1/72 Hasegawa F/A18F Super Hornet

 BuNo 165882 - by Boeing/Mc Donnel Douglas 

by Jean-Charles GODDET

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This model is an Hasegawa 1/72 F/A18F Super Hornet completely from the box number 00385. It shows the special marking for the 50th anniversary of US Navy VFA-102 "Diamondbacks" from CVW-5 USS Kitty Hawk Pacific Fleet in 2005. The VF-102 became VFA-102 after the unit exchanged its old F14B Tomcat with the new F/A18F in 2003 and changed also of fleet from Atlantic to Pacific after the transition. The lower camouflage is FS36375 Grey MrColor H308 and the upper camouflage is FS36320 Grey acrylic Gunze H307. The decals are from the box and awesome you have the choice of paint  red upper flags and tails in Gunze H327 and add decals after for white diamonds, national marking, and snake's head or do it with big decals with red parts. I did the second choice. I did my best to paint it with classical brush and I added a light weathering to show rivets and structure lines. 

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The front and main gears with all internal doors are painted in white MrColor H316, the edge of doors are Gunze H327. I decided only to add under wings two 480 gallons tanks with diamond decals, the standard AN/ASQ-228 FLIR pod on left side without any armament. To make the model more real I decided to show the canopy open.

To help me I tried to find some pictures of the real plane via the web,  I found very operational pictures. The decals to do these plane exist also from specialist decal makers. I enjoy making USN planes because for years US Navy used colourful planes and eyecatching scheme I think it's more interesting than sad grey planes nevertheless it's not very visually stealth in time of war.

Jean-Charles

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Photos and text © by Jean-Charles GODDET