2012 ended with an easy straightforward build of an Hasegawa F/A-18C hornet from the Swiss airforce.
I had the pleasure to see this one at the Cambrai NTM a couple years ago. Staffel 11 usually decors the hornet tails with tiger artwork and this version always had my preference.
The model is the usual 1/48 hasegawa. I used bits of the multipurpose Black box set and the Wolfpack late F/A-18C conversion. That one gave me a new nose with the bird slicers and late vents typical of the late F/A-18C.
The decals are from Syh@rt decals. They are very easy to work with albeit the large size and the potential shape issue on the tail. they react very well to microset and microsol.
The Swiss keep their aircraft in pristine conditions, so this one couldn't be weathered too much; it was just a bit preshaded with H317 (dark grey) and painted with the usual Gunze H307, H308 and H306.
Model completed end of December 2012.
The hasegawa phantom comes in many different version and unfortunately one of the early mold lack the engraved panel lines. Of course that is the one I had in my stash so this particular model was actually started a few years back while being away on holidays (i couldn't justify taking the compressor and airbrush, but I manage to take the plastic and the engraving tool).
The rest is pretty standard and starightforward, except the intakes! one could say as usual !!
The cockpit is Aires which is gorgeous. I addressed the intakes with a small resin kit from True details. The decals are from the box and the weapons come from the scrap bob mostly.
It is not entirely accurate for a F-4N, but that will do for me.
Phantom fanatics, looks elsewhere :)
(Or try to spot the inacurracies).
Paints are the usual Gunze H315 and tamiya flat white. Both are preshaded with a darker colour. Metal are alclads. The aircraft received a wash of oil paint and different coats of matt vranish.
Model completed early december 2012.
