F-18F, Jolly Rogers.

Jay Calvert
Looks great!

Chan Li
Thanks Jay!

Simon Nagorsnik
You have a nice Hornet here😁
Looks really promising, I hope that the reward will be appropriate!

I really admire you for your patience with the decals!

Ps.: also good work on the cockpit

Chan Li
Ugh, thanks Simon, applying decals really is tedious, and requires a good tweezers.
I'm happy I survived at last somehow😎

Vincent
Great work!!! The cockpit looks especialy good!!!

Chan Li
Oh thanks Vincent! I always try to make the best of the kit itself, sometimes an aftermarket product didn't fit well and drove me crazy.

Neil
Hi Chan Li 🙂 I agree with Vincent! Great work as always 👍 although, can you stop producing this top builds so quickly please, you shame slow builders like me! Ha! Ha!

Chan Li
😂😂 OK Neil, I should slow it down… actually I'm getting a little tired lately already (¯―¯٥)

Neuling
As a slowhand myself I really like Chan Li`s quickies!

Chan Li
Thanks Neuling, slow hands build masterpiece.

Simon Nagorsnik
Whooo, that's a nice finish Chan!
You think it's too dirty?
I personally don't think so, I think you've created a varied interface with it.

It suits my taste in all cases, therefore:👍👍👍

I really like pic 15-18 too, the canopy has a nice effect🤣

Looking forward to your next beauty!

Chan Li
Thank you Roland! I tried.
Simon, thank you too. I sometimes thought if Picasso builds model what it can be like?
My abstract conceptive canopy 😌

Simon Nagorsnik
Ha, ha, a real work of art 😁
Just such a general question:
How would you describe the quality of Academy compared to Trumpeter.
Our Sabre lacks almost all rivets, is that different at Academy on the same scale?

Chan Li
This academy tool is casted in 2017, and the F-18 (both A/C &E/F) series are their super star products. In 72' scale academy got more good kits (planes) than trumpeter, many of academy planes later than 2015 fit crazy well, for some parts you don't need any glue, therefore it can be separately painted without a general masking.
And many of them contains Cartograf decals, which are in super fine quality.
Just because if these convenience I got to build the phantom and hornet in short time.

But academy doesn't make good vehicles, or we can say very limited good kits. Their 72' scale planes are super stars.

For trumpeter they have too many products… it's a powerful company, they are more like revell or italeri in Europe - they make everything from robots to spaceship. They can't be that good in a special field to compete some particular company.

But anyhow, only trumpeter has 72' scale sabre. And personally I think our sabre isn't bad at all even in today, although the tool was casted in 2000.

I'm fine with less rivets. I believe in your techs.

People already saw that you have turned the matchbox Pz. II into a beauty, not to mention a sabre in 2000, no kidding.

Łukasz Gliński
Dirty indeed, but looks good 👍

Simon Nagorsnik
That's right, the Academy vehicles are average.
But I think the price / performance ratio fits.
For example, there are few alternatives to the US M3 halftrack.
I only know about Italeri and Hasegawa now.
And I think their Stryker is better than what Dragon currently offers.
Or the Dragon Wagon, not perfect but without competition as far as I know.

And yes, Trumpeter and Hobby Boss serve a mass.
Especially with H.B. I notice that they also have quite good quality, but you also notice that often savings are made in production.

I think, once i said that I will paint them, now I have realized that my life is too short for that 😂

As far as the Sabre is concerned, the last word has not been spoken yet, let's wait and see...

Chan Li
Thanks Lucasz! I wanted to give it a different look as another kind of style, even failed in it, then I get to control it better next time.
Science is about trials and errors.

Michael Kohl
Too dirty? I do not think so either. It is a navy plane after all. I like the style of the paint job and finish. Quick too.

Villiers de Vos
Beautiful.

Harald Besold
Hello Chan,
once again you have created a very nice model. Jolly Rogers is a very nice motif on a fighter jet. Overall, the jet looks very good. The weathering is by no means excessive - it's better that way than it looks like a toy. The cockpit also looks great. Great project!

Chan Li
Michael, thanks.
Some people here said it was not so "true" as a result.
But I think it's stylish, thanks again for encouragement.

Chan Li
Villiers, thanks.

Chan Li
Harald thanks.
With your encouragement I'm more confident to carry on!

Andy Ball
Cracking scheme and subject!! ….good kit?…would recommend?

Chan Li
Hi Andy, thanks for stopping by and like my build.

Yes it's good kit, especially for its price. I guarantee it's worthy.
It has fairly good panel details, and the fit is also good. And the decals are printed by famous company of "Cartograf". So why not?
The F-18 series (both A/C & E/F) are super star products of Academy.

Hopefully the information helps.

Guy Rump
Very nice! 👍

Andy Ball
Thanks Chan! I have the old c.1980 Airfix one (now damaged) and I will rebuild the subject again, so good to know your insight on this subject!!

David R. Meizoso
Love it, excelent job!!

Chan Li
Thanks Guy and David! Love your builds too!

J R
I was lucky enough to work as a contractor at NASA who flex first generation F-18 s NASA had several war weary Marine F-18 for parts and they were pretty beat up lots of paint variation and tones so it may not be too much. Nice build I am doing the same kit right now

Chan Li
Hey Joseph, you're so lucky…
Thanks and hopefully things just work for you. The kit was good, and I would follow your build.

Villiers de Vos
Very nice work.

Chan Li
Thanks Villiers😊