Got one at a swap meet complete with resin parts, photoetch and decal extras. Will want to do the Canadian AF version. The wings and tailplane leading edges are notched. Do I remove material or do I build up the LE to get a straight edge? I am not a rivet counter and I think the other parts will look ok without modification. The LEs are too obvious.
Get hold of a copy of the first volume on the Hornet from Detail and Scale - in the back is a portion dedicated to how to convert the Hasagawa kit into a Production representative F/A-18A.
I have one too...the landing gear need to be totally scratch built to look right. Other than that, it's not bad for it's age. The Academy kits are the Cadillacs.
I don't have easy access to that. Can you remember what modification was recommended? Close enough is good enough for me.
I was wondering what the resin U/C was for?
I highly recommend that you get hold of a copy - mail order or otherwise. It's a fine reference.
You'll need to cut back the wing leading edge per the diagram, fill the snag on the stabs, extend the ailerons and fill in the gaps over the LEXs - and that's just for starters. The seats are different on CAF jets as well. And if you plan to do one of the newly re-maned A+ ones, you've got a bit further research to do.
Resin undercarriage?...didn't know there was one - was planning on maybe casting the parts from my Academy kits or using them as examples to scratchbuild a set of gear; hope the mains are wire reinforced. I have most of the resin from Paragon - seat, pylons, LEX Fences, TFLIR, etc...and a set of rubber tires that were packaged with a Revell F-14A I'm working on that are actually for the 1/32 Hornet kit.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I took a good look at the kit again. The (late) guy did his research well and I have all the documentation and parts needed for the RCAF F-18. Previously I took a quick look and the details were lost in a mass of very small print all over the poor reproduction of the instruction sheet (from one too many photocopies of photocpies). Your description told me what to look for.
There is a resin wheel set but no resin undercarriage legs. I was wrong about the u/c legs. The resin wheels don't look any different from the plastic sprue's except for the slight bulge from under inflation. The plastic u/c legs look okay to me. Perhaps you are right about these legs needing reinforcement. One leg each of my Revel 1/32 F-15, Mig 21 had snapped and I haven't got around tpo fixing them yet.
I'm not entirely sure why you want to go through all that effort instead of just using the far superior Academy kit unless it's a matter of money. If not, why not build the Hasegawa kit as intended, as the prototype? You could still use lots of the resin parts you have to help detail it.
It's not that they're weak - they're inaccurate. Try getting the main gear legs from a Revell Hornet to help them out some.
All of this is covered in the Detail in Scale book Rufus recommended and I concur with his recommendation whether or not you do the conversion. It's invaluable reference material for building the Hasegawa kit.
Would you believe I paid just $20 for everything that came with the box? I don't intend to spend a cent more but will use everything there. I have the 1/48 Monogram F-18 and will be able to figure out if the UC is within my ability to duplicate on the Hasegawa. As I said I am not a rivet counter. Until you guys told me about the Hasegawa kits shortcomings I had no idea and that wouldn't have disturbed my sleep one bit.
I have more than enough kits stashed in my basement to last me another
20 years. I hope I can finish them before I join the former F-18 kit's owner in that great big modelling club in the sky. My current modelling objectives are to pose my finished armor kits in diaromas. The dozen dioramas I have done has given me far more pleasure than building the kits themselves. The other objective is to RC motorize the ship kits I have, also from swap sales.
The kit gear are a bit too slim...and missing a good amount of detail. As I recall, the nose gear is better than the mains, but that's the case with most early Hornet kits other than the 1/48 Monogram.
There should be no bulge in the tires - they run at 200 psi ashore, and
300 psi afloat...they don't bulge.Who came up with that bulging ire crap anyway? Had they only seen underinflated tires on a/c before?
Rufus wrote:
Who came up with that bulging tire crap anyway? Had they only seen underinflated tires on a/c before?
Rufus wrote:
I gotta agree with Frank. I'm a volunteer at an air museum
;^)
Martin
Planning on doing mine as the Prototype. Will any of the current aftermarket bits work for the prototype, or should I just stick with the kit bits, I'm oprimarily thinking of the cockpit & seat.
Build it out of the box, then...with the exception of the landing gear. They need a lot of work. Use one of the nicer 1/48 scale kits as a guide - Monograms gear are nice enough.
Getting a nice SJU-5 resin seat wouldn't be a bad move, but not a must.
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