Model Aircraft – August 2019

T

he Hasegawa F/A-18F is a very nice
kit, with some really good details for
the scale, but its possible to make it
even better with the addition of a few
extras. As I wanted to show my Super
Hornet with the canopy open, I decided to
use the amazing Aires F/A-18F cockpit set. The
level of detail here is just superb, and makes all
the diference once the kit is inished! Its not
unusual with aftermarket parts to have a few it
issues, so here again some modiications were
needed. With a ine razor saw I removed the
indicated area of plastic, then with the help of
some Blue Tac I did a little dry itting, and then
removed any resin and plastic needed to get
the cockpit to sit correctly. Once I was happy I

used more Blue Tac

to hold the piece

in place whilst I

added some CA

glue to ix it. I then

used some Tamiya

White Putty to ill

any gaps. I then let

this dry completely,

and applied more

putty, and you really

need to let this dry

for a good three days

to cure, otherwise it can

shrink and it will be visible later!

With everything dry I started the painting

process! Here I used Gunze H317 Grey FS36231

for the irst coat of paint, and then sprayed

white on the raised areas and black on the

hidden areas, such as corners and lower areas

to simulate shadows and the highlights. Once

dry I applied the base colour again, this time

very thin to control the opacity. This way I could

show more or less of the white/black that I

had previously applied! Next I added a coat

of gloss, and once dry to enhance the details I

used some Tamiya Black Panel Line Accent. Any

excess was then removed with a cotton bud

just damp with White Spirit. For the highlights

I then used a little light grey oil paint applied

using the dry brush technique. Doing this will

bring life to all of the all the details, making the

cockpit looking really busy! Acrylic black was

then used to paint the remaining areas, and

once dry I repeated the dry brush process to

create more contrast. Once painted, the cockpit

was now ready for the ejection seats, which

Black Knights

Super Hornet

Vitor Costa guides you step-by- step

through building and painting the

1:72 Hasegawa F/A-18F

Manufacturer: Hasegawa

Scale: 1:72

K i t Ty p e: Plastic injection moulded

Kit Number: 10958

F/A-18F Super Hornet

MODEL AIRCRAFT AUGUST 2019

MODEL AIRCRAFT MANUAL

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