Hasegawa
F-18 Hornet in 1/72 scale
This modelling report covers briefly one of the older models in the collection made in 2000.
For this 1/72 F-18D two seater model, the old Hasegawa kit no.02811 released in 1991 was made. On the box the F-18D was then still designated TF-18A.
The Hasegawa kit sprues have the parts for boith single as twin seaters but not both required canopies. Depending on the kit release bought, for the A you get a single seat canopy and for the two seat TF- (-B) canopy.
(Note that the A/B and C/D are quite similar with the exception that the later C/D got additional antenna fairings on twin tails, the spine and fuselage nose. This Hasegawa kit does not have the extra C/D parts which in their kit is extra sprue "G").
Kit decals are for a USMC TF-18, Australian F/A-18B and Canadian CF-118B. The low visibility light strips look too bright yellow.
This kit requires some putty and sanding work, particularly at the intakes.
It was finished as a Finland air force "ilmavoimat" F-18D. Some extra antenna fairings were added typical of the C/D on the spine and on the fuselage nose sides.
The colors are comparable to the US NAVY schemes with FS36320 Compass Gray also painted on the full tail fins and the lower surfaces FS36375 Light Ghost Gray.
The old Humbrol 128 and 127 enamels were airbrushed with in those days my old reliable Badger 150:
Finnish roundels: in the Matchbox Hawk kit I recuded the decals in that kit to smaller size with a foto copier and printed these on clear decals film. The Hornet airplane number was painted very delicately with a thin brush.
A final coat of semi mat varnish was applied to protect the decals and have an even sheen.
(UPDATE: many years later these decals can be bought in after market sets. Also included in the 1/72 Italeri F/A-18C/D kit #016).
For more information about the Finland Air Force, look at the MiG-21 page here....
After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1990, as replacement of the MiG-21 and Draken, the American McDonnell Douglas (MDD) F-18 Hornet was purchased for the "Ilmavoimat".
In 1995 the first of 57 F-18C single-seaters, built under license from Patria Finavitec, and 7 F-18D trainers, arrived directly from MDD. The last MiG-21bis was retired in March 1998. The Hornet era has also led to closer international cooperation. The F-18 fleet was later from 2006 modernized with various MLU programs. In 2012 MLU2 enabled the multi role task with now designation F/A-18 to attack also ground targets and to fire the AMRAAM missile.
The F/A-18 is now the most important aircraft in the "Ilmavoimat" with some 60 operational machines. February 2022 it was announced that to replace the F-18 fleet by 2030, 64 F-35A had been ordered.
F/A-18D "ilmavoimat" HN-501
... set in scenery...
TIP: also check out the larger scale 1/32 F-18 here....
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Created this page May 9, 2020