1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18

as CF-18 with LED TMOTA 1992 decals

by Mark Littrell

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

 

This is another case of "Saw the decal sheet, coveted the decal sheet, couldn't find the decal sheet, FINALLY found the decal sheet.... whoops! Now I need a kit to build!" That pretty much sums up my interest in this aircraft.  I knew I'd have to build the Hasegawa kit for these decals.  I wanted them to fit properly, and that was the most likely choice.  I have previously built the RoG kit, but was not overly impressed.  I did a lot
 of research about "how to assemble" the Hase kit, but frankly, you have to have your hands on the kit, the loose parts in hand, and you have to really dry fit to understand how to best do it.  I had read 3 write-ups
 from forums and gallery entries here on ARC, and they helped prepare me, but getting my hands on it was really the key.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

Tips on assembling this kit:

 The best and most emphatic suggestion I can give you is to remove the stabilizers from the upper fuselage half. Just score along the fuselage line over and over until they come off, clean as a whistle. This helps
 so much in later assembling the fuselage it cannot be repeated too much.  Let me clarify, this helps so much in cleaning up the assembly of the fuselage.  The intakes themselves are rather tricky as well. You can see in one of the photos above how I assembled it.  It's the best way I could find.  Glue the intake lip on first (1) because you have to line it up with the lower fuselage by the gear wells.  Then glue the side panels on,
 first just by the intake and gear wells (2) because you need to align this perfectly with the intake, AND securely with the gear wells, and then once that is all dried you finish up (3) using whatever combination
 of force/pressure and CA you can.  I used pressure to bend the rear portion of the engines up to close the gap between the sides and the side panels, and secured as best I could.  Note that putting a rigid
 support between these two panels, to keep them from collapsing inward later, would be wise.  I did not think of it at the time.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

I built this for the TMOARC 2.0 Group Build.  It turned out well, but the decals are a nightmare.  They are a full blown horror story.  Leading Edge makes some good decal sheets, but this isn't one.  From various reviews
 and comments, it's one of the thickest sheets they've ever done, and seems immune to all decal solvents save hydrochloric acid (that's a joke, by the way).  I used so much solvaset that I started stripping the
 paint off, but the decal still was resisting!  Please note that some have mentioned the decal grey is too light.  I think it looks better this way, but the color on the full-color drawings included with the decals is
 listed as Gunship Gray.  It is actually almost a match with "Euro Gray I" FS 36081.  The decals have more of a blue tint, as some greys do, and the Euro Gray I has more of a brownish tint, as some others do, but it's so similar that after touchups and Future, and dullcoats, that you really can't tell the difference.  I suggest stocking up, as areas like the leading edges of the vertical stabilizers.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

Areas that also need touching up include where the decals stop to accommodate the horizontal stabilizers -- if you cut them off there is a gap -- and areas where decals on the spine meet decals on the wings or
 LEXs. Also if you break/shatter a decal, this color is good for hiding the seams on the decal pieces you place back into position. Use WARM water on these decals! Warm to just-plain-hot! I used a small glass mug on a candle warmer and this worked. Cold water will shatter the decals.
 One actually shattered into about 30 0.5 to 1.5 millimeter parallel strips. THAT was fun to get in place. I was able to hide it under some paint touchups, and it turned out okay.

 I didn't load it out, despite the kid in me screaming to do so, because I wanted to stick with a real Tiger Meet loadout.  They didn't really load much.  I left it as I saw several photos of it, with the fuel tanks
 but no weapons or pods.  I ran a couple types of graphite pencils on various panel lines, I used a sludge wash on various areas including the landing gear, and used an overall dull coat.  The seat is a photo etch
 seat from another kit and almost identical to a Hornet seat.  This was a second hand kit, and the seat was missing (I knew that going into the deal though).

Mark

Photos and text © by Mark Littrell