1/32 Academy CF-188A Hornet

Gallery Article by Charlie 'Cheetah' Arsenault on July 1 2010

  Canada Day 2010 

 

Ever since the Academy 1/32 F/A-18C kit was released a few years ago. I'd been waiting for them to release either an F/A-18A or Export edition, but that never happened. One day while browsing the ARC classifieds, I came across a listing at a good price for an Academy Hornet by Paul Cotcher, I had to have it so I sent him a PM and I was pleased to see reply in my inbox a little while later. Other deals and trades were made in the ARC classifieds till I had all I needed to build a proper CF-188A in 1/32 scale. 

The kit itself looks a bit intimidating once you open the box, but it really wasn't too bad to build, the fit was fairly good for the most part. The wings on mine were warped badly, I was able to straighten them up by careful assembly. Others have had issues with the intakes but I didn't have any trouble there.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The aftermarket I used was a Black Box cockpit and tail conversion set, Eduard's exterior photo etch, Scale Aircraft Conversions landing gear, a Cutting Edge SJU-9/10 ejection seat and Leading Edge's Standard CF-188 markings. Based on a picture I found at www.airliners.net. I decided on doing an aircraft form the newly reformed 409 Squadron out of CFB Cold Lake (aka the Cool Pool). The picture I based it on showed a/c # 188794 in a very patchy and dirty standard paint scheme. I tried to reproduce that as best as I could. My base color was a tad too dark though on the lighter grey portions and as a result, some of the markings don't show properly. Lesson learned. I based the air to air weapons loadout on a picture I found at http://www.hazersflightline.com/.

I finished this kit on the evening of April 9th 2010, the night before the CFB Shearwater hobby show, talk about cutting it close, I'm sure some of the glue was still curing on the trip south to Halifax NS. I was quite pleased to have received a 1st place plaque in the large scale aircraft category. That meant a lot to me.
 
The following month I brought the kit to the CAMS show in Fredericton NB. I was hoping for at least another best in class or maybe best in category. Well I was pretty well surprised to have won best large scale aircraft, then best aircraft, then Best in Show. That was my first ever major award, one that I am quite proud of. I found out a week later that It had also won best Canadian subject.
 
Id like to thank many of the guys that helped me along the way with this one. Av8fan, Paul Cotcher, Pig Fleischmann, Rick Chin and Chuck Sawyer. Also Tilt, Scooby and Alf18, and to all the other guys here at ARC past and present that have inspired me over the years.
 
Happy Canada Day Eh!

Charlie 'Cheetah' Arsenault

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

Photos and text © by Charlie 'Cheetah' Arsenault