F/A-18F VFA-2

I have built this tooling some months ago, in E/A-18 configuration and I remember it’s such a good quality tooling with very nice details for fair price. Let’s build 1/72 Super Hornet in Bounty Hunters livery this time! 

Some first touches by airbrush. 

Landing gear parts has to be white. From experience, I know that Tamiya XF-2 doesnt cover properly even after many coats, so I put one layer of white surfacer, and one layer of XF-2. It turned out as my easy way to paint nice white with just two thin layers that doesnt cover details with too much paint.

Cockpit didn’t recieved too much attention, anyway it will be closed with canopy.  

Engine air intakes painted and applied decals before gluing fuselage together for better manipulation.  

Kitchen sponge is great for masking holes that should be omitted of another layer of color. Later reinforced with “sillyputty” to cover even edges of holes.  

More or less completed lower fuselage, maybe I’l cover fuel tanks holes that were filled with putty and are visible after this layer. For this model I didn’t used any preshading technique, I wanted nice clean “looking brand new” F-18 

I have really bad experience with using decals on canopy area, I’d rather put 10minutes to do the masking job and just spray it nicely with black color. *ba dum tsss* 

Some of the last touches of paintjob. 

Nah, the real jet should not have medal edge of vertical stabilizer over the yellow area as far as i saw on google, nevermind, i like it anyway! 😛 

Once again, my favourite decal time went so fast. Lovely decal quality by Cartograph Italy make this job easier and satysfying. 

After protecting decals with clear coat layer, lets get some Panel line wash. So many nice and crisp panel and rivet details this kit has is great.  

Detail of rivets even after decals setted up with decal softer is briliant and holds panel wash. This kit is realy superb. 

Underside completed before gluing up landing gear and arnament. 

As I told before, rivet details in this academy tooling F-18 is so nice. The kit has great ratio in price - quality and its very easy to assembly. Fit is very good and overal - this tooling is highly recomennded! 😉