I move through this work in process. That said, here is a listing of the products I intend to use on this build; Academy 1/32 F/A-18C Hornet kit. Avionix - F/A-18A Cockpit w/ Tail Fin Conversion set. Legend Productions - SJU-5/6 Seat . Aires - F/A-18 Wheel bays set. Quickboost – F/A-18 APU starter, Access panels, Lex Fences and APX-IFF Antenna sets. A.U.M.R. Reaver - F/A-18C/D Louvers and Meshes set. Eduard - F/A-18 Interior & Exterior PE sets. Dmold Modelworks - F/A-18 Profiled Intake and F/A-18C Top Panel sets. Rhino Modelworks - F/A-18A/B/C/D Exhaust set. Flying Leathernecks - F/A-18A/B Pylons, F/A-18A Tail Stiffeners, F/A-18A/B/C/D HUD and HUD Glass sets. Flying Leathernecks - USMC F/A-18A/C in Combat “Hornets Swarm” Decal Sheet. Let the progress begin…………………….. Kirk Johnston (KJ) Edited October 6, 2021 by Starfighter Jock Corrections Starfighter, Dart_Schatten, chuck540z3 and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 Looking forward to your build. Starfighter Jock and Martinnfb 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 x2 Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrish Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 Scraaaaaaape….that just me pulling up my chair. I’ll go grab a drink and some Doritos then you can get started. I got a funny for ya, I bought the resin A tails for mine, test fitted and primed them then set aside for the final paint, this was for a demonstration version CF-18 (or CF-188 if you prefer) got the complicated fuselage colours on and added the vertical tails only to have them fall off at least 3 times each before I remembered they were resin and I was trying to glue them on with Tamiya thin…old age and bad memory are where I’m placing the fault. themongoose, Starfighter Jock and Dragon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted October 10, 2021 Author Share Posted October 10, 2021 (edited) Quiet Sunday afternoon spent at the workbench. Aires wheel wells are now installed into the lower fuselage, along with the Quickboost APU exhaust set. I also installed the A.M.U.R. Reaver splitter plates to the Dmold Modelworks intakes. I have to say, this PE set is just excellent. Etched onto 0.05 mm thickness steel sheet. It is super thin yet very strong, so much so, my curved scalpel blade would not cut through the thin fret attachment point, I had to break out my PE scissors, which worked well. As you can see from my photos, the detail is astounding, just don't think it gets much better than that. Cheers! KJ Edited October 10, 2021 by Starfighter Jock Correction F`s are my favs, MDuv, Starfighter and 18 others 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 That looks brilliant! Sadly, the AMUR Reaver parts are no longer available... Starfighter Jock and stusbke 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted October 11, 2021 Author Share Posted October 11, 2021 3 hours ago, Starfighter said: That looks brilliant! Sadly, the AMUR Reaver parts are no longer available... That is not good, it is a excellent set. Fortunately I ordered three sets from them a few years ago, so I have two more in my part drawers that I will use at some point in the future. I would still like to build a CF-18 and the F/A-18D sometime in the future. Hopefully AMUR will do another run of this set down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcD Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Great project! Always nice to see a Hornet being built. I was not aware AMUR Reaver is out of business, they really had some top class products. I hope they return in some way... Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight Line Media Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Awesome progress! Looking forward to seeing this build completed. Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted October 11, 2021 Author Share Posted October 11, 2021 1 hour ago, JMcD said: Great project! Always nice to see a Hornet being built. I was not aware AMUR Reaver is out of business, they really had some top class products. I hope they return in some way... They are still in business, I recently ordered a couple of there 1/48 A-10 and 1/32 Super Hornet louvers and meshes sets, they just discontinued the set for the 1/32 F/A-18C/D. Not sure if they will ever do a second run of this set or not, suppose it just depends if the demand for them exists or not. KJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madelf75 Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 Built mine the same after market parts Starfighter Jock, Flight Line Media, Anthony in NZ and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted October 12, 2021 Share Posted October 12, 2021 I contacted them in November 2020 already - it does not look like they have any plans to re-issue this set. I'll have to fiddle around with the Eduard bits... Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted October 12, 2021 Author Share Posted October 12, 2021 15 hours ago, Madelf75 said: Built mine the same after market parts A very well dressed Hornet! ....... Great looking model! KJ Madelf75 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crew Dog Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 Great to see another Bug in the works! I'll tag along, for sure. Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted October 14, 2021 Share Posted October 14, 2021 May I ask what kind of glue you have used to glue the AMUR Reaver parts? A friend of mine has used them and told me super glue did not work very well for him as the parts are so thin. Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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