James G Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 Work on this project ambles on at a stately pace. Currently I'm negotiating reassembling the Hornet wing from the eight separate pieces that I chopped them up into (see photo below). I'll post some pics of the folded wings in place once they are done on both sides. I've also managed to get a bit of detail onto the sidewall, mainly the junction and switch boxes, pics below. The plan is to do the basic overall painting of the sidewalls first, then start on detailing the ceiling piece and painting that. After which the more 'protruding' elements such as the winch platform, ladder, hoses, cabinets and larger pieces of piping and ducting will be added. I also have some decal artwork prepared for the various pieces of signage and some lettering for the figure's clothing. Quick question to the BM hive mind, does anyone know of anyone offering a decal printing service? I have previously printed my own on 'Expert's Choice' decal paper, which was not terrible but definitely on the thick side. Does anyone sell the paper that e.g. Cartograf uses? Please let me know. Hope you like the pics. 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted May 3, 2022 Author Share Posted May 3, 2022 Hi All. Hope everyone is well and safe. I feel like I am slowly getting there with the Hornet now, the wings are folded and I'm happy with the result. I did look for resin wingfold sets, but in the end 'DIY' was the only option. I cut off and repositioned the flaps and slates on the wing, and removed the wing tips (ensuring that the flaps and slats are in the correct position on those too). I thinned all the trailing edges to get them 'sharp' like the real thing. The white strips where the flaps connect to the wings is a sort of secondary flap which is hidden inside the wing when the flaps are up. If you want to modify your Hornet like I have done you will need to cut the part out of the wing, and trace it on to thin plasticard to make a new one. I found some really useful tips in this video: The rudders were cut out of the vertical stabilisers and repositioned (by different amounts, as this looks more interesting to me). I attached the wingtips with Tamiya extra thin cement, thin superglue and 5 minute 2-part epoxy (in that order) to ensure they stayed put! I made the internal wing structure at the fold point from plastic strip and rod, 2 part epoxy resin and various other tiny bits of scrap. Luckily the wingfold mechanism for the Hornet is pretty simple! I also added the RWR antennas (?) and the LERX fences since the pics below were taken. I'm currently detailing up the LAU-7 wingtip launchers as they will not be covered by missiles, then it's on to the pylons and main gear. Hope you like the pics, sorry again they are not the best! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted May 26, 2022 Author Share Posted May 26, 2022 Hi all, here's a mini-update. I have made progress on the base, I drilled holes in the perspex base to accommodate the cast metal base units for the tie-down points, bit tricky to get the depth right but I eventually got my eye in. I then coated the base in the AK 'concrete texture' paint that you can see on the left of the picture. I knocked back some of the 'grittier' bits week with sandpaper once the paint had dried, and having done that the texture looks in scale (to me). The thin line is there to represent the weld seam between the deck plates, made from very fine plastic strip. Last bits to finish are a second weld seam and the star-shaped grid insets for the tie- down points. Unfortunately I won't be able to paint anything for a while as my Airbrush needs fixing 😪 Take care all! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted June 20, 2022 Author Share Posted June 20, 2022 Hello again. I've made a little more progress as I wait for my airbrush to be fixed! Below are the detailed-up gear legs that I have finished for the Hornet, alongside the resin wheels. This was another situation where I made things harder for myself! I initially thought that it would be good to cast parts for the gear linkages in green stuff (using blue stuff moulds), but the finished parts were extremely bendy, had lots of flash and were way too thick. Going back to basics, I wrapped some 2mm lead wire and tape around some cut lengths of guitar strings, and added them to the outer side of the main gear. The details on the back side of the legs around the braking system (?) was plasticard and rod, and additional details from lead wire. I added tie down rings from copper wire, and I actually need to add one more to each leg near the wheel but will do after painting and weathering. The front gear is already finished, for comparison. I'm really happy with how they all look. The last pic below shows my work on some custom decals for this project. My previous efforts in MS paint could not be painted as the graphics need to be in vector format, so I sought the advice of my graphic designer cousin who advised using some free software called Inkscape to draw the designs. I am using a 1/48 decal set from Fightertown Decals for reference as there is no equivalent in 1/72. I am making decals for crew figures, deck tractor and Hornet radar interior as well as the hangar deck wall markings. I intend to fill the A5 sheet with an eye on future projects. I will use a Czech company that I found for professional printing. I will let you all know how it turns out! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted October 28, 2022 Author Share Posted October 28, 2022 Hi everyone, this build has had a long hiatus but after another house move I finally have the home office/modelling room set up and some more minor progress has been made. Using my recently repaired H&S Evolution (thanks Paul@little cars!) I laid down a primer coat of Tamiya X-1 black on the base plate. I have also been sanding and tidying up the seams on the back/side wall part of the diorama. Also shown are the decals that I designed which have been printed by APC decals in the Czech Republic and look amazing - can't wait to use them! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted October 28, 2022 Share Posted October 28, 2022 Looking good! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted December 30, 2022 Author Share Posted December 30, 2022 Hello again, hope everyone had a good Christmas and best wishes to all for the year ahead. I've had a bit of bench time over the holidays and managed to progress this diorama a bit. I've finished the basic painting of the back and side walls, and the base plate. For the base plate I used a 'marbling' layer of white over the black basecoat to bring out some subtle mottling effects, which look just right to me under some thinned layers of Tamiya XF-63 German grey (see 1st and 3rd photos). After a long masking session I added the white and hatched lines to the edge of what I think is a munitions lift recessed in the deck (?). I painted the sides and edges in basic black primer as I felt it was easier to do it at this stage rather than the end. The Hornet had the Wolfpack resin jet nozzles added, which were far more detailed than the kit parts but necessitated some extensive reprofiling of the rear of the engine nacelles and some tricky detail rescribing. I have also built and painted the Brengun 'spotting dolly' (2nd and 3rd photos) which has just had the basic paintwork applied thus far. In the second photo I have been playing around with some ideas for the positioning of the Reedoak figures. The guy who will sit on the spotting dolly will have his head swapped with another figure's as goggles would not usually be worn below decks. The final photo gives an idea of the final layout, though I will probably position the nitrogen cart facing the opposite way and also closer to the edge. A couple of elements of note are the scratchbuilt hose reel (left of the white door) and the SCBA locker on the left edge. I hand painted this in a stars and stripes scheme based on online photos, and I will add some star decals at a later stage. Next steps and getting the basic paint layers on the Hornet and clear coating everything before some extensive decaling! I would love to hear any feedback on the positioning of the elements of the diorama. Cheers James 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 Hello all. I've got the Hornet painted up now, concluding the majority of the basic painting on this diorama. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. The signal blue used on the vertical stabilisers is not black, just very, very, very, very, very dark blue (to quote Father Ted!). I used the Mr Surfacer 1500 black base method, with a white 'marble coat' over the top to break up the monotone grey of the surface. There is barely any difference in the Mr Color grey top and bottom shades but I have used lightened and darkened tones in a few places for a 'patchwork' look. I know that CAG aircraft were fairly well maintained but the grey paint still looked quite shabby in a lot of reference photos. The main part of the canopy is the kit one, which I used as a sacrificial paint mask as it developed a split when I was trying to clean it. I since got some Rob Taurus vacform canopies which are very nice, and painted up one of those (the canopy will be posed open). I'll post up some pics of the various other bits later on. Hope you like the first one with my patented clingfilm masking technique - saves on tape! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom216 Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 Very neat work on the folds/flaps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoran Srb Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 Really, really nice work so far. Cant wait too see it done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 2 hours ago, Thom216 said: Very neat work on the folds/flaps. Thanks, I quite enjoyed doing them the 'old fashioned' way, rather than using a resin set. 1 hour ago, Zoran Srb said: Really, really nice work so far. Cant wait too see it done! Thanks. I am to complete in time to take it to SMW 2023 in November! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom216 Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 7 minutes ago, James G said: Thanks, I quite enjoyed doing them the 'old fashioned' way, rather than using a resin set. ... I did the same on an Academy FA-18F build a few years ago. No resin sets, though a lot of cutting, filling, styrene, sanding and pinning! But the flaps and slats got dropped!🤪 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 39 minutes ago, Thom216 said: I did the same on an Academy FA-18F build a few years ago. No resin sets, though a lot of cutting, filling, styrene, sanding and pinning! But the flaps and slats got dropped!🤪 Nice Super Bug! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 10, 2023 Author Share Posted February 10, 2023 Hi All. Decaling on the Hornet is 99% complete, unfortunately I had a few grumbles about this stage....firstly, the stencils completely disappeared. I used the exact FS numbers for the scheme (according to Mr. Hobby), but to my eye the top colour is too dark and has a bluish tinge which you don't see on photos. The walkways still have some noticeable wrinkles (despite 2 Micro Sol treatments), and the NK on the port vertical stabiliser broke into several pieces and had to be coaxed back together. I got a second set of NKs to add to give better opacity. I give Super Scale 5 out of 10! Having said all that, the scheme looks good. There are some close-ups of the other bits to add on, after second clear coat, then its on to weathering. Hope you like the obligatory shots to give a flavour of the final diorama. Still quite a long way to go, need to clear coat the wall and base plate, decal them, and weather. Then figures, tie down chains and all the other details... 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlxBNE Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 On 6/20/2022 at 8:50 PM, James G said: Hello again. I've made a little more progress as I wait for my airbrush to be fixed! Below are the detailed-up gear legs that I have finished for the Hornet, alongside the resin wheels. This was another situation where I made things harder for myself! I initially thought that it would be good to cast parts for the gear linkages in green stuff (using blue stuff moulds), but the finished parts were extremely bendy, had lots of flash and were way too thick. Going back to basics, I wrapped some 2mm lead wire and tape around some cut lengths of guitar strings, and added them to the outer side of the main gear. The details on the back side of the legs around the braking system (?) was plasticard and rod, and additional details from lead wire. I added tie down rings from copper wire, and I actually need to add one more to each leg near the wheel but will do after painting and weathering. The front gear is already finished, for comparison. I'm really happy with how they all look. The last pic below shows my work on some custom decals for this project. My previous efforts in MS paint could not be painted as the graphics need to be in vector format, so I sought the advice of my graphic designer cousin who advised using some free software called Inkscape to draw the designs. I am using a 1/48 decal set from Fightertown Decals for reference as there is no equivalent in 1/72. I am making decals for crew figures, deck tractor and Hornet radar interior as well as the hangar deck wall markings. I intend to fill the A5 sheet with an eye on future projects. I will use a Czech company that I found for professional printing. I will let you all know how it turns out! This thread had already grabbed my attention....looking forward to seeing how you progress. I am very impressed by the whole diorama workflow and learning a huge amount, thank you. This advice from your cousin is absolute gold. I have been looking for a way to make custom decals in 1/48 that only exist in 1/72......I am going to steal your idea and reverse it! Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 2 hours ago, AlxBNE said: This thread had already grabbed my attention....looking forward to seeing how you progress. I am very impressed by the whole diorama workflow and learning a huge amount, thank you. This advice from your cousin is absolute gold. I have been looking for a way to make custom decals in 1/48 that only exist in 1/72......I am going to steal your idea and reverse it! Thank you. Cheers mate! If you want I can send you the art file for the decals, obviously a lot of them are specific to my project but there are a lot of generic ones too, e.g. for crew figures. You will need Inkscape but it's a free download, and it should be possible to re-size them to 1/48. Send me a PM with your email address etc and we'll sort something out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 Hi all - minor disaster on this one I'm afraid 😨. I was masking off the black walkway markings on the Hornet and my tape pulled some decals off, even though they had been clear-coated. Most frustrating 😤. I need a spare set, see here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234460039062?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=aedgfezlroa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=t1uYhudHTxW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL This one will not post to the UK, would anyone in the US be prepared to send these on to me please? Cannot find a UK vendor at the moment. Alternatively, if someone has them in the stash please let me know! Thanks, James 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom216 Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 (edited) Sorry to hear about the mishap. Makes it tough to get the plane done, but at least the hangar is 'interchangeable.' Edited February 24, 2023 by Thom216 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 25, 2023 Author Share Posted February 25, 2023 10 hours ago, Thom216 said: Sorry to hear about the mishap. Makes it tough to get the plane done, but at least the hangar is 'interchangeable.' Thanks, yes I'm sure I will be able to get some replacement decals but might take some more time/expense! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Tip Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 I think I have a complete set of F/A-18E stencils from Revell's boxing... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 25, 2023 Author Share Posted February 25, 2023 2 hours ago, Johnny Tip said: I think I have a complete set of F/A-18E stencils from Revell's boxing... Thanks Johnny, unfortunately I am after the 72-904 Superscale scheme for the F/A-18C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Tip Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 My bad🤦🏼♂️ got it mixed up while seeing something about the E here... One look at your last pics should've reminded me it's a "pre-E"... sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 25, 2023 Author Share Posted February 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Johnny Tip said: My bad🤦🏼♂️ got it mixed up while seeing something about the E here... One look at your last pics should've reminded me it's a "pre-E"... sorry. No probs at all mate, thanks for your kind offer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted March 23, 2023 Author Share Posted March 23, 2023 Thankfully I recovered from my decal disaster and the Hornet is now RFI! 😃 Linked here. Plus a teaser of the details on the main canopy below: 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlxBNE Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 (edited) The RFI post is great! The hornet looks amazing. Really good to see that you recovered from the decal disaster.....now looking forward to seeing the hornet in it's nest when the hanger is finished. Edited March 23, 2023 by AlxBNE Typo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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