1/72 Academy CF-18

Gallery Article by Patrick Vossenberg on Sept 17 2018

 

      

This is the very nice Academy F-18C kit, converted to a RCAF CF-18. 

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I added some bits and pieces from the Fujimi CF-18 (I once started that kit, but got stuck when trying to complete the overly complex and fiddly fuselage); some further home-made upgrades were also done:

  • I used Fujimi's ejection seat that I had already prepared with Eduard PE seatbelts; also the control stick is from the Fujimi kit.

  • The canopy (and associated PE mirrors) are from Fujimi as well, with a PE HUD from PP Aeroparts.

  • The Fujimi main landing gears looked more convincing, I used these instead of Academy's.

  • I added a bit of sidewall detail in the cockpit and dropped the flaps.

  • Various lumps and bumps were removed around the fuselage and the typical search light on the left cockpit side was added to complete the conversion to a Canadian F-18.

  • Ordnance is taken from the kit.

Paints are Humbrol enamels, with airbrush fading, MIG panel washes and several spot oil washes completing the weathering. As for the decals, these are from a Canuck sheet and must have been among the thinnest I have ever used: I had to replace a few with kit decals as I just could not manage them to slide on the model properly without curling up. The aircraft is finished as a "Balkan Rat", deployed during Operation Allied Force in 1999 over Kosovo, operating from Aviano AB (Italy).

Enjoy the pictures!

Patrick Vossenberg

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Photos and text © by Patrick Vossenberg