Freester Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 OK my first GB. I model planes with my 10 yr old son. We were talking about what we wanted to model and we wrote a long list of carrier based aircraft we wanted to complete. The Hornet fits in nicely and was on our list and then I spotted this GB! So thought I'd dive in. I've currently got a Tomcat on the go, and also a Sea Vixen with my son. I suspect the Tomcat may have to take a backseat while I work on this. I was originally just going to add the cheap 1/72 Italeri F/A 18 to my stash, but was advised by @PhantomBigStu and @vppelt68 that the Academy was a better bet for a few more quid. So I ordered one and it arrived today. The online seller packaged it in a lovely environmentally friendly cardboard package 👍 Mr Postie left it outside the house as no-one was in and it was completely sodden by the time I got home . Ahh well luckily the model box inside the package wasn't too bad (you can see the wet bits in the photos) and the only bit not in a plastic bag in the box was the instructions which were a little damp but nothing to worry about. Sooooooo. Plan is. Build this completely OOB. Not sure which of the 3 decal options I will apply. I'll probably let my son decide. I'll be hand painting using mainly Revell Enamels. I'm just about to see if there are any colours I need to order, and wash the sprue. Thanks for having us along. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Maas Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 Having built both kits, you made the right choice going for the Academy over the Italeri. It just fits a LOT better. It's a touch fiddly in spots, especially the lower nose and the intakes, but take your time and you will be quite happy with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 it's lucky that they package the decals so well! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 7 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said: it's lucky that they package the decals so well! I must admit that was my first thought - hope the decals are OK. But they were in plastic so no worries 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 21 minutes ago, Adam Maas said: Having built both kits, you made the right choice going for the Academy over the Italeri. It just fits a LOT better. It's a touch fiddly in spots, especially the lower nose and the intakes, but take your time and you will be quite happy with it. Thank you - I think I may have forgotten to acknowledge you as another who suggested the Academy over the Italeri. Trouble is I'm a cheapskate at heart. You've no idea how hard it was to justify to myself the extra couple of quid for the Academy 🤣 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Maas Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Freester said: Thank you - I think I may have forgotten to acknowledge you as another who suggested the Academy over the Italeri. Trouble is I'm a cheapskate at heart. You've no idea how hard it was to justify the extra couple of quid for the Academy 🤣 I'm not only a bit of a cheapskate, but I actually like more difficult to build kits. They're more fun to build. I still like the Academy better though. It's a good mix of interesting to build, reasonable cost and good detail. Edited January 8, 2022 by Adam Maas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anatol Pigwa Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 ^Welcome to the fray! The Academy kit is a joy to build, so you won't be dissapointed. And looking on the TCOB (Total cost of build) you might find out, that if you factor in the putty required to make the Italeri kit look decent it won't be cheaper at all! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 1 hour ago, Freester said: I model planes with my 10 yr old son Any build that is helping to encourage another generation of modellers has got to be worth following in my book.👍 1 hour ago, Freester said: Mr Postie left it outside the house Don't you just love the Royal Mail, though judging from some posts by modellers in other countries it seems to be a trait among them Worldwide. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 I'm working on the Academy kit too but an earlier issue. It's a very nice kit but among the other areas to be careful of are the flap actuators to the bottom of the wings. They are quite tiny and tricky to fit with careful use of tweezers to avoid the parts pinging across the room. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 5 minutes ago, Paul J said: I'm working on the Academy kit too but an earlier issue. It's a very nice kit but among the other areas to be careful of are the flap actuators to the bottom of the wings. They are quite tiny and tricky to fit with careful use of tweezers to avoid the parts pinging across the room. Thank you for the heads up. I should have olympic gold medals for pinging tiny pieces across the room never to be found again based on my previous few recent builds. I will be careful. Until I forget the good advice I received here 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 On 1/8/2022 at 6:50 PM, Freester said: pinging tiny pieces Ha! Amateurs! I haven't pinged a piece since... PING! Oh. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 9, 2022 Author Share Posted January 9, 2022 Just now, Bertie Psmith said: Ha! Amateurs! I haven't pinged a piece since... PING! Oh. First rule of ping club. Don't talk about ping club. Or you'll get pinged by the ping fairies. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 12 minutes ago, Freester said: First rule of ping club. Don't talk about ping club. Or you'll get pinged by the ping fairies. That reminds me, I meant to tell all you guys earlier. I can't stop talking about it actually. I went to this new club last night where we just beat the hell out of each other. It's great fun. Everyone's so friendly. Nobody even said anything about me arriving late... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 Still waiting for a key paint colour should be coming tomorrow. I did a few bits on my other kits in progress last night and then spent some more time planning my attack on this build. I ended up looking at the external fuel tank / missile / scanner options which seem a little overwhelming. Do I just put it all on? I guess it might come a bit clearer once I've got the fuselage and pylons mounted... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 13 hours ago, Freester said: Still waiting for a key paint colour should be coming tomorrow. I did a few bits on my other kits in progress last night and then spent some more time planning my attack on this build. I ended up looking at the external fuel tank / missile / scanner options which seem a little overwhelming. Do I just put it all on? I guess it might come a bit clearer once I've got the fuselage and pylons mounted... I know what you mean. I have way too many options. I've taken the easiest way out and gone for maximum missiles and filled the spaces with three tanks which seems the best bet for a 'nightcap'. (And by coincidence I'm drinking one as well as building one.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 On 1/11/2022 at 8:42 AM, Freester said: I ended up looking at the external fuel tank / missile / scanner options which seem a little overwhelming. Do I just put it all on? I always used to think missiles were way sexier than bombs, but since the JSOW and GBU-39 I've started to think otherwise. Just make sure no pylon leaves empty-handed! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 16 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said: I know what you mean. I have way too many options. I've taken the easiest way out and gone for maximum missiles and filled the spaces with three tanks which seems the best bet for a 'nightcap'. (And by coincidence I'm drinking one as well as building one.) 5 minutes ago, Alan P said: I always used to think missiles were way sexier than bombs, but since the JSOW and GBU-39 I've started to think otherwise. Just make sure no pylon leaves empty! Sounds like 2 modellers after my own heart. Fill those pylons up, use the vertical ejector racks to maximise pylon utilisation, and fuel tanks for max range. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 13, 2022 Author Share Posted January 13, 2022 Well the cutters hit the sprue, hair and paint touched plastic tonight. A start has been made 👍 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helios16v Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Welcome to the GB asylum. You can check out anytime you'd like, but you can never leave. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 17 hours ago, Freester said: Well the cutters hit the sprue, hair and paint touched plastic tonight. A start has been made 👍 Pictures. Show us the pictures! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Bertie Psmith said: Pictures. Show us the pictures! Do you really want to see one watery coat of hairbrushed paint on the seats, control column, cockpit monocoque etc etc? 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, Freester said: Do you really want to see one watery coat of hairbrushed paint on the seats, control column, cockpit monocoque etc etc? 🤣 That's what I usually post, so... yes of course 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 13 minutes ago, Freester said: Do you really want to see one watery coat of hairbrushed paint on the seats, control column, cockpit monocoque etc etc? 🤣 That's the idea. In progress. Yes please. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freester Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 6 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said: That's the idea. In progress. Yes please. Apparently this thread is useless without pics. So here is a pic of last night's progress. Parts cut from the sprue. One coat applied via the hair(y)brush. I was going to apply a 2nd coat tonight. I had a glass of wine. Decided drinking and painting wasn't the best idea so I got a little distracted by one of my other spinning plates tonight and applied a few decals to another WIP. So no further progress on the F/A-18. I have a whole weekend ahead though to slap some more various shades of grey on however. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Excellent photography! If I didn’t paint etc while drinking I’d have to give it up. But which one? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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