VMFA-232 F/A-18C

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April 5, 2019
VMFA-232, F/A-18C
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April 15, 2019
VMFA-232 CO Aircraft
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April 5, 2019
VMFA-232 CO Aircraft based out of Japan. These are the marking I am going to use
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April 5, 2019
Squadron patch
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April 14, 2019
The kit
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April 5, 2019
Kit parts
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April 14, 2019
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April 14, 2019
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April 14, 2019
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April 5, 2019
Kit decals, I will use markings for VMFA-232
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April 5, 2019
I wash all my kits before starting work
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April 5, 2019
Kit cockpit
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April 5, 2019
Kit cocpkit. I added some small details
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April 5, 2019
Added details to cockpit
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April 5, 2019
I used the kit decals for the panels
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April 5, 2019
Decales for panels
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April 5, 2019
Cockpit painted and finished
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April 5, 2019
Cockpit
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April 5, 2019
I will use True Details resin seat
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April 5, 2019
Resin seats are very nice
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April 5, 2019
I washed resin seat in windex
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April 5, 2019
Kit seat
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April 5, 2019
Kit seat
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April 5, 2019
Kit seat and resin seat
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April 5, 2019
Resin seat
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April 5, 2019
Added some weight
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April 5, 2019
Cockpit installed
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April 5, 2019
Kit airframe upper and lower
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April 5, 2019
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April 5, 2019
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April 5, 2019
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April 5, 2019
Cockpit installed
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April 5, 2019
Kit main wheel wells are very incorrect, so I will grind them out
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April 5, 2019
Grind out wheel wells
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April 5, 2019
Grind out main wheel wells
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April 5, 2019
New wheel wells detail
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April 5, 2019
New wheel well in place
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April 5, 2019
The kit does not have any intake ducts you could see inside so I made one out of thin plactic
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April 5, 2019
New intakes
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April 5, 2019
New intakes
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April 5, 2019
New intakes much better
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April 5, 2019
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April 5, 2019
Intakes
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April 5, 2019
New intakes and wheel wells
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April 5, 2019
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April 5, 2019
Added nose weight
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April 5, 2019
Kit nose cone
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April 5, 2019
Kit upper and lower halfs
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April 5, 2019
Fuselage glued together
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April 5, 2019
Fuselage glued together
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April 5, 2019
Cockpit
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April 5, 2019
Kit wings and tails
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April 5, 2019
Wings glued on
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April 5, 2019
Tails glued on
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April 5, 2019
Airframe complete
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April 5, 2019
Airframe cpmplete
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April 7, 2019
First coat of paint MM dark ghost gray
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April 7, 2019
First coat of paint MM light ghost gray
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April 7, 2019
Here is something new, I used a metal washer to mask in nose radome
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April 7, 2019
The washer mask worked very well
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April 7, 2019
Just find the one you need and spray
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April 7, 2019
Metal washer mask
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April 7, 2019
Just to cool, metal washer mask
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April 7, 2019
The kit comes with a decal for the red tail flash but I masked it and sprayed it
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April 7, 2019
Masked and sprayed tail
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April 7, 2019
Red tail flash
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April 7, 2019
Red tail flash
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April 7, 2019
I did some light weathering with a brown wash
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April 7, 2019
Hard to see brown wash
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April 7, 2019
Future for clear gloss coat for decals
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April 7, 2019
Future clear gloss coat
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April 7, 2019
Future clear gloss coat
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April 14, 2019
Kit drop tanks
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April 7, 2019
Kit drop tanks
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April 7, 2019
Kit drop tanks glued together
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April 7, 2019
Kit drop tanks
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April 14, 2019
Kit drops painted
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April 7, 2019
The kit comes with no bombs so I used two GBU-12's from the Hasegawa's Weapons set 2
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April 7, 2019
GBU-12 used
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April 7, 2019
GBU-12's
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April 14, 2019
Kit gear doors and wheels
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April 17, 2019
Decaling under way
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April 17, 2019
Top view, Kit decals worked very nice
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April 17, 2019
The Aircraft does not have a lot of markings
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April 17, 2019
Nose decals
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April 17, 2019
Squadron markings
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April 17, 2019
The tail has the most markings. The slime lights are a little too yellow
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April 17, 2019
Only one decal on the bottom wing

Comments

5 April 2019, 12:26

Konrad -
Count me in here Mr. Thomas! I`ve build this one years ago with the ACADAMY Kit. Like it a lot and the markings are striking!!

5 April 2019, 12:31

John Thomas
Konrad, thanks. More photos up soon, stay tuned.

5 April 2019, 12:38

Konrad -
😉

5 April 2019, 12:39

John Thomas
Hey guy's I have a new Project up today. I have not posted in a few months but now I am back to work. The kit is Hasegawa's F-18c in 1/72 scale. The kit goes back to the 1990's but not a bad kit. It does need a little TLC, so I did add some details to the cockpit and main wheels wells

5 April 2019, 12:47

Oleg Bogolei
Following! 🙂

5 April 2019, 14:52

Laurent VILLANUEVA "HELLER-forever"
great

5 April 2019, 15:30

John Thomas
Oleg and Laurent, thanks

5 April 2019, 15:48

Maciej Bellos
In!

7 April 2019, 12:33

John Thomas
More photos up today. Decaling coming soon.

7 April 2019, 12:41

John Thomas
Maciej, thanks

7 April 2019, 13:02

Stefan Fraundorfer
I'm in too. I will not miss it because the Hornet is one of the most beautiful fighter aircraft ever.

7 April 2019, 15:16

John Thomas
Much thanks, Stefan

7 April 2019, 20:04

Maciej Bellos
Hey Thomas, will you correct the rogue red color that got away and lies on the top of the left engine? It's a shame to leave it there...

7 April 2019, 20:53

John Thomas
Maciej, Yes I know it's there and I will handle it. There are also some small little details that all so need some attention

8 April 2019, 00:25

John Thomas
New photos up today. I had to fix a few little details before I start decaling. Decals photos up start soon

14 April 2019, 13:21

John Thomas
Added a few more photos, Decaling under way

15 April 2019, 00:42

John Thomas
New photos up today. Decaling now complete. Starting to work on the small bits. The kit Decals worked great even being from 1999. The aircraft has very few markings and fewer Stencils. I used "Micro Set" and "Micro Sol" on the kit decals with no problems.

17 April 2019, 11:53

John Thomas
James, Thanks

18 April 2019, 00:05

Project info

VMFA-232 F/A-18C

88 images

1:72

In progress

Scratchbuilt

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