This
model is an Hasegawa 1/72 US Navy EA-18G nickname Growler from a
standard box, EA for Electronic Attack. I decided to show this bird with
an attractive paint scheme from VAQ-208 Starwarriors NAS Whidbey Island WA in
May 2018. This special scheme represents CAG bird serial
number 166895. It is the seventh Growler built. I used decals sheet from
Two Bobs 72-108 an American company very well known, decals are very
accurate (as a SF and StarWars fan, tails with DARTH VADER mask are
awesome and VADER is really the squadron emblem). This squadron was deployed
aboard super carrier USS Harry S. Truman from November 2015 to July 2016 for
operation Inherent Resolve under Iraq and Syria to jam ISIS network communication. The
squadron was awarded the medical blue "M", the safety S, the golden
wrench and the battle E. I followed Two Bobs instructions
regarding colors, I used acrylics Gunze H307 FS36320 for upper
fuselage and H308 FS36375 for lower fuselage and nose standard Growler camo. The
engines are painted gun metal for external exhaust and metallic and flat white
for ceramic inside engines exit. The tails are painted Humbrol 85 FS17038
satin black and I added a weathering with AMMO products (panel lines juice,
lightering wings panels and hydraulics leakage on flaps). I used matt AMMO varnish to
finish the model.
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I show
the bird with three external fuel tanks painted in standard grey FS36375
except the central one in satin black with the famous title VADER ONE. I added
armament from the box two AGM-88E HARM anti radiation missiles plus two ALQ-99 high
band jamming pods and standard ALQ-218V2 pods at the wings end. I
also show the canopy opened, the cockpit is from the box with no resin part
addition. It was a pleasure to build a so attractive and decorated plane (it is
sad that USNavy decided to end the CAG bird colors plane and replace them by
nuance of greys).