smitty44 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Post upgrade front (notice glass fuel display lower left) Post upgrade Back 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 59 minutes ago, smitty44 said: So there are a couple different factors. First of all the front cockpits are nearly the same on all models. What you would need to address here is whether or not the bird you are depicting is before or after the upgrade they received in 1991 from F/A-18A/B to the A+ and B+ models. The main difference here is the earlier IP's had analog fuel monitors instead of glass ones. This panel is in the lower left hand corner. I imagine the C and D kit have these included. Early F/A-18D models had the same IP in the back as the B as they were all built as trainers originally. Redesigned panels for the D began with Lot 12 163986. Smitty ... You, Sir ... are a champion!! I think I get all of that! ... even though you've given me the simple version! To clarify ... I just ordered the D (Bats) kit from Sprue brothers ... along with some GT intakes (and some for my other A, F and G kits). I also ordered some Decals off e-Bay as below: Of the F/A-18B's ... I'm looking to do the top one - 3rd Sqn. Darwin, March, 1988 ... So from your notes - I'm looking at the early (pre upgrade) version with analogue IP's? ... Front and rear should be basically the same as they are a trainer format ... and these IP's Should be included in the box? ... So the Avionics 'B' cockpit and tails is probably preferred but not necessary? Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Correct, early B. I was looking at sprue shots and it looked like it might be in there. I was looking at sprue shots and it looked like there were two sets of two IP's. It has been a while since I built a D and don't have one in the closet to look, I always prefer resin upgrades, but that is just me. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Looks like both to me 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 20 minutes ago, smitty44 said: Correct, early B. I was looking at sprue shots and it looked like it might be in there. I was looking at sprue shots and it looked like there were two sets of two IP's. It has been a while since I built a D and don't have one in the closet to look, I always prefer resin upgrades, but that is just me. Ok ... Just to be safe I might pull the trigger on the Avionix set ... unless Wolfpack do one ... having an extra set of vertical stabilisers never did anyone any harm I suppose!! ... question IS though, which IPs does the resin kit have?? ... Thanks for your input again mate! Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wumm Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 A slight detour... Smitty, do we have a definitive time frame for the addition of the LEX strakes on the Legacy Hornets? This photo of A21-108 is unfortunately not dated, but is possibly from Darwin from the look of the shelter. I recall doing a walk-around on an A airframe at Rockhampton airport in 1989; this was straight after Exercise Kangaroo '89 over Shoalwater and that bird definitely had the strakes fitted. Just for asking's sake? S 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 38 minutes ago, Wumm said: A slight detour... Smitty, do we have a definitive time frame for the addition of the LEX strakes on the Legacy Hornets? This photo of A21-108 is unfortunately not dated, but is possibly from Darwin from the look of the shelter. I recall doing a walk-around on an A airframe at Rockhampton airport in 1989; this was straight after Exercise Kangaroo '89 over Shoalwater and that bird definitely had the strakes fitted. Just for asking's sake? S Very early on, mid 80's. Also notice Aussie Hornets don't have the launch bar on the front of the nose gear. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wumm Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Thanks John. Correct about the launch bar, However a dummy weight was subsequently added, as the lighter nose gear was creating nose wheel shimmy apparently. I must dig those photos out (this one not mine). S 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 Detours are cool ... the more I learn now ... the less I'm likely to stuff up come the time!! Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Remember the early D cockpits were the same as B's. So just pop them off the sprue and check it out, Here is a shot of a Canadian B. Look a lot like the IP on top in that sprue pic 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 7 hours ago, smitty44 said: Remember the early D cockpits were the same as B's. So just pop them off the sprue and check it out, Here is a shot of a Canadian B. Look a lot like the IP on top in that sprue pic Yeah ... thats what I was thinking while looking at them ... I've had other input that says the front IP was the same B to D ... but that the rear was completely different - early or late ... Meh! ... As long as the layout is vaguely familiar ... in '32 scale? ... She'll be right - Mate! ... I decided to wait until the kit actually arrives and I can flick through the sprues myself before I look at resin ... Meanwhile I e-Bayed a new reference book ... some of the pics and text look to be interesting ... and hopefully it'll highlight the differences between Aussie birds and anything out in the rest of the world. Rog 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 25, 2020 Author Share Posted January 25, 2020 Hopefully Ern is going to amalgamate my Aussie A/C threads into one ... so instead of creating a new thread - I'll stick this bit in here. Again ... because I'm totally new to this jet thing I'm a little stumped on paint ... I use Tamiya Acrylic's ... I don't mix (at least SUPER rarely) - I tend to find the nearest colour to what I'm after and just go with that one ... That being said: these colour call outs a diving me silly!! ... Help? Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 Rog, I checked IPMS Stockholm and they don't list any straight matcha for Tamiya paints. https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/home/urbans-color-reference-charts-part-i/urbans-colour-reference-charts-united-states/ Since you're using acrylics, try Gunze Mr Hobby. They have FS colours straight from the bottle so no mixing needed. https://www.bnamodelworld.com/hobby-model-paints-thinners-paints-gsi-creos-gunze-mr-hobby If anything, they spray nicer than Tamiya acrylics. They do have a slightly longer drying time though. Carl 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 American Hornets are Dark Ghost Gray on top(not medium gray) and Light Ghost underneath. Medium seems too dark and the paint on both countries Hornets look a lot alike to me. Your welcome https://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/fa-18/fa-18b_profile03.shtml 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 25, 2020 Author Share Posted January 25, 2020 Ok fellas ... thanks again ... For the Hornets ... In respect to the actual colours used: Smitty has a point, so because the "Hornets Down Under" book is due to arrive here sometime next week and it might have references to any paint changes - I'll put that on hold .. Although I did note that Mr.Hobby acrylics have the FS numbers, Carl - are these some sort of U.S. or N.A.T.O standardised thing?? I'm officially redesignating the "British Standard" paint listing for the RAN Skyhawk as "Bull S$#@" ... as no model paint seem to be available in that colour... If I can find a local stockist of that brand that carries a full range of colours I might take a photo of a Google searched swatch and just go try to match. Tamiya MUST have something though ... because they produce F-15s, 16s etc ... all of them are grey! Rog 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 17 minutes ago, Artful69 said: Ok fellas ... thanks again ... For the Hornets ... In respect to the actual colours used: Smitty has a point, so because the "Hornets Down Under" book is due to arrive here sometime next week and it might have references to any paint changes - I'll put that on hold .. Although I did note that Mr.Hobby acrylics have the FS numbers, Carl - are these some sort of U.S. or N.A.T.O standardised thing?? I'm officially redesignating the "British Standard" paint listing for the RAN Skyhawk as "Bull S$#@" ... as no model paint seem to be available in that colour... If I can find a local stockist of that brand that carries a full range of colours I might take a photo of a Google searched swatch and just go try to match. Tamiya MUST have something though ... because they produce F-15s, 16s etc ... all of them are grey! Rog That link I posted says AS 25 and AS 26 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 FS stands for Federal Standard and is a reference for most of the colours used by the US military after WWII or thereabouts. The Tamiya colours listed on Smitty's link are Tamiya spray paints. They're really nice but lacquer based so I don't think they fit the bill. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitty44 Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 35 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said: FS stands for Federal Standard and is a reference for most of the colours used by the US military after WWII or thereabouts. The Tamiya colours listed on Smitty's link are Tamiya spray paints. They're really nice but lacquer based so I don't think they fit the bill. So they don't make equivalent colors in the jars? I loathe Tamiya paints so I just don't know. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 3 hours ago, smitty44 said: So they don't make equivalent colors in the jars? I loathe Tamiya paints so I just don't know. Not in their acrylic paints. I believe they do in their recently released lacquer line. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wumm Posted January 25, 2020 Share Posted January 25, 2020 Tamiya call-outs for their 1/48 F-15 kit are a mix of their own brand. Really surprising that they don't offer exact acrylic colours for their range of modern US aircraft; considering they regularly release specific and unusual colours to match single kits elsewhere in their line (Coral blue rattle can for the Leyton House F-1 car for example). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 7 hours ago, smitty44 said: That link I posted says AS 25 and AS 26 Yeah ... I noticed that after I replied - on about the 3rd read through ... I turned 50 last year - brain isn't as sharp as it used to be! ... I looked up the Tamiya website ... rattle cans and lacquer jars only ... which raises an interesting question ... 7 hours ago, BlrwestSiR said: FS stands for Federal Standard and is a reference for most of the colours used by the US military after WWII or thereabouts. The Tamiya colours listed on Smitty's link are Tamiya spray paints. They're really nice but lacquer based so I don't think they fit the bill. Thanks for the paint standard designation ... I knew it had to be something like that. As for the paint ... I started using acrylic's years ago because i hated the preparation, clean up and lingering smell of enamels - an added bonus was that the paint dried really quickly too. So what's different with lacquers?? are they stinky oily things that take forever to clean up after or are they more like acrylic's?? 2 hours ago, Wumm said: Tamiya call-outs for their 1/48 F-15 kit are a mix of their own brand. Really surprising that they don't offer exact acrylic colours for their range of modern US aircraft; considering they regularly release specific and unusual colours to match single kits elsewhere in their line (Coral blue rattle can for the Leyton House F-1 car for example). Tell me about it ... They were the kings of 1/35 before Dragon started turning it on - so why don't we have a designated RLM colour range (instead of random colour names)? ... I hate the thought of having a mixed set of different branded paints ... it'll get confusing ... BUT ... I'm beginning to like Carl's suggestion of Mr.Hobby's acrylic's more and more - it's not the first time the suggestion has come up ... I'm thinking that might be the way to go - phase Tamiya out and replace with Mr.Hobby. Rog 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted January 26, 2020 Administrators Share Posted January 26, 2020 Rog, I found the two big threads and I think I got them together. Feel free to mess with it or if you need anything else changed. I didn’t move the looking for thread from the Traders Board, but if I missed any others, please let me know. I expect you’ll modify the new title. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted January 26, 2020 Administrators Share Posted January 26, 2020 In Texas, this is a two holer 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted January 26, 2020 Administrators Share Posted January 26, 2020 In all seriousness, I’m watching this closely. I believe Aussie and Canadian two seaters were quite similar, so I’m seeing what you arrive at. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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