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 F/A-18F Super Hornet (03847) 1:32 Revell


Julien

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 F/A-18F Super Hornet (03847)

1:32 Revell

 

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The Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet is the second generation F/A-18 following on the the F/A-18C. The F/A-18E was developed from the original Hornet and while it may look alike its very much a new aircraft which is 25% bigger. The US Navy managed to keep the F/A-18 designation partly to make the US Congress believe it would be a low risk development from the original aircraft (not the first time in US Aviation this has happened). The new aircraft was ordered in 1992 with a first flight in 1995. The aircraft introduced a new era in electronics including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, bigger displays and a helmet mounted sighting system. To date the Super Hornet has replaced the legacy Hornet in all US Navy operations apart from the USN Aerobatic Team The Blue Angels, and even they will have transitioned by 2021. As well as the E model there is the two seat F model, and the latest development the G or "Growler" Electronic Warfare Aircraft. 

 

 

The Kit

This is a new tool kit from Revell for 2019, following on from the F/A-18E to which it shares many parts. It arrives in a rather large box which is packed with mainly rather large sprues. The bigger ones being 60 cms across! The first job on the build is to construct the full length intake and exhaust trunking. Fan fronts and exhaust ends are placed in the trunking and its all buttoned up. The underside of this trunking forms the topside of the main wheels wells and they are built up onto the trunking. The lower main fuselage and lower parts of the intakes are then attached, followed by the fuselage sides (which also contain the top of the intakes). The exhaust nozzles can then be placed on the back of the fuselage, a choice between open and closed nozzles is provided.  The lower parts of the main wings (left & right) are then attached to the main fuselage. Once these are on the large single part top wing/body part can be attached but only after first putting in the inserts for the topside airbrakes. 

 

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We can now move onto the cockpit (normally where we start!) The bottom of the cockpit section forms the roof of the front wheel well and the sides for the well are attached first followed by the front bulkhead. The front cockpit & rear tubs can then be placed on the top. To this is added the instrument panels, and the control columns. The rear seat display boxes are also added at this time. The two ejection seats are then built up and added, The seats are a mulitpart affair, however the belts are moulded in, and in this scale the seat would really benefit PE belts. Once the seats are in the front instrument coaming can also be fitted and the cockpit placed into the forward fuselage halves. The nose cone can be fitted and then the forward fuselage joined to the main body. A main top spine part behind the cockpit is then added. 

 

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The vertical tails with their separate rudders are then made up and added to the main fuselage with a scrap diagram showing the correct angles for these. Once on the arrestor hook parts can be fitted under the main body.  We now move to the undercarriage which is quite complex for the Hornet. The front unit and its wheels are built up and fitted to the front bay, the doors and their retraction struts are then fitted.  Both sets of main gear get the same treatment. The main gear doors are supplied as one part and must be cut up into their components for the gear down. 

 

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The outer wings can either be down or folded up as they would be parked. For these the correct hinge assembly needs to be selected. The outer wings can then be built up and added. The main wings are then finished off. While the centre sections are already there the leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps are fitted. The exhaust nozzles are then fitted to the back. Up at the front the glazing is added. For the main canopy the clear parts fit into a normal plastic frame, An integral boarding ladder is provided if wanted in the lowered position. To finish of the tail planes are added along with a few aerials.

 

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Revell provide us with a whole host of things to hang under the wings. As well as the pylons a centre line tank, and wing fuel tanks are in the box. Wing tip missile rails are included as well as AIM-9M and AIM-9X missiles for them. AIM-120C missiles are also provided. In term of things which go bang when dropped 2 x GBU-12, 2 x GBU-31-3B, and 2 x GBU-38s are provided. An AN-ASQ-228 ATFLIR sensor pod is also included. 

 

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Decals

The decal sheet from cartograf (so no issues there) provides markings for two aircraft.

 

  • F/A-18F Bu No.166873 - "Black Knights" VFA-154 - USS Nimitz 2013
  • F/A-18F A44-201 No.1 Sqn Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF Williamtown 2020

 

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Conclusion

This should make up to a good looking if rather large model, highly recommended for those who like to go big!

 

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Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

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7 hours ago, hopkp said:

It would be very useful to know if the instructions for this kit (like those for the single-seat F/A-18E version) also advise the builder to 'remove Xmm from part Y to make it fit'.

Most Revell Instructions are available on their website.

 

You can have a look at these here.

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@hopkp Just downloaded the instructions from the revell site - and yes they do tell you to do exactly the same as for the "E" kit.

 

Does not look like the have done any alterations to the kit at all other than to provide parts for the 2 seater "F"!

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19 hours ago, treker_ed said:

@hopkp Just downloaded the instructions from the revell site - and yes they do tell you to do exactly the same as for the "E" kit.

 

Does not look like the have done any alterations to the kit at all other than to provide parts for the 2 seater "F"!

Indeed.....that puts this kit firmly in the 'Thanks, but no thanks' category for me. There are too many good kits available where you don't have to make the parts yourself first. I've no problem applying the oft-referenced 'basic modelling skills', but really at this stage life's too short to bother with kits like this.

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On 10/5/2021 at 10:57 AM, Beermonster1958 said:

Definitely getting this one to go with my E version! 😊

My partner has very generously put it in her Crimbo list!

I know the E version had some assembly issues but, nothing insurmountable.  Certainly very good value!

 

John

 

Got mine, looks exactly the same but with the extra cockpit parts. At least I know what to expect! Decals look to be the same epic quality though, looking forward to the build 👍

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/7/2021 at 9:14 PM, sroubos said:

I seem to recall a WiP topic about the E-version of this kit. It did not end well. Come to think of it, it didn't start well either.

It certainly wasn't mine then. Built and finished in two weeks, not the best kit but an impressive result.

Sick of hearing how tewwibly awful it is, it's fine if you don't mind actual modelling.

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for what it's worth, 2 years ago I built the E-model and finished it. Took quite some elbow grease, wrote a build log on large scale planes to share my findings and what I did to tackle the kit's problems. Had a lot of fun looking backwards but not all steps are for the faint harted so to say. This was the article, could be useful for anyone that is going to do the F:

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/80072-revell-super-hornet-with-lessons-learned/

 

I hope this helps for anyone taking on the challenge!

 

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It's about expectations. If I buy a short run kit of a plane that's not been previously available from a guy in a shed I expect having to put in some elbow grease to get it right.

 

From the largest kit manufacturer in the world, who has a lot more financial and technological resources available I expect a bit more.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sounds interesting and the completed examples look good.

 

How extraordinary to require filing off 0.5 mm in several places and also to cut away or scrape away plastic to improve other poor fit points. I presume they felt it too expensive to modify the moulds. Rather suggests a quality control error at an earlier design stage. 

 

Still, none of the alterations look particularly difficult to do!

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  • 6 months later...

Just to update my earlier comments... here's the completed build. I 'borrowed' @hugogo's display idea, thanks for the inspiration ☺️

tn_Super Hornet (120)

With more respect for what @sroubos and @hopkp mentioned: I wouldn't recommend this kit unless you really, REALLY want to build it. It's flippin hard work to get right. Not Revell's best (by a loooong way) - seems to be more of a challenge to a fight rather than a relaxing hobby build 😂 Still, it's worth the struggle if nothing else for the sense of achievement at the end!

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks for the reviews.

 

Waiting for Blue Angels #7 markings and then might brave it — the blue paint over primer should mask the copious transitions between plastic and Milliput.

 

As long as the clear parts fit perfectly and don't need "persuasion", it might be an interesting challenge. I like a bit of a fight as long as it doesn't create too many scars.

 

Tony 

 

 

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Edited by tony.t
Schpelling
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6 hours ago, tony.t said:

As long as the clear parts fit perfectly and don't need "persuasion", it might be an interesting challenge.

I have some bad news...😕

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