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F/A-18F Super Hornet - 1/72


Thom216

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Short update. (I really need to work more on this...)

 

The main gear legs were 'detailed' up, with plastic rod, scrap, 22 gauge guitar wire and lead wire wrapped around a pin.

 

The guitar string was used for the smaller spring closer to the wheel axle. The wire wrapped around a needle was then slipped off and slid onto the horizontal plastic rod as a larger spring, and that's connected to the rod going up beside the main gear leg with a bit of scrap plastic.

 

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For the backside, thin wire and stretched sprue were used to make the hydraulic lines for the breaks.

 

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Huh, can't see the stretched sprue from that angle, but it's there!

 

Then I hit them and the gear bays with a black base and then the white.

 

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Still need to do the detail painting in the bays. I ended up adding the hose that goes into the nose bay but that was it for there.  Need to let that all dry and start weathering and pull the tape off the oleas.

Finish detailing the main gear bays and that'll be added to the fuselage, as well as masking and adding the intake trunking, then I can glue that to the top piece and start on the elevators.

 

Till then, model on!

 

Thom

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Alright, so except for some placards on the legs, the gear legs are done.

I had painted it silver first to help with the oleos, but after painting the white I was able to scratch some of the paint away to the silver underneath. I then hit them with some panel line wash, and once given a flat coat they will be set aside for later.

 

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Tomorrow I'll get the main gear well set into the fuse and mask and install the intakes.

 

Thanks very much for the great words. Model on!

 

Thom

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Excellent work on the super bug! Nice trick using guitar string for the spring, will definitely remember that one. Hopefully Trumpeter didn't do as bad a job as I've heard Revell did when I get around to doing mine.

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Thanks, fellas, trying my best!

 

I got the main the gear bays installed the other day, clamping it in tight. I'll be adding some misc plastic with CA on the inside in order to make sure it stays in place when I press the gear into place at the end.

 

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After that dried it was onto the intakes, per the ins. The fan blades were painted with aluminum.

 

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They were then washed with Tamiya panel line and glued in after tape was added to mask the white interior.

 

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And where she sits right now, with sponge material inside to further mask the interior and a mix of sprue-spacer and clamps to get the sides flush as they dry. Looking at the top outer edge of the intake lip shows a gap that'll have to be cleaned up, but otherwise I'm really liking the fit!

 

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That's all the progress for now. My weekend is coming up after tomorrow, so I need to knuckle down and work on this!

 

Model on!

 

Thom

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Alright, I'm awaiting a jar of light ghost gray which I didn't realize I did not have. Should be here in a few days. Waiting for that is holding up the fuselage joining, as I want to hit the inside of the intakes while I'm able to get as many angles at as possible. Once joined up, the chines would block some angles.

 

But that lets me get the elevators settled out. Since I'm drooping all the surfaces that includes the elevators and the kit doesn't allow for that. The elevators are joined by a flat connector that locks them into a neutral postilion, so that was cut away quick!

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It may be a little over-engineered, but I decided to go with a hollow tube (1/16 by .014) going through the rear. Some thinner rod (.032 or .81mm) pinned into the elevators themselves, that will then slide into the tube.

 

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To help glued the tube into the fuselage (and take up some open space that will need to be filled) I snipped some tube styrene and superglued those onto the ends.

 

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Still a lot of gaps to fill. but with a little backing on the inside and using the cut off connector as scrap those will be filled in.

 

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Once the fuselage is together those will be sanded and smoothed which will just leave the openings for the mounting rods.

Test fit!

 

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All for now. Model on!

 

Thom

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What do you mean you wanted the horizontal stabs poseable? Everyone knows they remain perfectly straight/level at all times, even with no hydro pressure applied to them (kidding of course.) Nice fix to make them positionable!

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Thanks! It's a simple adjustment but it makes a big difference.

 

I'm currently awaiting some Tamiya Light Ghost Gray. I tried Model Master, but I slammed my own toe with the first spray into the intakes. Too much thinner. I then tried it without any thinner and it sprayed a lot better, but still had some drying before it hit the model, giving me little nodules to clear off. I knew there was a reason why I stopped using MM... And of I didn't find that Tamiya does make light ghost gray in a bottle until after I ordered the spray can which I will have to decant into a jar.🙄

 

That should be here on Friday (maybe Thur if I'm lucky so I can finally get the fuselage together!) But, while waiting for that, I applied some placards (Mike Grant's) to the gear, so those are finally finished off. Except for the tires.

 

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And moved onto the cockpit. The main color is Tamiya Sky Gray and a mix of green for the seats. The seat belts are Eduard and some seat PE was added to the kit parts to dress them up.

 

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I'll hit that with a dull coat and then set it aside for later.

 

And that's all for now folks!

 

Model on!

 

Thom

 

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Moving on, the paint can arrived and was prompty decanted into a spare bottle.  I hit the intakes with it and all is turning out good on that front. With that done I was finally able to put the lower and upper fuse halves together!

 

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One thing is that I wished I had checked the fit at the back... A serious lip developed with the top overhanging the bottom. I think a little sprue spreader inside would have fixed it before the sanding sticks came into play.

After the sanding sticks and some CA for the gaps, the rear is now looking nice and smooth, and just needing some repanelling. I managed not to destroy the slime lights!

 

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Also did a quick fit test of the elevators.

 

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Looking good IMHO. With the fuse halves closed up things are finally rushing on!

 

Model on!

 

Thom

Edited by Thom216
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Thank you! Doing my menial best!😁

 

Got a little more work done, mainly rescribing the panel lines on the rear with dymo tape and a pin in a handle.

 

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With that done, the lower half of the fuselage including the cockpit was loaded up.

 

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And then I started cleaning the mold seam on the canopy. I'll using finer and finer sanding pads and then dip it in Future.

 

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And while that's drying I glued the nose on, finding it was easier to snip off some of the push-fit tabs for a better fit. Still have some gaps though that will require some PPP to come to the rescue.

 

The rear deck behind the RIO had its tabs snipped off as well. The ins have it added after the cockpit is in, but the rear seat interfered. Not wanting to push it I snipped off the front two pins and it settled in. Except that it was slightly off to the side... So off it came again and the last two were snipped as well. That allowed it to sit even which of course will help with keeping the canopy straight.

 

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So, while the nose was drying, I also hit a big gap on the bottom from the lower nose section with PPP.

 

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So s'all for now. Still working on it.

 

Model on!

 

Thom

Edited by Thom216
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Thank you much! A little more 'evolution' tonight. Getting all the ordnance and tanks cleaned up, as well as putting the slats on!😀

 

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The join is a little messy looking, but I think some PPP should cover that. The flaps are being 'adjusted' for fit and those will be put on after painting is done., as well as the elevators and the fins.

The canopy may go on tonight or tomorrow morning, and be masked up, then I can clean that seam by the chines.

 

Model on!

 

Thom

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Last update for the night. Canopy is on and PPP applied to the slats. Also got the Lantern pod on, and that fit wasn't too good. The front/top edge snugged up with a little pressure, but the bottom edge and the back gap up a bit and needed some PPP.

 

Once the canopy is down, it is staying down - unless you want to risk breaking it. It is a tight fit. Next time I build this bird I'll snip off all the locating tabs, But, it is a nice fit!

 

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And that is as far as assembly is going to go until after paint. Need to work a little more on the flaps, clean some seams and the hopefully start masking!:thumbsup:

 

Model on!

 

Thom

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Thanks! The pieces are finally starting to come together. 😀

 

How the main body sits right now. Canopy is masked up and the the PPP on the slats/wing join has been cleaned up.

 

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Then it was onto the actuators on the underside of the flaps. I may have taken off a little too much material, but being on the underside of the wing and viewed past the ordnance and wing tanks that will be there, I think just some lengths of rod to serve as the actuators should do good.

To that end, I drilled some more holes in the trailing edge of the wing.

 

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And then fed some thin round stock into them, leaving them a little long so I could snip them when dry and at the correct length.

 

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And with the flaps in place to check spacing and fit.

 

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Also working on the outer flaps and how they'll attach. To that end I glued them the main flaps, which will be their main attachment point, and then also glued to the wing near the tip.

 

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So glad the airfoils are going to cover that ugly gap!!😅

 

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Modelling on!

 

Thom

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Calling the slats and flaps done! Except for final parts assembly, all construction is finished! 😁 The next step is paint and then decals, starting with a preshade.

 

But first, this morning I added the airfoils to the wings. I had thought about adding these after paint, but that would have been asking for trouble with already done paint job. So with the flaps taped into place, the airfoils were laid on and glued down.

 

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After they had solidified enough, some half round and full smaller diameter round stock were glued up underneath for added strength.

 

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Some PPP was laid along the join and smoothed out, and then checked with a paint pen. Looking good!

 

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And then a final test fit with the flaps pushed back into place.

 

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Doesn't look to be for a first time, IMO...

 

And that finished construction. Next update should have paint applied in some form or another.

 

Model on!

 

Thom

 

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