Marineflieger F/A-18 Hornisse Reprise

[Mossie]

I've been down to the wire with a decision. I had a build in mind for a good while, but last week I realised it wasn't going to work out. So I've been sat on the floor with over half a dozen kits trying to work out what I'll do.

Last night I finally whittled it down to the Hornet and a Smer Curtiss SC Seahawk. The Hornet is an easier build but more detailed and complex. The Seahawk is short run a (good one) and slightly chunky, and I haven't tied down the scheme yet. I couldn't decide so I got my daughter to choose! She liked the Hornet for the Blue Angels scheme on the box, so here I go.

I did a 1/144 Revell Hornet in Marineflieger colours a lot of years ago now. I've wanted to do it again in 1/72.
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=19670.0

I picked up an Academy 1/72 F/A-18A last year at the Leeds model show and later a Modeldecal German Tornado sheet and Vallejo RAL paints with the plan of eventually reprising that build, so that's what I'm doing for this GB.

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[Mossie]

Not much done today, some primer on the internal parts, I was hoping to get more done but family duties called.

[Mossie]

I'm plodding on with this one. I've done a fair bit of work but it's taken time. I selected the wrong kit really, the level of detail almost asks me to take time with it. Also, you can achieve a very good level of fit with this kit, but it's a faff to put together the multi-part fuselage.

Hopefully I'll the main parts together tomorrow, but I've thought that the last two nights. I'm unlikely to finish on time, but I'll carry on.

[George the Cat]

Missed this one.

Neat idea Mossie. 

[Mossie]

The fuselage is together.  This has been the main reason for the lack of progress, there are eleven major parts that make it up. There are few location pins, mostly butt joins but they go together surprisingly well. It's fiddly to get them aligned correctly and I've got PSR work to do where there's a few depressions. I'm very grateful for Tamiya Extra Thin, its helped get it together without splurging poly out of the numerous joins.

I've stuffed the nose with Milliput. It's partly there for nose weight, but mostly to bind the nose cone to the fuselage. It's a butt join and I've easily knocked off nose cones before, particularly the Revell/Hasegawa Draken that was close to completion when I knocked it lightly against the worktop.

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