This is my first 1/48th scale
Hasegawa Hornet! BuNo 163484 was an F/A-18C-24-MC and is shown here loaded and
marked as the jet LtCdr. Scott Speicher flew on the opening night of Operation
Desert Storm. Sadly, Speicher did not return to the USS Saratoga due to what is
believed to be either an Iraqi SAM, or a lucky shot from a MiG-25. Years after
the Gulf War ended, the wreckage of this jet was located in a remote desert in
Iraq. Photos of this particular airframe as it appeared before the downing are
extremely hard to find these days but I received quite a bit of information from
a friend of "Sunliner" pilot Lt Barry Hull. Lieutenant Hull is the
pilot whose name actually appeared on this aircraft. Many thanks to Mr. Michael
Engle for his help in researching this subject!
Click on
images below to see larger images
|
|
|
The model was built
with the addition of the Black Box F/A-18C Cockpit Set and resin copies of my
Hasegawa F/A-18C "High Grade" wingfold parts. The decals were pulled
from two different SuperScale sheets, one Repli-Scale sheet, and some were
custom made using my Alps Micro-Dry printer. The paint scheme is Dark Ghost Gray
over Light Ghost Gray with large patches of faded Medium Gray on the upper
surfaces. All of the aircraft colors are from the Testors Model Master enamel
line. All weathering was done with a black/gray mix of water-based craft paint
using both "panel washing" and "dry brushing" techniques.
The model's exterior surface is sealed with Testors Dullcote Lacquer with
additional talc mixed-in for extra flatness.
Marv
|