MyAlbumF-18 Hornet FSD Prototype #3

Monogram kit #5802. The first glue-together aircraft model I ever built (at age 9). Still near and dear to my heart; I own 4 of them (1 is still shrink wrapped in the original plastic, in mint condition). 

And so it begins… 

It's going to be a lot of work, but what an epic paint scheme! 

McDonnell Douglas used Ditzler automotive paint, Blue #12908 on the Hornet prototypes. Apparently, that color is nearly identical to F.S. 15055. I’ll mix it myself using the 595B FS fan chart.  

The blue color used on the prototypes was a Ditzler brand automotive paint; a 1970s Ford Fleet vehicle color. Caracal says the closest FS color is 15055 blue. 

I’m using this decal grill for the airflow holes drilled in the intake splitter plates 

All the raised panel lines and rivets have been sanded smooth. The ENTIRE model has been re-scribed. This is my first completely re-scribed model.  

MFD screens are painted IJN green with Krystal Kleer on top.  

I thinned the leading and trailing edges of all stabilizers and control surfaces with a file and sandpaper. They were very thick, blunt and unrealistic.  

This angled nose seam and the seams under the Leading Edge Extensions (LEX) proved to be the most difficult to “erase”.  

The design of the rotating stabilators was cool when I was 9. Today, I realize it’s just waiting to be broken, so I’m re-engineering that area.  

Paper seatbelts cut out from the instructions. Ejection handles painted yellow, then striped with a .005” Micron black marker. Sealed with clear coat.  

The stab pivot rod was a poor design, so I replaced it with a modular rod and tube assembly, which will allow easier transport and assembly later.  

Here you can see the styrene tube I glued inside the fuselage. The addition of this tube prevented the afterburner cans from going in all the way, so I shaved down the back sides of the cans until they go in (but touch the tube). It will give me an invisible gluing surface to attach then engine nozzles without the glue screwing up my paint.  

I fluted the edges of the augmenter nozzle “Turkey feathers” with a small file, just to visually break them up. I also added some rivet (spot weld) detail. I Painted the outside Model Master Metallizer Titanium
, polished the paint and sealed it.

The inside of the “burner cans” were painted radome tan, then “smoked” by burning a stick of styrene model sprue (MESSY!) and allowing the thick, black smoke to rise straight up into the cans (suspended above). I think it gives a very realistic appearance.  

Riffler files come in handy—occasionally… 

She’s about ready for primer! 

Entire model “scuff sanded” with #0000 steel wool. It smooths the crisp, sharp edges (makes paint adhere better) and puts a billion tiny scratches in the plastic for the primer to adhere to. I used Isopropyl alcohol to wipe down the model to clean contaminates from the surface. I used compressed air to blow any dust from the surface just prior to spraying the primer. 

After smoothing the dried primer with the #0000 steel wool, I wiped it down with alcohol again, blew it off with compressed air again and painted Tamiya Pure White (rattle can).

*PRO TIP* Floating a spray paint can in a large cup of HOT tap water for about 5 minutes thins-out (lowers) the viscosity of the paint to help it atomize into a finer mist. It also builds up higher internal pressure in the can; which also aids in paint atomization. This results in a far better quality spray paint job than if using the can cold (or at room temperature).Don't worry; it's perfectly safe.  

I re-scribed the model deep to allow for the build-up of primer and paint, so that there is still enough depth left to catch the grey Flory wash I plan on using. 

After the paint cured for a week, I started masking-off the blue using 2mm and 12mm Tamiya vinyl masking tapes to mask the stripes. The Caracal decal sheet has decals for the fine striping, but to ensure they match the larger blue areas, I’m masking and painting them myself.  

A very striking paint scheme  

Which is reversed on the bottom  

All the hard work paid off! Aside from a few tiny touchups, and removing a bit of overspray that crept in under the tape, I am extremely happy with the results. 

The color takes on a slightly purplish hue under my LED workbench floodlights  

She’s starting to look like the real deal 

Caracal decals have an unbelievably thin clear carrier film, which seems to nearly disappear on gloss paint! 

Decal application is about 30% done at this point, but I can see the finish line  

I enjoy the challenge of masking canopies. 4mm Tamiya vinyl tape and yellow Kabuki tape do the trick.  

I LOVE this product!!! Sloppily brush it all over, let it dry, and wipe it off PERPENDICULAR to the panel lines with a wet paper towel or cloth and it's done! It's a water-based, clay silt sludge wash. Comes in 6 colors, and can be mixed together to make custom colors. This is the 4th model I've used it on. The only place I know of that sells it in the US is highaltutudehobbies.com 

She’s complete! I’m very pleased with the outcome. Turning this old kit into a showpiece was a lot of work, but well worth it! 

I chose to go with the grey / tan radome that was used shortly after #3 became operational. I like the additional colors as opposed to just being all white.