stevehnz Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 The kit I'm using for this build, a 1989 boxing but with the date 1982 in one of the fuselage halves. As can be imagined, the cockpit is happily basic, good. I like them like that. There is a decentish instrument panel, a scale 8" think HUD screen, might have to put some thought into that, a simple bang seat & a pilot I'll decorate a bit so he obscures the lack of detail on the seat. Perfect I reckon. The cockpit floor had a real banana shape to it so some hot water treatment straightened it out a touch, so at least the fuselage top would sit on with being pushed backwards. A small block of sprue glued under it should ensure it stays put. I'll be using some Hawkeye Models decals for this, but will need to revert to the kit ones for the slime lights & some markings which are crisper than the Hawkeye ones. This is a photo of the aircraft I'm hoping to complete, borrowed from this thread on the RNZAF Proboards forum, scroll to bottom of the page though there are some great photos along the way, Despite what the post says, the photos of the RAAF F.1111 & F/A-18 were taken at the 1987 Christchurch International Airshow, I was there though the photos aren't mine. Still remember the F.111 doing a dump & burn fly over & feeling the heat, but that is another thread for another day. Steve. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wings unlevel Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 Great to see an early 3SQN jet with the Southern Cross tail get built! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted February 23, 2022 Author Share Posted February 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Wings unlevel said: Great to see an early 3SQN jet with the Southern Cross tail get built! I'll do my best. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 On 2/22/2022 at 6:27 PM, stevehnz said: Still remember the F.111 doing a dump & burn fly over & feeling the heat, but that is another thread for another day. Those were the days! AW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted February 24, 2022 Author Share Posted February 24, 2022 2 hours ago, Andwil said: Those were the days! AW I saw the F.111 do their thing a couple of times, the Christchurch show already mentioned & I'm pretty sure the Bicentennial show at Richmond in 1988. They were great fun, Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 Sorry, I was a bit remiss in welcoming you- the second Airfix "victim", and the first new participant in a while. (As for "participating", I've been focusing on outside-world "life" lately, but I'm hoping the swirl will diminish for a bit...) bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted February 27, 2022 Author Share Posted February 27, 2022 Thanks Bob, it is ticking away ok, more done now than the last update shows & I'm quite enjoying it. It seems to be going together quite well. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 3, 2022 Author Share Posted March 3, 2022 Time to show some progress. Happily, the cockpit being somewhat minimalist took very little, I even painted up a pilot to disguise the paucity of detail in there. Contrary to the instructions, the wings were stuck to the top fuselage part & are nice & secure. I wasn't impressed at the 4 part intakes with their accompanying internal seams, a smear of Vallejo putty has dealt to those adequately & they showing signs of fitting into place not too badly. The next stage will be to join up the fuselage, attach some engine cans, tail fins & the intakes & LERXs & we won't be far of some paint. I'm leaving the elevators off till later, I've clipped of the mushroom off the end of the shaft, they sit in OK & will get glued into place, possibly after decaling is done. Steve. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 Now we've got something that starts to look like a Hornet. There has been filling of sink marks (& more to come ) & there will be some filling of where the LERXs join the wing, among other joins but I'm happy enough with the way it is coming together. Steve. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 21, 2022 Author Share Posted March 21, 2022 Probably could've had more to show if some clot hadn't decided it would look better with some dropped wing control surfaces to go with the dropped elevators the subject bird was parked with. They're not great but should add some interest to it. Pretty much ready just to paint it after that. Steve. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Hey Steve these things always look better with some deflection of the barn door wings. Worth the extra time and effort if you ask me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 A bit more progress, the paint mainly done, still some touching up & agonising over a couple of demarcations but I'm happy enough with the way it is coming along. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 4, 2022 Author Share Posted April 4, 2022 Plodding on, we into the last week of this GB now & although it'll be closeish, I'm fairly confident, barring decal failures, drops or whatever, of bringing it in on time. Not much more & I can gloss coat it & begin decalling, over the next day or so. Here ids the state of play, canopies , stabs & u/c sitting in place, pending decals & then it'll glue like crazy. Steve. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfa1983 Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Looking good, not long to the finish now. I really like the colours you have used in particular Steve! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 5, 2022 Author Share Posted April 5, 2022 Thanks Arthur, they are the colour calls for the USN option in the boxing I have, the dark over light ghost gray just looks too dark taking into account the photo in my intro, tried the kit call, Humbrol 127 over 147 & thought it looked OK. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 This is looking very tidy Steve. How's the progress? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 7, 2022 Author Share Posted April 7, 2022 22 minutes ago, John Masters said: This is looking very tidy Steve. How's the progress? Decals mainly done now John, it'll come down to how many stencils I can be bothered with, waste of time on the top side, they disappear into the top colour, a few on the underside will break things up though. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattheCat Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 12 hours ago, stevehnz said: Decals mainly done now John, it'll come down to how many stencils I can be bothered with, waste of time on the top side, they disappear into the top colour, a few on the underside will break things up though. Steve. Stenciling a 1/72 aircraft? Nay! You're making a nice bird out of quite an old kit, Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 7, 2022 Author Share Posted April 7, 2022 43 minutes ago, PattheCat said: Stenciling a 1/72 aircraft? Nay! You're making a nice bird out of quite an old kit, Steve. Thanks Pat, I think I need to treat myself to an Academy one to see how a nice kit goes together. As for stencils in 1/72, I have to agree, other than maybe a few of the more prominent ones. Dozens of tiny no steps & earth points. Nah. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 9, 2022 Author Share Posted April 9, 2022 Pretty much done, a couple of small touch ups & a coat of varnish all that remain, should be able to manage some photos with some daylight intruding & post before the witching hour on Sunday your time, Monday 11am my time, anyway here she is, an Airfix F/a-18A of 3 sqn RAAF in markings she wore in 1987, as witnessed by yours truly at the Harewood (Christchurch) Airport 50th Anniversary celebrations. Now in the gallery. As a build, the older Airfix kit was a bit frustrating, fairly vague in the attachment of things like the Lerxs & a lot of filling between these, the engine intakes & wing roots, it was a fair amount of work to get it looking Okish. The decals were a mix of kit & haweye decals from Australia, afaik, the only option for this scheme. The kit slime lights were a brilliant yellow but the only ones I had so I toned them down with some Tamiya Khaki, I think it worked. After some confusion over the Hawkeye instructions which @Romeo Alpha Yankee helped me out with, thanks Ray, I found they went on very well, no real hassles at all. I didn't use many of the upper surface stencils as they were a perfect match for the upper colour I used. neither did I follow the Hawkeye colour call, a paint out didn't match with my memory of the beast so I went with the kit's USN option colour call which made for a happier memory. It'll do me. My first F/A-18, several others in stock but no more Airfix ones. Happy to leave it like that. Steve. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_W Posted April 9, 2022 Share Posted April 9, 2022 Very pretty Steve, well done. Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 A nice result Steve 🏆 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattheCat Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 It looks real good Steve and stands its ground in the gallery, even more so knowing it's a rather old kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 Thanks very much @Ray_W, @Romeo Alpha Yankee & @PattheCat for the nice comments & likes all. It is a bit easy to feel somewhat over whelmed by the magnificent big scale models in the gallery, but I'm pretty happy with my 1/72 one as it turned out though I do really need to get over the nostalgia value of older kits, it can be a bit over rated at times. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 On 4/12/2022 at 10:39 AM, stevehnz said: I do really need to get over the nostalgia value of older kits, it can be a bit over rated at times. I know all too well where you're coming from, but your build of that one's none too shabby (heavy on the English understatement). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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