F/A-18 E Super Hornet

Skyhiker
Started a Super Hornet while waiting for better weather.

DerMattes
Looking at the weather, you can easily start and finish a second one 😉
Following 👍

Skyhiker
Worked on the cockpit today.

Neil
I'm here too 👀 following 👍

Ekki
And me.

Jennifer Franklin
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Skyhiker
After being burnt out for 3 months I finally got enough energy to start modeling again. I bought some new paints from AK Air and was trying them out on a paint mule. I was pretty impressed. They're not as good as Tamiya but better than any other acrylic I have ever used.

A few days later the time had come to put the final coat of paint on my model. After cleaning the house together with my wife I told my family today was the big day. I was excited about how things were going again but needed to concentrate since the paint was new for me. I specifically said not to disturb me while I was painting.

The painting started off good... I put down a light coat and then decided to try laying a wet coat over the whole surface. Fully focused on this task I didn't notice when my wife came in and stood next to me until I saw dust particles flying in the air. She was beating the dust out of the rugs in my window! When I asked her what the hell she was doing she said in all sincerity, and without a clue "I'm not disturbing you am I? I always use your window to clean the rugs."

Needless to say I had to strip all of the paint off the model, including the primer since it was completely covered in dust and looked like it was growing fur. Now I am back at square one. 🙁

Skyhiker
I was able to get the paint down and the legs on this week. It's starting to look like a jet.

Skyhiker
A bit more done underneath today. I spent most of the day getting the weapons ready for painting.

Skyhiker
I worked on adding some scratch to the wheel wells and painted the various grates today. Pictures will soon follow.

Bas Tonn
Good to hear that you're back doing the things you like.
Nice work on the Hornet !

Skyhiker
I got the decals done. Tomorrow I will attempt to seal them without damaging the surface with the varnish. This is the point that makes me nervous, because there is no way to fix it if it screws up. Wish me luck.

Skyhiker
I finally finished it. Better photos will be made tomorrow.

Cristian A
Nice job, about your experience with the model being ready and having it destroyed I can tell you I got the same on my Rafale! I have perfectly painted it, applied the final coat and my fiancée complained about the smell so I opened the balcony door near the place where the model was drying up no more than 2 minutes, but it was enough for some wind and dust to go on the model like I was living somewhere in the desert, strange enough since we are in Switzerland… so I had to clean the dust and repeat 🥲😃. Most painful day of the year.

Skyhiker
Christian, I feel for you. It's crazy how the winds can blow dust up to Europe from the Sahara. But it looks like you saved your Rafale in the end. Dust is always a problem, especially for me because I am meticulous about making sure my models are as camera ready as 1:72 will allow. I spend 3 times as long as other modelers getting rid of seam lines, smoothing surfaces and connecting joints.

Skyhiker
I added a few better photos. Let me know what you think.

Cristian A
Thanks Skyhiker. The new photos look fire, how did you add that black background?

Skyhiker
It's just a piece of black poster board. I'm using a warm light and a cool light on opposite ends to highlight the model.

Skyhiker
I managed to frame this today.