1/32 Academy F/A-18A+ (part1)

 VMFA-115 CAG 

by Everett McEwan

--------------------

 

  Since I last wrote about this kit several changes to plans happened.
  I was building this as a C model but decided that I really loved the  scheme of the VMFA-115 CAG as featured in the 2 Bobs Patriot Hornet sheet.

Click on image below to see larger image

Click on images below to see larger images

  This lead me to pick up the Black Box F/A-18A conversion set (cockpit and tail fins) and of course the 2 Bobs decal sheet, I also added the Black Box Exterior set (bomb racks, refueling probe, EPU panel, burner cans and 2 bucket chaff dispensers which I did not use).

 

Click on image below to see larger image

   I also added the kit parts needed such as the IFF antenna (this was added to A models during an upgrade to plus standard), RWR antennas and other differences like the gun bay grills. Although Academy markets this kit as a C model they really understand the model builders need to build other versions and provide a lot of parts that they don't have to, my hats off to them for that and my thanks. But I still had the nice CE cockpit set for the C model so I picked up another kit to build as a C, more on that latter. I decided that I wanted to open this kit up a bit and detail a few eye catching things (to go with the eye catching markings).

Click on image below to see larger image

    I started with the kit provided radar section and removed the molded on wires (which are incorrect) and added my own wiring using that great Daco book to guide me, I also used some of the Eduard placards along with the kit decals.

Click on image below to see larger image

  To go with the open nose I used the BB refueling probe and the BB EPU panel to add more interest around the nose.

Click on images below to see larger images

    Not satisfied I then decided to open a avionics bay and scratch build the details.

Click on images below to see larger images

   This may sound daunting but I had recently done this with a F/A-18F Super bug and I knew it wasn't that hard, all you need is some good color photos and some time. The bay was sectioned and walled in using evergreen plastic stock, with some wires and ribbing running along the top. The boxes were made by cutting up chunks of resin pour blocks (don't throw them out they are useful for a lot of things) and then drilling out holes for the wiring and adding a few details to the faces (such as poking holes for circuit breakers).

I latter added the doors, making them from thin plastic card (I bent them to match the curved surface) and rod for the latches. I then painted them green and applied some stencil decals (the kit has plenty- I think I used a weapon stencil) and outlined things in aluminum foil (it appears they used foil tape on the real thing). Although it looks hard it really is pretty simple to do, and if you have good photos as I did in the Daco book (they have all the avionics bays in there) it's no problem to do.

Click on images below to see larger images

   And of course I set the air brake open to show off the flag, I detailed the inside by adding correct ribs with rivet holes and I detailed the hydraulic actuator with some wire and placards.

Click on images below to see larger images

  The Black Box fins helped make life easier for me, I tried to convert a kit fin before I bought the set and trust me it is very hard to do as the shape of the RWR antennas are different and it's not just a matter of sanding off the middle one. The BB fins are very nicely done, checking them against photos shows they are a dead on match. That said I was unhappy with the leading edge of the fin, it was way too thick and square. This is because that is where the fins are attached to the pour blocks and this causes the problem. If I was copying the part in resin after making the master (I have done this with my own parts) I would have chosen to make the base of the fin the pour area, I would imagine that would give a bigger area for the pour (you need that at the top the mold) and keep the thin leading edge. That's just my opinion, and like I said I am glad they include the part. If Cutting Edge had included a fin conversion in their A model pit set I would have gone with that instead as I think they do a nicer job (not that BB is bad) and they include the canopy parts. I am surprised that CE made a pit set but never made the fin set as you can't have one without the other.

Click on images below to see larger images

   The intakes were a pain in the butt and gave me the most difficulty of the whole kit, lot's of sanding! I regret using the Eduard PE for the vortex generators, they filled in too easily with glue and paint and didn't add much in the end, should have left those off. I discovered a trick that I used on my next kit after I spent hours looking for a perfect seam. If you paint the lip and the trunk separately (Grey and White) you can glue them together afterwards and the seam is where the paint line goes! Save yourself the headache! It's easier to do this then to try to sand it smooth.

Click on images below to see larger images

   After I finished construction, which goes quick due to the excellent engineering of this kit, I tackled the painting and weathering process. I wanted to do this kit after seeing Kaan Gök's article on how he painted his Hornet (http://www.arcair.com/tnt1/101-200/tnt119_weathering_Gok/tnt119.htm)
and I had to try my hand at doing the same thing. I began by laying down the base coats of light and dark ghost Grey (lower and upper surfaces of course) as Kaan had done. I then began weathering the hell out of it using the chalk pastel sludge method, dirtying it up and staining the paint a darker Grey in the process (as it is on the real jet), leaving some areas more dirty than others (such as the rear underside as this is always stained from the APU). I then began the spot painting over the dirtiness.

Click on images below to see larger images

  I have had my Testors Aztec airbrush for three years and it wasn't until now that I figured out how to use it to get the right affect. I have always pushed down and pulled back on the lever and just blasted away using masks to control the scheme with a lot of over spray. Although it works for most basic jobs I have always wondered how people 
manage to free hand camo jobs and some of the more advanced WW II Nazi paint schemes.

 I have tried before to be light on the airbrush control and get fine line results but I was not doing it the correct way. For those who are like me and have had this problem I will try to describe the right way for you. It is a matter of pushing down lightly as you pull back, about half way each you will begin to get a fine line. I always pushed down hard and thought pulling back controlled it. The air is controlled by the backwards pull and the paint is the push down, it takes a really gentle touch, I never realized how small the pressure must be, it is very sensitive.

Click on image below to see larger image

   After I figured this out I was able to add very small spots and fine lines along the panel lines to match the real thing. This is of course due to the fact that corrosion control on the boat is always spot painting anywhere there could be rust, such as after a
panel is opened and screws have been turned. I used both dark and light ghost Grey to apply the spot paints in random order and because of the underlying dirty paint the fresh paint gives it that contrast and spotty appearance. This look is one of my favorite
things about modern US Navy aircraft and why I am so attracted to modeling them.

Click on images below to see larger images

  This aircraft is a CAG jet and I know some of you out there think that CAG jets never get dirty, well you are wrong! Sometimes CAG birds are line jets that receive CAG markings over their dirty paint, other times they just get dirty during the cruise. The NATOPs guidelines state that no complete repaints can be done during the cruise only spot paints and that includes CAG jets. I really liked this CAG bird because it was so dirty and colorful at the same time.  I tried to match and create the exact same pattern on my model as was on the real jet. I had a decent amount of photos of this aircraft thanks to the US Navy website (http://www.news.navy.mil/) and came pretty close to the real thing, I was happy with the results.  I of course had to average things out since weathering changes over time and no two photos are exactly the same. If those clean paint job guys out there still doubt me take a look at these photos of this jet on it's latest cruise, it's still just as dirty as it was during the Iraq war;
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=22577
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=22562
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=22450

Judge for yourself how dirty and patchy the paint job is, anyone out there who paints this jet in monotone Light and Dark Ghost Grey as though it's a air show plane is wrong.

   The decals were both good and bad. I love Twobobs subjects and all the variety that they bring to our kits, bravo as always to them! But they are also not the easiest decals to use, mostly because they are super thin and can break up easily and sometimes come off after you think they have set. I had a lot of break up with mine in the red white and blue areas and was able to restore most of it thanks to cutting strips from the VFA-201 decals also on the sheet (the colors match). The flag decal on the air brake was the best of the bunch and the fin tip stuff was the most difficult, I also had a major break up on the stripe behind the VMFA-115 titles on the hump after I had clear coated (what fun that was). The fin tip decals were actually too small and the blue at the top needed some extra filling (again from the VFA-201 decals) this may have been because I was using the Black box fins and the decals were sized for the kit fins (which are wrong to use of course). I don't fault Twobobs for all this, they did a great job with the artwork, I would fault Super Scale who prints the decals for making them too thin. If I had known how ultra thin they were I might have coated them with some liquid decal film to make them stronger (Micro-sol makes that). I am not saying that Super scale needs to make them an inch thick, of course thin is good, but we still need them to hold up during application and not rip and tear. One note about the artwork on the sheet, I believe that 2 Bobs researched the jet after it had returned from Iraq as the photos on the instruction sheet show a fresh paint job and it has a "Iraqi Freedom" seal on the ammunition door (I never found any other photos of this and I think it was only temporary) so I decided to drop this. The eagle and the flag on the tail also seamed to change mid-cruise (I found photos before and after the change, both during the war) so the 2-bobs decals were correct for latter in the war, and seam to be current to the jet
now (although the speed brake has the CAGs name on it now- see photo links above).
  After all the painting and weathering I proceeded to the final touches and gluing on of the small stuff.

Everett

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos and text © by Everett McEwan