Blue Angels F/A-18C

2021 Model Build #3 - 1/48 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet

Some kits are definitely more trying than others. This was no exception. It started off well, but in the end it was a real struggle to finish it and it didn't turn out as good as I had hoped.

The kit is the Hasegawa Blue Angels (09930) kit from 2010. The fit for the most part was pretty good, but the decals were awful. I scratch built some details in the wheel wells and cockpit which worked out really well. I hadn't done much of that type of building before. I soon realised that blue and yellow are about the hardest colours to paint. In the process I had to strip and repaint the body. I also had to remove some decals and instead paint the details. The first part of the build went really well, but by the end the list of issues and mistakes just kept mounting. It felt like every time I touched it, something else would go wrong. Thankfully most of the issues are underneath, so not too obvious.

It's painted with Vallejo acrylics. I decided against weathering most of the model as the Blue Angels planes are always spotless. I did a little light weathering with AK Interactive washes in the gear bays. Decals are fitted with Micro Set. It's clear coated with Alclad Aqua Gloss. I tried Vallejo Gloss Varnish, but that ended up rough causing me to have to strip and repaint it. The windows were masked with Gunze Masking Sol and tape. Removing the mask proved really difficult. I'm not sure if that's because the mask was on for so long. In future I think I'll leave the canopy until last so the mask isn't on for too long.

This model depics the #2 aircraft, tail number 163106. The initial plan had been to print custom decals for the pilot's name and aircraft number to match the #2 aircraft from the 2019 season. In the end I just stuck with the kit markings. There's also a pilot figure that I painted but didn't install as I wasn't convinced I'd be able to do it without breaking somethinge else. I had planned for a few other bits and pieces too, but in the end I'll save them for a different model.

Overall this was on the bench for around 4 months. I'm just glad it's now done and I can move on to something that should be much more enjoyable. I couldn't bring myself to spending too much time taking photos of it.

The lessons:
- Blue and Yellow suck as main coats
- Don't leave canopy mask liquid on for too long
- Always test decals. Some liquid decal film may have stopped the decals from disintegrating.
- Learn how to use Vallejo Gloss Varnish!

The good:
- The scratch building in the cockpit and gear bays
- Seam removal was one of my better efforts to date
- The general fit was better than expected for such an old kit

The bad:
- The overall paint job is average due to stripping and repainting
- The canopy isn't as clear was it was prior to masking
- One landing gear broke when trying to get it to sit level
- The decals were hands down awful. Any curve caused them to fall apart. Just touching them caused bits to flake off.

Next up is a 1/48 Tamiya F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. I'm really looking forward to this one as it's my second favourite fighter and the kit is regarded as one of the best. This will end up being more than just a basic kit if I can get all my ideas to work.