Hello
everyone,
This is my 1/48 Hasegawa F-18C Hornet in the markings of the "All American
Bug" the CAG bird of the USN Squadron VFA-146 also known as the Blue
Diamonds.
I bought this kit way back in the early 90's and never really found a colourful
paint scheme that I liked as "Low Vis" schemes were the "in
thing" at the time. Also all those years ago, I found the kit a little bit
too challenging for me to take on!
With the release of these markings in 1/48 scale from Two Bobs, I just had to
build this beautiful jet. A lot has already been written here about pro's, con's
and construction of this well detailed kit so I've leave that to those wiser
than myself. My model was built out of the box, except for the decal sheet and a
detail set from Eduard.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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This
scheme was painted on the original aircraft during the squadrons first
deployment on Operation Enduring Freedom. Originally the A/C had blue and yellow
flames as it's paint scheme, however once at sea during OEF the crew of the USS
Stennis wanted to make the CAG bird more patriotic. The design was approved by
chain of command (who couldn't)? and after 3-4 days the paint job was complete.
USN Capt. R.C. Thompson flew this hornet during the first VFA-146 strike over
Afghanistan and was the first pilot "over the beach".
The Two Bobs decals provide excellent markings for this striking fighter and I
couldn't recommend them highly enough. In all this was a very rewarding build
for me, I hope you enjoy it too.
Regards,
Darren
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