GB-44 1/72 CF188A - Military A/C of post-war time

[vandee]

Username-vandee
Name-John
Category-Intermediate
Kit-Hasegawa F/A-18C
Scale-1/72
Accesories-Canuk decals

My Canadian CF188A replacement finally came in. I am using the Hasegawa
1/72 F/A-18C, it has parts for the A model also and extra C parts for my spares
box, same cost as an A kit. I have Canuk decals for CF-188 in symmetrical markings,
the timeframe is 80s to 90s but I haven't decided on a squadron as of yet.- John

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Not a lot of squadrons to chose from and they pretty much all look alike anyway.

 

[vandee]

Off to a start. The pilot and seat are painted and assembled. I even painted the
pilot's "Hornet" patch on his left upper sleeve. I had to touch up the black paint
several times, Vallejo acrylic isn't very "wear resistant". Scuffs up very easily.- John

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

I can't imagine painting 1:72 pilots

 

[Crimea_River]

One colour maybe.

 

[vandee]

The cockpit and fuselage are assembled. I put some weight in the forward fuselage just in
front of the cockpit. I also have a small hole drilled which I will open up for the search light,
just in front and below the LEX area.- John

 

[Wayne Little]

Good stuff.

 

[Wurger]

 

[vandee]

Thanks, I opened up the pilot hole for the search light to 9/64" which is as close
as I can get to 3.5mm. I found a clear sprue piece in my spares box about 1/2 mm
in diameter bigger than the hole so I sanded it down to a snug fit and cut a piece
long enough to fit a ways inside then glued with Tamiya thin cement. When I finish
sanding the fuselage seams I will polish the "lens" up as I have wet dry sand paper
from 1000 grit to 12,000 grit. I have done a few canopies in my day.- John

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Cool

 

[vandee]

I have a question on CF-18A early markings. I found an interesting subject, CF-18A 188711 of 425 Sq. and
the image is from 1990 in Goose Bay. There is no 711 number on the nose, also would it not of had the 711
on the wing? There seems to be only a center line tank and 2 wing pylons, one each wing. Would that have
been the inner or outer pylon only. I can't find anymore photos to back up my suspicions. I did a Google
search and believe the image is from AIRFIGHTERS.com.-John

 

[vandee]

I just noticed something weird in this photo. The LEX fence is not there. I thought all Canadian
Hornets had that. Maybe early ones did not?- John

 

[vandee]

I have more work done, puttying. I may be able to sand later tonight. I found my
answers to the missing LEX fence and nose numbers. It seems a lot of Canadian
Hornets did not get the fences until the early 90s. Also some symmetrical markings
on some units used small nose numbers and some did not. Sounds like all bureaucracies
no matter what country operate in strange ways. I found a good subject with the fence
and small nose numbers, 188751 of 421 Sq. in Europe 1990. So be it.- John

 

[fubar57]

Good call. She's been around...

 

[N4521U]

So you're going to paint all our 1/72nd pilots now are you??????
Wished I'd known for my Spit and 262............arrrrrrrrr.
Gotta like them FA-18's

 

[vandee]

No problem...have had glasses since I was 17, now into bifocals and opti-visor.
You ship-I paint!- John

 

[jetcal1]

I just noticed something weird in this photo. The LEX fence is not there. I thought all Canadian
Hornets had that. Maybe early ones did not?- John

The fences started showing up around '86 (Don't get me to lying.) After the NADEP's started finding cracks in the vertical tails of the first SDLM birds.