The various parts are now in preparation or sub-assemblies are ready....

The Hasegawa major conversion items are seen below

The Hasegawa cockpit tub was replaced by the sawn off rear Academy part #G18. The instruments' details of the Hasegawa kit part # D11 were used (they were cut away, sanded thin on their back sides and put on the Academy tub sidewalls); these are the white parts seen below in the picture.

The spare Academy part # G27? will be used on the Hasegawa kit as replacement of part #D16 (main  instrument panel).

The cockpit tubs were detailed with some thin strip on the sidewalls for the structure and cables and piping was added from thin stretched sprue.

Below the Academy kit can be seen with the rear "screen" set in place.

The fences (for anti-flutter purposes fitted later on F-18's) are missing from the Hasegawa kit. Also, the vents/airflow slots are a different shape on the real production F-18 place (no extruding parts). The Hasegawa kit was changed here and the fence made from card using the Academy part #D50 as a pattern.
left fence on Hasegawa kit from card

right fence

The canopy of the Hasegawa kit can use some added details, the Academy kit being used as an example. 

the upper canopy is from Academy, the lower from Hasegawa. The added white plastic can be seen.

The landing gear is also further finished as a sub-assembly. The front nose wheels of the Hasegawa kit are too large in diameter. From the spare box two replacement wheels were found. The Hasegawa kit parts are detailed and strengthened with some thin wire from a paper clip and made flush / smooth with white glue. The Academy kit parts are excellent though assembly is complicated as there are over 2x20 parts. 

The Academy kit has two seats (for a future two seater release...) !!!! 
The spare seat can be used for the upgraded Hasegawa kit. The SJU-5/A seat has a good basic shape, needing only very little extra detail. The seat harnesses were sanded off and replaced with tape and spare thin mesh clips and buckles. 

Seen are also the two rear decking plates / screens for the cockpits. The spare parts # J35/36 were used in the Hasegawa kit.

The vertical tails are of good shape of both kits, but the Hasegawa kit needs some extra fairings to the rear of the tails' end. 

The Academy kit has two sets of tail pipes: closed or fully open. Either of them can thus be used for the Hasegawa kit. The tailpipes are a bit too large in diameter to fit the Hasegawa kit. A remedy is to remove 2 millimeters through a saw cut in longitudinal direction. Bend in place and glue. The remaining Hasegawa tail cone parts # C9 were used iNSIDE the Hasegawa fuselage for giving the tail cone/jet pipes some additional depth. 
The extra inner pipe rings of the Academy kit can also be used!
 

The Academy kit was further finished. The various details can be seen on these pages

  Upper view of cockpit section

The model was "overall" finished with semi matt finish varnish of Johnson Clear mixed with 20% Tamiya Matting "agent" called flat base.

 the screen behind the seat and the tail area

the small aux panel for the gun

The air brake on top of the rear fuselage of the Academy kit

More details of the cockpit section, with canopy left off...

engine pipes were painted inside matted/burned  white with details added with pencil stripes

Final steps are adding the remaining "stores", missiles and so on. But the model is 95% completed.....

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