1/48 Monogram Hornet FSD #3

[John B]

This is the story of a series of errors that have made this project an odessy of Homeric proportions. I apologize in advance for using US spelling for words such as "gray", "colour", and "defense". I know those terms are spelled "grey", "colour", and "defense", but I don't know what other US terms are spelled differently.

Back in September 2010, I had a side bet going with someone to see which of us could build the 1/48 Monogram Hornet in time for a contest. I selected to do FSD Jet #3 BuNo160777.

It was the jet that was used for Carrier Suitability Trials beginning in October 1979 aboard USS America. It originally started out with snagged horizontal tails, but by Feb 1982 the snags were filled. It also started out with the full slots in the LEX root, dogtooth leading edge, and short span ailerons.

Here is the obligatory pic of the boxtop, kit parts and the aftermarket I planned to use.

Since I chose to model after it completed the Oct 1979, but before the dogtooths, LEX slots and short-span ailerons were completely removed (as seen in this Dept of Defense image from 1983 with all those features deleted).

I added Black Box pedals to the otherwise kit cockpit. I outlined some panels in orange (indicating TEST ONLY status) based on images I found in a Koku-Fan magazine.

Here's a blurry image of the painted up and decalled seat.

Edited June 26, 2011 by John B

[jacksdad]

Looking forward to this one. I have it in 1/32, so it will be interesting to see how you do your's.

Steve

[John B]

As with every 1/48 Monogram/Revell-Monogram kit I've ever built, they soak up putty in the fuselage seams.

Here's where I made my first MAJOR error - I used Mr Surfacer to fill the seams, which is DARK GRAY. I should've used Tamiya or Squadron white putty instead. In not using a white, I was forced to prime the whole model in gray to make all the surfaces a uniform color for the coats of white paint to follow.

In November 2010, it looked like this -

In order to fix that first major error, I elected to fix it by prime the whole thing with whatever can of gray-colored Tamiya Spray I had at-hand. After , I had to cover it up with multiple coats Tamiya Primer (which IS slightly off-white), then a few coats of Tamiya Flat White, and a topcoat of Tamiya Pure white.

By early January 2011, it looked like this -

For the blue areas, I used Model Master Blue Angel Blue. The blue pinstripe was created by using thin Chartpack vinyl tape to mask off the area to remain white. I found that vinyl tape in the drafting section of a Staples (an office supply chain in the US) years ago.

Unfortunately, the vinyl tape had pulled away from some surfaces allowing the blue to bleed onto the white areas. In addition, some blue went everywhere there was the smallest gap in the masking.

Since blue is REALLY STRONG primary color and any it stained the white areas even after I sanded it off. I was forced to mask the blue areas and re-paint the white areas.

Here are some post-fix shots of the same areas -

By February 2011, it looked like this -

Edited June 26, 2011 by John B

[John B]

I forgot to mention that I cut out the ailerons and removed the aileron hinges in order to show them drooped AND to emphasize that the ailerons were originally shorter in span. (These were replaced with Hasegawa flap hinges VERY generously supplied by another modeller after I put out a request for someone with spares.)

Major painting was complete at this point in April.

Using the decal sheet from the initial Testors release as a basis (image below), I eventually started decalling -

On the copy I had, there was a slight registry problem affecting the white and red colors but as this was the only sheet with many of the required FSD decals available I used it as a basis.

Here's an image of it early in the decal process.

Edited June 26, 2011 by John B

[Duncan B]

It's looking good so far.

[John B]

The decalling process quickly turned into a scavenger hunt crossed with an initiation rite of passage.

I found that the decal for the anti-glare panel from the Testors kit didn't fit the Monogram shape so I used the corresponding decal from Fightertown Decals White Hot Hornets sheet. Even then, there was a mis-match in the shapes near the canopy, so I painted in the gaps with black paint.

The blue parts of the national insignia decals from the Testors sheet were noticeably too light, so I substituted those with decals from Afterburner Decals Pax River Bug Testers sheet. Herein lay another problem, the decals I used were thin, too thin!

The white portions of intake warning decals were not as white as the surrounding white painted areas. The white portions of the national insignias allowed the blue/white boundaries to show through.

I ended up purchasing another of the same sheet just for those decals to double them up.

The rest of the decals were a mix of decals from Testors and Monogram kit as well as some spare numbers for the "3" on the tail.

I used some spare decals from a MAW sheet for the placards on the landing gear and low-intensity formation light panels.

At this point, I had called an "end" to decalling -

Edited June 26, 2011 by John B

[John B]

I think people are conditioned to think that “the Monogram kit is bad just because it is old and has raised panel lines”. In my opinion, it was THE most accurate Hornet kit until the Hasegawa uber-kits were released.

Okay let’s talk about a few things concerning the Monogram FSD and early Hornet kits.

One must be careful when purchasing the F-18 prototype kit. Somewhere along the way, Monogram re-released it with all the changes they made for the "A-18" release....

... in the white plastic and decals of the original, but you can see below the plastic is NOT the same. The boxtop looks identical and there's no way to really tell without examining the kit contents. In many ways, the "A-18" kits represent FSD #7 and the pre-production F/A-18As more than a full-production F/A-18A. Buyer beware.

Gun port and gunbay vents – FSD #1, #2, and #3 didn’t have these items and the vent layout is what is depicted in the Monogram kit. FSD #4 onwards had gunbay vents.

LEX slot – All the FSD jets started out with this feature, but they eventually had them filled in.

NAV lights on the LEX root – FSD #1 and #2 didn’t start out with these (as correctly represented in the Monogram kit).

Fuselage vents aft of canopy – FSD jets had this feature, but they weren’t there on the production jets. Monogram forgot to delete these from the later releases.

Ailerons - originally short, but eventually all surviving FSD jets were retro-fitted with ailerons that went out to the wingtips.

Dogtooth snag - originally inboard of the wing-fold hinge, then in-line with the wingfold hinge, then eliminated altogether.

Taxi-light – FSD #1 originally didn’t have one. The original Monogram kit reflects this.

Antennas under the intakes – FSD #1, #2, and #3 didn’t have these. They also didn’t have chaff/flare buckets.

Tails - The tails in the "F-18" and "A-18" boxing are identical, but they really resemble the FSD jets with the short antenna shapes and vents at the base of the tail.

[CPNGROATS]

Wow, that's a great tutorial on the different variants/kits for the Monogram Hornet kits....

Cheers,

ggc

[hacker]

Italeria made a kit of this once and l been on the hunt for one to do this plane to restart my prototype collection. I am following this with interest to see how this turns out

[jimbuna]

Coming along nicely.

[Giorgio N]

Very nice, I always loved the prototype hornets ! The information on the differences between the various updates is very useful too !

As these boxes can sometimes be found for cheap, it's good to know that they can still be used to make good models !

One small advice to try and avoid the blee through you've had when painting the blue lines: after you've masked, give another coat of white paint ! This will bleed trough any point where the tape does not adhere perfectly to the model and in this way should "seal" these points preventing the following blue coat to bleed.

[John B]

Didn't I mention that this projects was a tragedy in the making? Julien and others have been privy to where this project has sat for the past months. Well, it's long past due that I come clean...

I used the used of my Tamiya Flat Base and mixed it 19:1 with Future. The finish went a little shinier than I wanted, but I could've lived with it. The major problem was that the model accumulated every piece of lint, hair, and dust in the air. These defects were all the more obvious against the white background. I attempted to "carefully" strip just the outer coat with watered-down Windex. The following pictures are the result.

Everywhere place acrylic colors were used for touch-ups and spot-painting simply dissolved away. All the decals were attached using Future, so they clouded, cracked shriveled-up and/or floated away.

I'm left with little other choice except to strip away the remnants of the decals and Future. I then need to start the decal process and topcoat all over again. Unfortunately, it had taken decals from multiple decal sheets which I'll need to chase down again. I sourced markings from Afterburner Decals Pax River Bug Testers, Monogram F-18 kit, and Testors F-18 kit.

[Nobby]

Sorry to see the heart ache there mate! I like the Hornet, and back in the 80's I made the italeri one. Hope you sort it John.

[John B]

This project has languished in limbo far too long. It has bothered me since it violates my work ethic of finishing what I start and not embarking on a new project until I've complete previous ones.

Since the last time I posted on this project, I've stripped off the coat of Future with ammonia-based cleaner. In the process, the acrylic paint I used for exterior touch-ups and almost all of the decals went with it.

Somewhere along the way, I found a picture of #3 at NATC Lakehurst with the original snagged horizontal stabs and original short ailerons.

I couldn't find decent plans of the original snagged horizontal stabs, so I basically "eyeballed" the measurements and modified a set of kit stabs. (Stock part is on left.)

The project has sat in this state while I've sourced replacement decals and focused on other fun and not-so-fun stuff.

It's long overdue that I finish this project and move on to new one.

Edited December 7, 2015 by John B

[Giorgio N]

Glad to see that you've not forgotten this project, looking forward to seeing this completed !