Hasegawa
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F/A-18 Hornet in 1/72 scale: first generation
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Hasegawa from Shizuoka Japan released quite some F/A-18 kits in 1/72. An old prototype Northrop YF-18 kit is seen here...
Ages ago I already made Hasegawa F-18D #02811 as seen on page 1....
The first 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18 Hornet kit with even no kit number went a long way back. I think it was released in 1985.
The decals are seen here for also a Canadian Hornet...
This old kit was still found in the stash after 35 years! The decals look unusable now but some smaller ones were used and they still worked..
Armament comprises Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles and 3 external fuel tanks.
The Hasegawa kit sprues have the parts for both single as twin seaters but not both required canopies. Depending on the kit release bought, you get a single seat canopy and for the two seat canopy.
Single seat canopy seen here...
Note that the F-18 A/B and C/D are externally quite similar with the exception that the later C/D got additional antenna fairings on twin tails, the spine and fuselage nose. The Hasegawa C/D kit does have the extra C/D parts in extra sprue "G"....
The 2 forward fuselage pitots are not provided in this kit and forgotten by Hasegawa.
... and the adapted STEP 4 in the C/D instructions....
... showing the different tails and the extra antenna fairings and bulges.
There are recessed panel lines but these are basic but typical of mould technology in those days. The plastic material is quite hard and in gloss light grey.
Quite some releases came of this Hasegawa kit, I got a few kits.
So after many decades another 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18A Hornet was made. I opted for another air force for the World Air Forces in Plastic collection.
Some 57 F/A-18A and 18 F/A-18B trainers were acquired by Australia with deliveries starting in October 1984.
RAAF F-18 obviously did not need the US NAVY carrier nose launch tie bar and that was not fitted. Some other avionics were also installed in the RAAF jets. The fleet was during service upgraded. (in 2010 some 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets were also purchased).
I had in my old stash an Australian PD decals set #72-003. I think the decals set was released around the year 2000 and is very well researched.
It has decals for 2 RAAF F/A-18A:
[1] F/A-18A, coded A21-29 as flown by the RAAF no. 75 squadron Commanding Officer from Tindal. It has a special scheme as seen mid 1990.
[2] F/A-18A, coded A21-57 flown by RAAF no. 3 squadron Commanding Officer from Williamstown, 1992.
Stencilling is to be used from the mother kit.
These jets had the old standard configuration. The model was made in this second RAAF scheme which also has blue trim.
The overall assembly of the Hasegawa kit posed no problems but it requires some putty and sanding work, particularly at the intakes and the lower strake insert parts #B6 and #B7. The airbrake #A7 was set closed, it is rarely seen deployed. I did not install the twin tails yet, this will help airbrushing the paint scheme. Sand, putty and sand again as needed.
It is a good idea to airbrush a base coat of grey. I like thinned Revell Aqua 75 steingray for this.
The RAAF F/A-18A scheme had FS36375 light grey lower surfaces and FS35237 blue grey upper surfaces; I airbrushed respectively Gunze Sangyo Mr.Hobby acrylic paints: H308 for FS36375 and H337 for FS35237.
Thin these paints with the Gunze thinner.
The vertical tails were not yet installed. Note that this F/A-18A had not the later ECM fairings of the C/D so use the appropriate kit parts #C3 and #C4 provided.
Next, the gear bays and gear struts were painted white with a brush. The main gear doors got retraction rods made from thin white plastic stretched sprue bits. In the front nose gear bay, a metal actuator was made from scrap and the gear doors also got retraction rods. The main colour here is white. Inside the gear bays are many hydraulics and some suggestion is done by raised moulded edges on the kit parts; for this scale adequate.
Cockpit tub interior was painted with a brush inside Gunze H317 FS36231 grey and some panels black. Instrument decals were set. The ejection seat got painted and some straps made from tape slices. Some red dots also were set on the seat and few yellow plastic stretched sprue bits in the cockpit tub.
This CO jet had blue trim which is supposedly Oxford Blue BSC381: 105. I did not have this paint but airbrushed Gunze Sangyo Mr.Hobby H328 acrylic paint for this after the spine and vertical tails had been masked. Always airbrush a spare decal in this colour in case any repairs are needed later on.
I also masked the main canopy frames and these were also airbrushed (no photo made...)
Before decalling was done, a gloss varnish was airbrushed to avoid "silvering", that is that air bubbles tend to trap below a decal, spoiling the appearance. Airbrushed was a gloss varnish airbrushed with Johnson Future/ Pledge thinned with Gunze Sangy Mr.Color leveling thinner.
Than decalling was started. The smaller stencils came from the mother Hasegawa kit, I only needed the smaller ones. The many NO STEP stencils were also set.
The old PD decals set posed no problem except for the black decals. Those broke up but I could reposition them on the model and do a bit routching with a permanent black scriber.
RAAF roundels are at the fuselage sides and lower wing (not on upper wing). The PD set ones have 2 parts to ensure good centering of the Kangaroo.
After decalling had been done, the twin tails and the smaller parts were installed as per kit.
RAAF F-18 obviously did not need the US NAVY carrier nose launch tie bar and that was initially after delivery not fitted. On this A21-57 at the time it was not installed so that bit was cut off from nose strut kit part #C7.
(NOTE: it seems that later on because of shimmy problems another type of shimmy damper was installed at many RAAF F/A-18 that look like the tie bar so study photos of the real jet). Another later RAAF F/A-18 update was installing a pair of strakes at the LEX to fight fatique, the kit parts were installed.
On the nose gear strut a moulded stub it for the landing light; it was painted chrome with a chrome pen.
The 2 missing in the kit forward fuselage/ nose pitots were made from scrap and installed. Their tips were also tipped with the chrome pen.
The missiles rail lock strips were painted dark grey. But otherwise this jet was kept clean with no pylons.
The anti-collision lights were brush painted red and blue including the ones near the strakes. On the lower wing outboard aileron fairing on the outboard front edge were painted a red light at lower port and blue at lower starboard. On each vertical tail, an red anti-collision light was painted; it is moulded on the kit parts above the small "fuel vent intake". On this F/A-18A the anti-collision lights on the top twin v-tail stubs were tipped chrome.
In the inscribed panels of the flaps and ailerons with a soft pencil some lines were drawn for weathering. Canopy was installed after the cockpit and seat got some extra details. Seat got some straps made from tape slices.
The wind shield and canopy frames were brush painted. Their edges got a black outline with a permanent black marker. Inside the canopy front frame 3 pilot rear view mirrors were made from scrap and 2 sort of white actuators inside installed.
The model finally got a few coats of semi-gloss varnish with Johnson Future/ Pledge thinned with 10% Gunze Sangyo levelling thinner and 10% Tamiya X-21 flat base agent. This will protect the decals and gives an even sheen, shield off the clear parts. That completed the model.
AUSTRALIA
[ area: 7,700,000 km2 | population: 26 million | capital: Canberra | GDP per capita nominal 68,000 USD ]
The Australian Air Force has a long history starting with the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) set up in 1912. After the Second World War the jet age began and various types entered service like Vampires, Mirages and MB-326. Also F-111 strike aircraft were operated.For more information, look at the RAAF Mirage page here...
Australia would acquire 75 modern F/A-18 Hornets as was announced October 1981 by Australia Defence Minister Killen after a TFP selection program. They would replace the Mirage III O aircraft were retired in 1988 (with some 50 sold to Pakistan). Procurement would be through a complex US Foreign Military Sales Program but also involving local Australia industry. Typical carrier systems were not needed like the catapult attachment strut, an new landing light and some other electronics. Standard armament would be AIM-9L Sidewinder, AGM-88, AGM-84 Harpoon and also smart bombs. 57 single seater F/A-18A and 17 F/A-18B trainers would be delivered, with first in 1984 coded A21-101 manufactured in St.Louis USA. But most manufacturing was in Australia by various companies like GAF, CAC and Hawker De Havilland. But severe delays were encountered. By end 1988, 59 Hornets were delivered and program back to schedule with final 4 F/A-18A delivered in 1990. RAAF squadrons 3, 77 at Williamtown and no. 75 at Tindal NT flew the type but other dispersal facilities across Australia were also constructed. Several excercises also in SE Asia region were held. Several upgrades were done over the years. This involved also structural refreshment to fight fatique and better electronics. One modification was installing the pair of strakes at the LEX.
The first generation F/A-18 was put out of RAAF service November 2021 and the remaining 25 jets were sold to Canada for mostly spare parts. It was replaced by the F/A-18E and -F and now the F-35A is being introduced.
F/A-18A, c/n 834/AF-57, RAAF coded A21-57 of no 3 squadron, 1992. It was the last delivered jet. It has been upgraded with strakes at the LEX.
Another 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18A kit was made, also in a special RAAF scheme.
Kit #02411 has special markings for a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18A coded A21-18 of no. 75 squadron in a black-white livery as it would retire in 1991. It is the only decals scheme provided in this kit release.
The aircraft had obviously received the various updates during its career.
The white areas are also provided as decals, more about that later on.
The kit was almost made as described on earlier made Hasegawa kit.
An overall gloss black coat was airbrushed with thinned Gunze Sangyo Mr.Hobby H2 Black acrylic. Also on some parts like gear doors still in their sprues and the external fuel tanks.
Decalling was done. The kit decals have what appears to be black numbers and stencilling; but when applied they indeed show up as they are very dark grey so OK.
The various white areas on wing, leading edge extensions, cockpit and canopy frames are decals. I used these.
After they had dried 24 hours unfortunately the white decals turned out to be a bit opaque (not 100% covering on the black undersurfaces). It also had to do with air bubbles trapped under a decal despite rubbing the decal.
For a better look, I got a large white spare decal sheet and cut white decals to cover the bigger areas; these were set on top of the white kit decals. While they improve how the special scheme looks, I was NOT happy.
The lesson learned here is that I should have had made masks and airbrush the white areas. Yes, it is a lot of effort but will give a far better looking model.
The landing gear was now to be installed. RAAF F-18 obviously did not need the US NAVY carrier nose launch tie bar and that was not fitted. First jets flew without. But later on another type of shimmy damper was installed that look like the nose catapult tie bar. On this upgraded A21-18 the new type shimmy damper bar is clearly seen on the box top photo so the nose strut kit part #C7 was simply used.
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The main gear doors got retraction rods made from thin white plastic stretched sprue bits. In the front nose gear bay, a metal actuator was made from scrap and the gear doors also got retraction rods. The remainder of the parts were installed including the missing 2 pitots. Also a few antennas were made of thinner plastic card.
See notes above like about the anti-collision lights painted.
The canopy was first set closed and again, the white decals for the frames did not fit very well and a bit translucent.... I was not happy and should have known....
After a few days I removed the canopy again, cleaned up and set the canopy after some repainting and detaling open. Inside canopy frames 3 mirrors were made from scrap and small other bits.
The jet was kept clean with no pylons and no weaponry.
Finally this special jet than got a few coats of gloss varnish airbrushed with thinned Johnson Future/ Pledge.
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18A coded A21-18 of no. 75 squadron in a black-white livery as it would retire in 1991.
... set in a scenery at Williamtown air base, Australia...
MORE Hornet models to follow! Keep watching this modelling report
REFERENCES
Books....a lot!
-[1]- Uncovering the Boeing F/A-18 A B C D Hornet, DACO publications, 2004. With loads of details!
Covers the first generation.
-[2]- Phantom, Skyhawk and Hornet in Australian Service, Stewart Wilson, Aerospace Publications, Weston Creek, 1993 (thank you Bas for providing this book).
Internet:
F/A-18 IPMS.NL : various walk arounds first generation / Super Hornet
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Created this page Feb 12, 2026