Super Hornet - tinted canopy

Actually, Hornet canopies aren't tinted - they are pretty clear; definately not like an F-16 canopy. They are impregnated with a stuff that gives them a metallic, pearlescent sheen, however. And the windscreen is thicker than the canopy, so it may look darker in some lights, but it isn't.

I saw some stuff at an art supply shop once that I've been meaning to try out - it's a powder one mixes with paint (perferably acryl in this case) to give it pearescent appearance. You may be able to ask some car guys what I'm talking about...they do this sort of thing. I'll probably try it on my Monogram Prowler first.

Anyway, what I would do is mix it with an acrylic cleer, or Future, and spray it on the inside of the canopy to get the pearlized look.

BTW - I got to look at and complare my 1/48 Hasagawa F/A-18D, F, and a Revell E kit side by side last night at our local Club meeting. Additional observations:

2) The Revell kit seems to be more the correct width at the aft end...but that doesn't make up for it's deficiencies overall compared to the Hasegawa.

4) Didn't notice before, but there is an "Boeing Officially Licensed Product" marking on the Hasegawa box. Don't like the sound that...especially seeing as that's the only mention of the Boeing name in the box art...in English, anyway.

Keep plugging.

At least the stuff you are talking about makes the canopy look as if it is tinted F-16 style. I found a picture on airliners.net showing a Super Hornet's side view against a white hangar and the canopy and windscreen make the white area behind them look grey.

What would you consider the most apparent deficiencies of the Revell compared to Hasegawa? I do not have Hasegawas SHornet yet. Ingo

The nozzles are a bit rough, and the ECS exhausts between the tails are wrong - remove the little vanes molded on the insides, and there are another set of small vanes that should be on the sides that are missing (they are there on the Hasegawa kit).

The fit of the stabs against the fuselage is also off - at the inboard trailing edge mostly.

The contour of the spine aft of the cockpit is a bit off as well - it should be a bit flatter; not as round. (The Hasagawa is better.)

The aft fuselage is also a bit "chunky"...while I think the width of the aft end is more dimensionally correct than the Hasegawa kit, I still think the contours are a bit off - particularly on the bottom side. Just my gut feeling...the taper of the engine nacelles seems wrong on the bottom and the sides.

The detailing on the pylons is even more overstated than on the Hasegawa kit...very clunky. In fact, a lot of the smaller external details (like the doors over the wingfolds, and some of the flap actuator and hinge fairings) are clunky in general.

I think the shading in the photo you found is a prizmatic trick of the light...remember - the interior is mostly black and grey. I went and looked and I found a picture like the one you describe, but based on the time I've spent actually looking through them I can tell you definitively that they aren't tinted except for the metallic sheen I described previously. If there is a tint, it's VERY slight...VERY.

there are another set of small vanes that should be on the sides that are missing

(they are there on the Hasegawa kit).

--------- could you pls say where exactly these vanes have to be added? I haven't noticed that yet...

I went and looked and I found a picture like the one you describe, but based on the time I've spent actually looking through them I can tell you definitively that they aren't tinted except for the metallic sheen I described previously. If there is a tint, it's VERY slight...VERY

----------- Ok - I believe you :-) ...and will spray on a very....very light mix of Tamiya Smoke and Clear. Then dip everything into Future.

by the way: Are these ALE-50 launchers a fixed equipment part of the SHornet or is it an option to carry it? (like FLIR pod for example) Ingo