1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18F Superhornet

by Jojo B Cruz

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This is the excellent Hasegawa 1/72 F/A-18F Superhornet, depicting number 102 plane of VFA-102 Diamondbacks. 

 

A friend gave me a Finemolds photoetch fret for the 18E and 18F. It's the first time I  used PE parts.  I used PE for the boarding ladder, rearview mirrors, canopy latches, cockpit controls, side controls, HUD bracket, missile exhausts, and several vents along the underside. They were brush-painted first using Tamiya acrylics, then drybrushed with Tamiya enamels.

 

The plane itself was completely brush painted, then weathered exaggeratedly by drybrushing black pastel chalk to simulate gun port stains and oil stains along the control surfaces and fuselage. I used a black sludge wash as well as a Gundam water-based marker to highlight panel lines, exhaust nozzles, weapons, vents, and other odds and ends. (Caution: should you try to use this Gundam marker, make sure you apply a gloss coat first. This marker ink will adhere permanently to a matt surface!) A red Sharpie pen was used on the edges of the landing gear bay doors. Decals were thin and went down very well with no problems. However, many of the stencils were translucent and were of an odd greenish color: this coloration is most apparent on the decals for the inside sides of the intakes.

 

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The plane came with AIM-9X Sidewinders, Sparrows, fuel tanks, and a targeting pod, but no bombs. So I loaded a pair of bombs from the spares box. (Yes, I know, BL-755s are not carried by Superhornets, but those are what I had.) This was a really fun build, and I am very satisfied with the results. I'd recommend this kit to anyone.

Hope you like it!

Jojo

Photos and text © by Jojo B Cruz