F/A-18F Super Hornet Hobby Boss

Andrew Gledhill
Update 1: I started this kit about a week ago 16.04.22. 1:48 scale Super Hornet Hobby Boss kit. So far I have completed the cockpit and ejection seats. I have used Eduard's Zoom Cockpit Set and Seatbelt Set. Not sure if a PE set was needed at this scale. But I think it looks better than using the kits decals. Sorry for the quality of the photos. The whole cockpit is only about 4 inches long. The pre-painted PE seat belts look better than the unpainted ones provided in the kit. Enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 2: 28.04.22. OK, I have installed the cockpit. Put on the nose. I did paint up the radar in the nose, but decided to close it up anyway. I have done the photo etch HUD and fitted the internal frames to the canopy. I am waiting for a canopy mask set to come. I have filled all joints in the nose / canopy area. I have also made up and painted the engines. Which is all a bit pointless because you wont see any of it lol. Next, I will be glueing the lower fuselage to the upper. I hope that there is not many seams to fill in that area. So, its coming along nicely.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 3: 02.05.22. OK, things are moving along now. I have got all the wing parts done. The 2 tail planes are done. Flaps done. Outer wings done. Tail planes done. But none of these parts are glued to the main aircraft yet. I just fitted them for the pictrures, so you can get an idea of how it will look when done. I intend to paint them all separate. I have had real problems with 2 panels that fit at the back of the aircraft on both sides. They cover up the engines and provide the holes for the tail planes to fit in. These 2 parts were a really bad fit. I had to chop bits off the inside of these panels to get them to fit more or less flush. They are not ideal, and I have had to apply multiple layers of Mr Surfacer. I am still not happy with the results. Its getting really frustrating. What is funny, is that I believe the real aircraft does not have engine access panels in those locations. I still need to put more filler or MR Surfacer down. I also decided not to have the 2 avionics below the cockpit open. But even the doors to cover these bays up, needed filing and hacking to get them to fit flush. Lets hope I can get these things filled up to some satisfaction. Then I can get onto some main painting.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 4: 04.06.22. OK, its been awhile since I posted an update. I have been working on my Stug build. Anyway, I have got some main colours down on the upper and lower airframe. I need to do some touch ups before I start on some weathering. The outer wings, tails and undercarriage are not glued on yet. As you can see in a couple of the pics, I had a go at Black Basing. I put a Black undercoat down followed by a misting of White. Unfortunately, it has not really done anything. I used MRP paints for the main colours. I was advised that I would be able to spray them neat from my airbrush. I had trouble getting the paint to flow out of my airbrush with a 0.2mm needle in place. So I switched it for a 0.4mm needle. The paint then flowed better. Unfortunately, I more or less ended up flooding it on lol. So all that Black Basing has had no effect. Anyway, I have some splatter stencils. So I am going to do some post weathering with the stencils using various shades of Grey. I will then put a wash down and move on from there. You can see in one picture, that I have chosen to do VFA-213 Black Lions. The instructions only give you a side view for that scheme. But it looks like the whole of the centre spine is painted in the Dark Blue colour. So that is what I have done. I am on holiday next week, so it will be awhile before any further updates. Enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 5: 19.06.22. Hi folks. I have been experimenting with doing some weathering effects on the Hornet. I have sprayed various Grey colours onto the upper surfaces using a Ammo Mig Uschi Stencil set. At first the result looked a bit dark and over the top. So I sprayed over it with a light coat of the Dark Ghost Grey original colour. This made the effect more subtle I think. I have also sprayed a random blotchy pattern on the undersides with the Dark Ghost Grey. Not going too mad with the undersides, as it wouldn't wear as much as the top. My next job will be to mask off the upper grey so that I can retouch up the Dark Blue spine. Plus repaint the 2 tail fins. Once that is done, we can look at touching up some bits. Do the exhausts etc. Then it will be onto a Gloss coat to put the decals down onto. Enjoy for now.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 6: 20.06.22. I think I have finished all the main painting now. Touched up the blue spine and re-painted the tail fins. I then lightened the blue and gently sprayed that inside panels and on the tail fins. I think it now has a nice lightly weathered look. Onto the details such as exhaust nozzles, pylons etc next. Enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 7: 26.06.22. Coming along nicely now. All the major painting has been done, I think. The pylons, arrester hook, fins, tailplanes, gear and exhaust pipes are just dry fitted. The arrestor hook needs painting.
I decided to paint the metal rings around the back of the engines with Ammo Mig Bluish Steel colour.
Looking at reference pics, it looks like the rings should be much darker. But I like the Blue Steel effect, so I am going with it. The exhausts have been painted with the good old Mr Color Dark Iron, then buffed afterwards. I may do some more painting on those later.
Anyway, I think I am ready to put a gloss coat down. I bought some MR Color GX Super Gloss Clear.
I heard somewhere that this is the best for a gloss coat. That will be the next job. Enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 8: 26.04.23. OMG, I cannot believe how long I have been at this model lol. Mind you, I have been doing other stuff too. Anyway, I did the main painting. Then I used an Ushi PE mask set to do some mottling to simulate paint wear. I used various shades of Grey until I got the effect I want. Then I gave it a gloss coat.
Now its time to put on all the decals. I wish I could say this was a pleasurable experience. It was NOT. I have come to the conclusion that Hobbyboss decals are utter garbage, Luckily, I scanned the sheet into my PC before I started. The decals are so thin, it is very easy to break them. Or get them wrapped around the tweezers. I ended up ruining some of them. The AJ on one tail fin. The Blue Band with Yellow Stars on the front of the fuselage, and one of the NAVY decals at the back of the fuselage. I replaced these with my own printed decals. The trouble was that my scanner and printer, did not produce the correct colours. So, what I did, was put my home made AJ onto the tail fin. Then I touched it up with Yellow paint. It's not great, but it will have to do. With the Blue band on the fuselage, I was able to alter the colour Blue in Paintshop Pro on my PC. I Then touched it up with Blue and Black paint pens. I have now got the majority of the main decals down. There are just a load of stencil markings to apply now. Most of them have been done. But there are loads of no step ones to put on. They are tiny lol. I should get the decals finished tomorrow.
Anyway, enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 9: 30.04.23. OK, here is more progress on this Super Hornet build. Finally got all the decals down. I missed some out, because frankly, you could hardly see them. Grey tiny writing on a Grey background. Plus there was not enough "no step" decals on the sheet lol. You could hardly read them anyway.
I have applied a wash using Flory Models Dark Dirt Clay Wash. This stuff is great. Really makes it look more grubby lol. Next I applied an overall coat of XF86 Flat Clear. Then with trepidation, I unmasked the canopy. Its been over 6 months since I first masked it up lol. I was pleasantly surprised that it still looks OK. A quick polish sorted it out. There are a few scratches that I could not get out. Plus some on the inside that I could not get to with a cotton bud. But it looks OK to me, and they are scratched in real life anyway.
Next, I fitted the 3 aerials, one on top, and 2 underneath. Then the undercarriage has been glued in place. The aircraft has a slight lean to the port side. This is because one of the wheel mounts broke off earlier in the build. I had to glue it back on, and I think it is slightly off alignment. So, 1 main wheel sits slightly lower than the other. But I can live with that.
Next will be to sort the U/C bay doors, then it will be onto the weapons and pylons.
Enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 10: 30.04.22. Another update today for you. I have fitted all the undercarriage doors. Then the doors and bays have been suitably weathered. Next it will be onto the weapons. Tons in the kit to choose from. Enjoy.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 11: 10.05.23. Anybody got any Aircraft Armed Placards lol. I have finished the weapon load out and fitted all the pylons. Gone for a simply load out. There are tons of weapons in the kit. So I will have loads for my spares box. Went with 2 each of Sidewinder 9X, Amram 120D, GBU 10 and JDAM. Plus 1 fuel tank on the centre line pylon.
Fit was not great. There are some gaps between the pylons and the wings. Most noticeably under the centre line pylon. But its done now, and I just cannot be arsed to deal with them.
Not much to do now. The boarding ladder has to be made up and painted. Some lights to go on the tail fins, and a couple of pitot tubes on the nose. Then maybe a bit of touch up paint work. Then I can finally call this one done.
I think I will stay away from Hobbyboss aircraft kits in the future. This one has been a right chore.

Andrew Gledhill
Update 12: 10.05.23. OK folks. I am finally going to call this one as complete. I was going to build up the boarding ladder. But I broke a very small rod, and then lost the tiny bit to the carpet monster. So, I decided to just close up the boarding ladder. I have added the red and clear lights to the tail fins. Added the 2 pitot tubes. Tidied up a few bits of painting. I wish I could say that I enjoyed this built. I didn't. The fit of some parts was pretty bad. Esp the bits that covered the engines. Lots of filling was required. Honestly don't know why they included full engines anyway. Then I had a bad experience with decals again. Some broke up. The Blue band with Yellow stars on the starboard side broke and got destroyed. I had to make my own replacement decals. Also the AJ on the port tail fin did the same. My replacement decals were not that great. I had to touch them up with paint using both brush work and paint pens. I have put this build down on many occasions. But I have finally got it complete. At least it looks like a Super Hornet lol. There is one glaring omission though. I have lost the arrestor hook. I cannot find it anywhere. I did build it up and paint it. Then it sat on my bench for months while I did other stuff. But damned if I can find it now. If it turns up, I will put it on. But for now, it will just have to be a missing part. Would I do another Hobbyboss kit? Aircraft, probably not. Other subjects, maybe? Anyway, onwards and upwards. That is another one complete. Enjoy.