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F/A-18B RAAF, 1:144 Revell + resin - update 4-7


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Here's my entry the Revell 1:144 F/A-18D, backdated to a 'B and modified to represent the hornets of the RAAF, specifically A21-106 as shown here

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/Hornet-A21-106/DN_3A21_106

Here the box shot, and the novascale decals.

photo-867.jpg

The decals are APLS prints which I've never had to deal with before. The RAAF roundels look really crisp but the blue flashes aren't all that great, but we'll see how we go.

I've also the retrowings resin control surfaces and cockpit set along with the ozmods resin fuel tanks and bomb carriers on order.

I think it'll be parked up covers over the intake and exhaust with the wings folded and the canopy open.

Edited by Neal
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Sweet choice Neal!! You will be having fun with Retrowings stuff. I hope you made the order from Ozmods worth it, last time I checked I was quoted £30 for shipping... Sod that!! :( still I look forward to your build. :D

Kind Regards

Dazz

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That's going to look good Neal. I will be watching to see how you put the wing together with interest, having just picked up a set for a future build.

Thanks, with the amount of cutting required for the control surfaces there's a good chance this could all go spectacularly wrong.

Sweet choice Neal!! You will be having fun with Retrowings stuff. I hope you made the order from Ozmods worth it, last time I checked I was quoted £30 for shipping... Sod that!! :( still I look forward to your build. :D

Kind Regards

Dazz

Any tips with the retrowings parts? I know what you mean about the postage from their website, the minimum order size also makes it uneconomical. However there's an eBay seller who seems to have most of their parts and shipping was only £3 so not much more than UK internal shipping Edited by Neal
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Thanks, with the amount of cutting required for the control surfaces there's a good chance this could all go spectacularly wrong.

Any tips with the retrowings parts? I know what you mean about the postage from their website, the minimum order size also makes it uneconomical. However there's an eBay seller who seems to have most of their parts and shipping was only £3 so not much more than UK internal shipping

Neal, the parts fit like a dream and the actual model is marked out well enough that you know where to cut with out any troubles. If you get stuck you could always use my WiP thread. Sure I got a bigger picture of where to cut also. Think I will be building an F-18 with the flaps down for this build too. The resin parts are great! Like I've already said they fitted like a dream, with the correct preparation (think mine was far from that!! Lol). The only advice I'd suggest is to watch the actuators on the flaps and remember to replace the models version of the flap actuators the correct way, I didn't :( also watch it when you cut the wing tips off for the folding. I went a little too far, but it worked out. I had no problems with the cockpit, worked a treat... If I think of any more I'll let you know. Although to be honest, I'll be coming to you for advice!! :P

I'll have to look into the eBay shop, there's a lot I would love to get from OzMods.

Kind Regards

Dazz

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Oh yeah I forgot to mention that you will need to cut off/file down the attachment points on the fuselage, where you *usually* see either an AIM-7 or AIM-120 (think thats the AMRAAM), as it has the attachement points for the TILAD and somekind of other ariel (I'm assuming RF for the Mavericks??).

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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Like the look of the 144 kits will watch the builds

Les

Cheers Les

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that you will need to cut off/file down the attachment points on the fuselage, where you *usually* see either an AIM-7 or AIM-120 (think thats the AMRAAM), as it has the attachement points for the TILAD and somekind of other ariel (I'm assuming RF for the Mavericks??).

Kind Regards,

Dazz

Thanks for the tip off. The flaps arrived yesterday, all looks straight forward but my cutting, gluing & filling isn't that great.

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Thanks for the tip off. The flaps arrived yesterday, all looks straight forward but my cutting, gluing & filling isn't that great.

You are welcome Neal, the flaps and such really are easy. Come on, even I managed to make them look half decent ;)

I'm sure you will turn out an belter like you have done in the past. :)

Going up into my loft tomorrow to see what I have...

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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Thanks, with the amount of cutting required for the control surfaces there's a good chance this could all go spectacularly wrong.

Any tips with the retrowings parts? I know what you mean about the postage from their website, the minimum order size also makes it uneconomical. However there's an eBay seller who seems to have most of their parts and shipping was only £3 so not much more than UK internal shipping

I would just follow Dazz's example in his excellent build and mark the bits that you need to cut away and just take your time when you come to cut. You certainly have the patience to achieve a good result.

Good Luck

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I would just follow Dazz's example in his excellent build and mark the bits that you need to cut away and just take your time when you come to cut. You certainly have the patience to achieve a good result.

"Excellent" build isn't what came to mind when I done them, "big f***ing cock-up" I called it. :P However I agree with you Nimrod, about Neal having the patience to achieve a good result. Looking forward to this one. :)

Oh Neal, also forgot to add about the mini-tail things just after the cockpit... LERX's are they?? Well IF your aircraft has the Walkway decals, you will need to attach the LERX's after you've put the decals on. They will not fit otherwise... guess how I learned that one... :banghead: Apart from all the things I am pointing out, they really are great models :)

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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Thanks for the pointers and vote of confidence chaps.

Finally managed to snatch an hours modelling. So following the good advice it's been slow and steady; the rudders are off, one set of flaps and slats are free and so are the stabilisers. I wasn't initially going to do the stabilisers but it'll make filling, sanding and painting easier later.

photo-1219.jpg

The wing folds going to be a tricky cut as the plastic is pretty thick at the join and its not a straight cut.

The fin mounted RWR have gone as well to back date to a B.

Edited by Neal
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Impressive start Neal, if it helps you any. What I done with the wing folds was to cut a straight line across it first, then I use a sharp knife to mark where to cut the next bit and used a needle file to get join in. If you do it right, the folds will just sit up of their own accord.

Looking forward to more, I know what you mean about lack of modelling time. Ill be lucky to get time between now and Thursday next week... :(

Kind Regards

Dazz

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John, Les, thanks for the comments.

All the cutting on the wings is complete. Only one minor cock up in cutting too close to the body, but nothing that can't be sorted with a bit of plasticard and filler.

photo-1573.jpg

I can't get the fuselage closed up until the resin cockpit arrives so I've been working on some kit finessing. I've thinned down the intake splitter and the lerx fences (and attached the fences) the Aussie hornets have a larger fin aeriel behind the cockpit so I've sanded of the kit part and replaced it with a more appropriate plasticard one. The resin rudders are on, a couple of passes with a sharp blade had them off the casting blocks. I've postitioned them both outboard as that looks "right" to me (see the GB chat for more discussion) and I've added the inner fin stiffeners. I've also removed the catapult bar from the front UC to match the reference photos.

photo-328.jpg

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Looking very sweet mate, have you gone for the retrowings cockpit then? You've done better with your cutting than I had, you'll have fun adding the various bits. Enjoying this build thus far :)

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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Looking very sweet mate, have you gone for the retrowings cockpit then? You've done better with your cutting than I had, you'll have fun adding the various bits. Enjoying this build thus far :) Kind Regards, Dazz

Thanks Dazz, the retrowings cockpit is on order, they're just waiting for some stock to arrive but there's not going to be a lot I can do until it arrives.

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That looks good Neal and the work around the wing fold area is really neat.

Thanks, I haven't tried to fit the resin parts yet. . . . .

Not too happy with bases of the lerx fences they look way too thick so I'll try and remove them and give them a good sanding.

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Managed to get the LERX's (LERXi?) off and tidied up and bit.

As I can't do any more of the big stuff until the cockpit arrives I'm going to do some of the detail work.

Firstly paint the exhaust nozzles and make the FOD covers. I've seen pictures of both short and long covers on the RAAF hornets, I think the long ones might look a bit odd so I'm going for the short ones.

So paint the nozzles, add a thin strip of tamiya tape to keep it all neat and replicate the elastic edge.

photo-2270.jpg

Cover with tissue paper and pva, allow to dry and trim the edge (pic shows one trimmed)

photo-1579.jpg

Then paint red and dry brush, I've also used a pin to add the impression of some white script (I couldn't find any old decals to suit).

photo-1836.jpg

Pretty pleased with the outcome (although the exhaust might need a bit of a dark wash), I'll do the same on the intakes when the whole kit is together and painted

Edited by Neal
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Nice Neal love the FOD covers they look realy good.

Les

Thanks Les, I think they need a gloss varnish to given them the proppet look, then I've just got everything else forward for the nozzles to do! Edited by Neal
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