Group Build: F/A-18A-G Super Hornet/Growler

[Ron2]

I'm calling this done. Nice kit.

 

[Pantherman]

I'm calling this done. Nice kit.

Sweet build. Pantherman

 

[BarleyBop]

Nice kit

Nice build!

 

[Dan the Modeler]

I'm calling this done. Nice kit.

Nice build! What 1/72 kit is that? Hasegawa?

 

[Ron2]

Nice build! What 1/72 kit is that? Hasegawa?

Yes Hasegawa and thank you.

 

[Tommergun]

Well done Ron, looks sharp!

 

[blakeh1]

I'm calling this done. Nice kit.

Great work!

Looks much larger than it actually is
You forget how small those things are until yo see them being held

 

[Ron2]

Well done Ron, looks sharp!

Thank you!

 

[Ron2]

Great work!

Looks much larger than it actually is
You forget how small those things are until yo see them being held

Yeah I don't normally like 1/72 but I find with modern planes it's not as difficult. Put that next to a 1/72 mustang and it dwarfs it!

 

[Ron2]

Nice build!

Thank you!

 

[Wig41]

That's a great build. I hope mine will come out as well.

 

[Ron2]

That's a great build. I hope mine will come out as well.

Thanks I'm sure it will be great!

 

[Wig41]

Funny how things develop. My original plan was to do the Testors 1/48 Hornet which can be built as an "A" or a "B" into this …

But as I started working on the kit I discovered that it can only build the prototype F-18. So now I am building this …

Clean and plain. Not a great kit, poorly engineered and lousy fit

I'm still going to build the first picture, I have a Hasegawa "B" standing by. Just wanted to update the group.

 

[Edbert]

build the prototype F-18.

I do not remember what kit is was, was very late '70s or very early '80s. I had the gold and blue stickered hornet kit. It might have sucked, I definitely did, and I was not a fan of the plane thinking why would they make a fugly plane like this when the 15 & 16 dominated the sky and the 14s were on all carriers.

 

[Wig41]

Monogram did a 1/48 F-18 Hornet prototype in 1980. I'll bet it's a nicer kit than this one. If the prototype had been my original goal, I probably would have started with the Monogram kit … raised panel lines and all.

 

[Jantk14]

Going to get started on mine this week.

 

[Edbert]

Going to get started on mine this week.

Nice kit!

Also my favorite Squadron. I think because I loved "The Final Countdown" when it came out.

 

[Dan the Modeler]

I loved "The Final Countdown" when it came out.

It was a great movie at the time when sci-fi met military.

 

[MRDuczz]

For anyone that wants to enjoy the F/A-18 group build but finds the Navy gray paint scheme boring, here is an option as seen at the Oshkosh 2011 air show, celebrating the Centennial of Naval Aviation. Anyone up for a challenge?

 

[Edbert]

here is an option

GAHHH!

My head hurts just thinking about the masks! That from someone who did the RAM on an F-35i and the camo of an SU-57

It would make for an interesting subject.

 

[Edbert]

Update on the GB...I'm stalled debating how much weathering, if any, or if a lot. Just how much do I want to do.

From what I've seen the low-vis ships (on active duty deployments) have some significant signs of use. But the high vis, airshow crowd, they are relatively clean.

 

[Dan the Modeler]

@Edbert I will be doing the low vis "Black Aces", so it's going to be pretty weathered. They were pretty busy in 07-08 time frame, so messy pig it is for me...lol.

 

[MRDuczz]

My head hurts just thinking about the masks!

This is my adventure in masking. I wouldn't even think about all of the masking involved in that F-18! Even the stars & bars are camo!

 

[Edbert]

This is my adventure in masking.

Awesome Mig! Is there a build thread you can link to?

 

[Eagle-1]

The 1/48 P-61 Group Build started May 2024, the last post was April 2025 until I just opened it up again last week when I started my build. So there's no time limit, which is very nice.

Us P-61 gang don't use no stinkin' rules.

Instructions neither.



Rob.

 

[MRDuczz]

Awesome Mig! Is there a build thread you can link to?

I built that one 7 or 8 years ago and I wasn't doing any on-line build stuff at the time. I can tell you that it is the Eduard Su-27 Flanker B with Foxbot masks and AKAH paints.

 

[Glenn S]

For anyone that wants to enjoy the F/A-18 group build but finds the Navy gray paint scheme boring, here is an option as seen at the Oshkosh 2011 air show, celebrating the Centennial of Naval Aviation. Anyone up for a challenge?

I wonder who thought up the idea for that paint scheme? My first thoughts are that some senior officer thought it was a good idea, then some sailors spent a lot of time actually doing the work.
Hopefully I'm wrong. Hopefully a team of sailors who build scale models got tasked to paint the plane and loved getting paid to paint a custom 1:1 scale kit. A limited release kit made by McDonnell Douglas, that had a really detailed cockpit and wheel wells.

 

[MRDuczz]

Hopefully a team of sailors who build scale models got tasked to paint the plane and loved getting paid to paint a custom 1:1 scale kit.

I get a kick out of the fact that they even did the over the top camo paint on the drop tank.

 

[Wig41]

I have the decal set for that digital F/A-18E. It's on my to do list somewhere down the line.

 

[MRDuczz]

I have the decal set for that digital F/A-18E. It's on my to do list somewhere down the line.

I'm looking forward to seeing that one!