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(Almost) Ready for photo flight: 1/48 Hasegawa „World Hornet“ - Swiss F/A-18D, J-5232


Sam

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My first attempt at a Group Build. 

Had a break of 25 years from model building (the usual stuff got in the way: job, wife, another job, house, kids) and got back to it- suprise, surprise - in march 2020. I have built six 1/48 models since then. (Rafale M, Hellcat, Draken, F-4G, Corsair, Mirage IIIS). 
 

I always wondered why everybody chooses to display their models on the ground. They look sooo much better up in the air! That‘s where we are meant to be with them: up in the sky!!! 
Yes, you cannot see the aftermarket cockpit. Or a wonderfully enganced landing gear. 

And yes, it‘s always a rough ride to fit the pilots into the cockpits. And i hate painting pilots. Really. (Twoseaters… 😵💫)

 

I decided to build them all inflight. I build the stands myself: gluing screws into the fuselage or a fuel tank, attaching a brass rod to it, and mount it onto a simply shaped and polished flat wooden block. 
 

Anyway, i will build J-5232. Inflight. With two heaters on the wingtips, AIM120‘s,  a center fuel tank (STBY 121.5) and probably with 2 Meteors (wishful thinking here). All ordnance is Eduard Brassin. 

 

And it will be my first attempt in incorporating photoedge parts into the fuselage and wings. 
(Eduard and some others, and scratchbuilt). 
 

Looking very much forward to building with all of you. 👍🏽
 

 

Edited by Sam
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You have a good point about modelling them inflight. I've been coming around to this way of thinking havind seen a lot of them done that way here on BM. However, as an ex-engineer, all aircraft in my personal mind's eye are on the ground, not working, in bits!

 

Welcome to the world of group builds. (It's only my third)

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1 minute ago, Bertie Psmith said:

However, as an ex-engineer, all aircraft in my personal mind's eye are on the ground, not working, in bits!

And I like them when you guys do your magic on them so I can try to not break them the next time! Thanks very much for your work!!!

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I cheated and already put some work to it….

 

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(the cockpit which will not be seen in the end because of pilots and canopy closed and aircraft in 9G pull)

Edited by Sam
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35 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

Do you plan on mounting her on a stand?

Yes, I will use my standard homemade stand, as seen here with my Wild Weasel Phantom:

 

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8 minutes ago, FortyEighter said:

Hmm, I can't see the photos (just spacer.png) but obviously others can - does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Mike

I‘m using hobbyphotohost. So please could anyone doublecheck that report? Thanks!

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Here the 2 drivers. In the backseat the instructor with his Staffel 11 helmet, front seat the nugget, didn‘t dare having his helmet airbushed yet. 
 

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And those of you familiar with the inside of a F-18 will see i made a mistake in this picture:


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For the first time i am using aftermarket PE exterior details. Well, it‘s a royal pain—-, it‘s rather tricky to fit them into the plastic fuselage…. Once everything is done and primed we shall see whether it is worth the effort. Do you guys often use those parts?

 

Anyway, crew says hello!

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1 minute ago, modelling minion said:

Not if I can help it, hate the stuff! My Kinetic kit comes with some PE for some grills so I have no choice but to use it on this build, not looking forward to it though.

I suppose the kit has the gaps ready to slide in the PE parts? The scraping and sand and scraping and fitting and scraping and sanding and fitting is the fiddly part. 

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Welcome to your first GB. Though you are so proficient, you put many a seasoned veteran of those GBs to shame. I have to say, that I actually believe the F/A-18s landing gear looks terrible and therefore it looks so much better in flight (there are some planes though: the Mirage F1 or the SEPECAT Jaguar where the Landing gear has just to come out IMO) . 

 

Gerat to see a trainer version as well. This makes this build quite unique. 

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9 hours ago, Anatol Pigwa said:

Welcome to your first GB. Though you are so proficient, you put many a seasoned veteran of those GBs to shame. I have to say, that I actually believe the F/A-18s landing gear looks terrible and therefore it looks so much better in flight (there are some planes though: the Mirage F1 or the SEPECAT Jaguar where the Landing gear has just to come out IMO) . 

 

Gerat to see a trainer version as well. This makes this build quite unique. 

Thank you very much for your kind words… I have a lot of things to improve on.

 

The variety of kits, nations and paintjobs, and therefore uses, is fantastic. It‘s very interesting to watch growing. And it hasn‘t even really started yet! I am looking forward to that final picture of all the birds „photoshopped into formation“. 

 

I’m glad to be here, thanks to everybody for letting me participate. You wont get rid of me so easily anymore. *slimebucket mode off*
 

 

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