Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[David Hingtgen]

I don't think I have any Super Hornet kits on-hand to check, but to place AMRAAMs on 2 and 10---do you have the launch rails? 

If you like missiles, the 6-AMRAAM load (putting 4 of them on 3 and 9) is the way to go.  Not sure how many times it saw combat, but they definitely like to do it for demos:

 

Now, the critical piece needed for this, is actually a Sparrow-launcher.  The AMRAAM rails go on the sides of the Sparrow-launcher, to make the dual-AMRAAM setup.   There is also a "spacer" (hard to see, but there) that goes between the pylon and the Sparrow launcher, to give the AMRAAMs a little more clearance.  (I don't think I've ever seen all the parts needed for this made available, but shouldn't be hard to scratch-build, if you really want a "full of missiles" loadout)  

Spacer, and Sparrow-launcher, will allow a single Sparrow---and is actually pretty common, or at least, WAS pretty common.  Good look at Sparrow launcher+spacer (I don't think the spacer is NEEDED for a Sparrow-only config, but they seem to just leave it on for when it is needed)  

 

The easiest option, and I believe is possible with using just standard Hasegawa parts, is to put a HARM missile on 3/9, using a HARM rail (no spacer needed):

This is the #1 source of errors in kits----MANY Super Hornet kits included HARM launch rails, and Sparrows/AMRAAMs.  Those don't mix.  But the instructions would have you put "whatever type of missile" on either bare pylons, or HARM rails.   Only HARMs go on HARM rails.  

Using HARMs would actually be a ground-attack (SEAD/Wild Weasel, specifically) mission, but you can always add a pair of AMRAAMs for self-defense on 2/10.  (2 pics up, you can see a HARM inboard of the Sparrow) (and yes, HARMs are painted a different color---very very light grey, basically off-white---not the "standard missile grey" of 36375---I think HARMs may be 36622)  

[David Hingtgen]

Ok, found some more of the stuff I saved:  the Sparrow launcher is technically the LAU-115.  And the 'spacer' is technically the "jettison adapter"---see bottom version here:

And this pic shows the adapter/spacer quite well, on top of the rail.   AMRAAM launchers, if equipped, would mount right into the holes on the sides.  

[NZEOD]

10 AMRAAMs for the win

Edited May 11, 2020 by NZEOD

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, but that's a Legacy Hornet.  I don't think Super Hornets are allowed to have two dual launchers per wing.  

[NZEOD]

Don't they have wing loading rated to 9G vs 7.5 on the older hornets? I'd have thought they could swing a heavier external stores load as a result. Guess not.

[NZEOD]

Found a rather cool picture of a near max takeoff weight loadout for a Syria Bombing sortie...

 

This last picture is almost identical to the VF-4 diorama I'm working on at the moment.

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by NZEOD

[Convectuoso]

I started working on this this weekend

Didn't make much progress, though. I've been panel lining as I build

Has anyone built this kit without painting? I mean, just assembly and decals?

Edited May 11, 2020 by Convectuoso

[wm cheng]

Wow!  Thanks for all the great info on the weapons loadout.  I was going to leave 9 & 3 empty, just the pylon (I've seen the dual AMRAAM loadout but thought that was just a bit overkill - plus I don't have that many AMRAAM in the model kit).  You're right, the kit supplied rail that goes on the pylon are the HARM rail you described and its indicated that its paired up with the AMRAMM - so this is a mistake on the kit loadout?  Damn, I've already clued and painted these parts together.  I certainly don't have a HARM missile in the kit, I will see if I have two in my Hasegawa missile kit.  I do like the look of the AMRAAM on the outside 10 & 2 stations in the grey with the white tips, but I don't think I have the sparrow rails to go with them - damn it!  I'm not a fan of the bomb (laser guided or not) ordinance on any fighter.

 

I'm basically going for this configuration, except I don't have the sparrow launchers and only have the HARM rails (this is the 1/48 kit not my 1/72 kit which doesn't have the the sparrows rails, although I have an extra wingtip (station 11 & 1) rails that were never used in the kit as they indicated I used longer tips - those kind of look like the sparrow rails?

[NZEOD]

Not fighter.... STRIKE Fighter hence the A in F/A, Fighter/Attack... bombs are good, embrace the bomb, love the bomb and the bomb will love you back.

[wm cheng]

Do you think I can get away with using these wingtip launchers as the Sparrow/AMRAAM rails for the pylons (unused kit parts)? 

It looks pretty close to me!

Here's the pylon at station 10 & 2 with the kit supplied HARM rails (stupid me I just followed instructions!).  If I can, and if I can remove the HARM rails without damaging the pylons, how far forward or back do I mount them and where do I mount the AMRAAM on them (do the back rail sit flush with the back of the missile?).

BTW - thanks @David Hingtgen for bringing this up now, I'd hate myself if I finished it all and someone then pointed out this mistake afterwards.

 

[MechTech]

Thanks guys, if you'd like, I can post a quick how-to for the machine I made. It can be relatively cheap to make and easy to use. The louvers were made on my mill. The other machine is not as good for this.

NZEOD - That Tomahawk looks great! The photos are great too! Did you use a tiny camera? I'm guessing you were able to shoot from below an edge to get that steep of an angle?

WMCheng - We get a lot of Super Hornet traffic overhead where I live. Load-outs can vary. Like NZEOD said - embrace the bomb Since the airframe is dual role, they are not afraid to use both types of ordnance on them at all. The downing of a Syrian Su-22 (2017) was a perfect example of that. They started the mission as a close air support mission in "air-to-ground mode" (sounds like a Valk) and then switched to air-to-air when an Su-27 was spotted orbiting the area. Shortly after, an Su-22 started entering the area and even with flares being fired right up in his face, failed to leave the area. Then started in on his bomb run. They fired an AIM-9X which failed to track the target. Then they fired an AMRAAM which finally did it in. David has some great points on accuracy. I don't know if you've been there, but the U.S. Navy's website has TONS of photos with new ones being added everyday. www.navy.mil - Media - Photo Gallery I spell it out because they have some videos too. A direct search link: Super Hornet Ordnance Try other types of searches too. Just watch the dates. Some searches go way back and may not be up to date for your build. - MT

Edited May 11, 2020 by MechTech
Clarity

[Sanity is Optional]

15 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

I started working on this this weekend

Didn't make much progress, though. I've been panel lining as I build

Has anyone built this kit without painting? I mean, just assembly and decals?

I've built a few Bandai 1/72 variable kits with just lining (VF-21, SV-262, RVF-25), and one with full lining+decals+flat coat (VF-27).

Edited May 11, 2020 by Sanity is Optional

[Bolt]

Looks awesome @NZEOD great job

Edited May 11, 2020 by Bolt

[joscasle]

A few months ago I started the Hasegawa 1/72 VF-25F, I want to paint all or at least most of the marks and don't use the decals (bad idea). This is the progress at the moment, made a lot of mistakes.

Much work is still needed to be done, I have painted everything black as a base and masked the shapes of the marks (error !!!!!), now I had to cover the strip black and repaint the red mark on the top of the fuselage, the other marks are painted and the decals were not used.

[arbit]

8 minutes ago, joscasle said:

A few months ago I started the Hasegawa 1/72 VF-25F, I want to paint all or at least most of the marks and don't use the decals (bad idea). This is the progress at the moment, made a lot of mistakes.

Painting the markings is a great challenge to take on. Don't give up, it won't be perfect, but it will be something to be proud of. I  look forward to seeing more progress.

 If you're gonna paint a valk, Hasegawa is the way to go. Painting the transforming Bandai is pretty much useless, as it will likely never transform again.

[CrossAir]

7 minutes ago, arbit said:

Painting the markings is a great challenge to take on. Don't give up, it won't be perfect, but it will be something to be proud of.

Fully agreed! I'm currently working on the VFG VF-25 Messiah kit and in the past three days I went through hell due to painting the markings. So far I used tons of masking tape due to several turns of error fixing. Slowly it seems I'll gonna approach the result I can live with. And if I manage not to mess up again with the details I think I still gonna love this birdie.

[CrossAir]

Concerning the paint job, the last kit I finished (modern version of a Kettenkrad) was a fun and easy build. No issues, only thing was that I ran out of paint (desert yellow) on the final paint run. But it is a cool kit, movable tracks and working suspension. Thinking about adding a kind of desert camouflage scheme.

 

 

[NZEOD]

6 hours ago, MechTech said:

NZEOD - That Tomahawk looks great! The photos are great too! Did you use a tiny camera? I'm guessing you were able to shoot from below an edge to get that steep of an angle?

iphone flipped upside down. My samsung X Cover4 can't match the wifes iphone for photos.

Edited May 11, 2020 by NZEOD

[joscasle]

1 hour ago, arbit said:

Painting the markings is a great challenge to take on. Don't give up, it won't be perfect, but it will be something to be proud of. I  look forward to seeing more progress.

 If you're gonna paint a valk, Hasegawa is the way to go. Painting the transforming Bandai is pretty much useless, as it will likely never transform again.

I always paint the markings with the VF-1, a lot easier than these VF-25 jejeje, also made it with the VF-0 and VF-11. I just imagine what a hell will be with the VF-31's!!!

48 minutes ago, CrossAir said:

Fully agreed! I'm currently working on the VFG VF-25 Messiah kit and in the past three days I went through hell due to painting the markings. So far I used tons of masking tape due to several turns of error fixing. Slowly it seems I'll gonna approach the result I can live with. And if I manage not to mess up again with the details I think I still gonna love this birdie.

Yeah, lots of masking tape, hope to not mess up mine as well 

[MechTech]

NZEOD - Samsung CNT? Not finding it except corporate info. I'm thinking of a new Samsung to replace my 8 year old phone! I'm not an Apple fan due to past security/data fixing issues. - MT

[wm cheng]

OMG @MechTech that US Navy.mil photo site is AMAZING!!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  I could loose myself there for hours.  What a great resource.

To all the people building the Bandai VF-25 transformable model - you have brought back PTSD for me   Best of luck, less painful to watch others go through it but it makes me relive my bad memories.  I congratulate you @joscasle for attempting to paint all the markings, that's the way it should be done and your patience will pay off big time in the end!

I just wanted to jump ahead and not get hung up on the ordinance issues so I went back the the main bird.  This is the last time I get to see it clean from the factory.  BTW, I love this Mr. Super Smooth Clear Matt rattle can - I used to mix Tamiya flat into Future to provide a clear matt spray, but it took a bit to get the mixture right and I found matt to dry/gum up the airbrush a lot during spray.  So the lazy me took to the clear matt rattle can and its amazing!  No clean up and super smooth and highly recommended.  It leaves a matt that will take weathering, but still has a slight sheen to it which is perfect.

I started the weathering with some graphite powder (mechanical pencil shavings), smudge stick (blending stump) and kneadable eraser and started to work on half the plane trying to follow the photo references as much as possible.  All the photos show they kept this particular plane fairly clean with the exception of the walkway near the canopy.  This is my first past. I'll maybe tone it down and blend it in a bit more, the nice thing is you can just erase it if its too heavy or add if its too light.  

I kept the underside very lightly done as they were much cleaner than the top

Its hard to get the real handprints with the paint over at this scale (I need a really sharp eraser to get those cleaned off patches)

[NZEOD]

17 minutes ago, MechTech said:

NZEOD - Samsung CNT? Not finding it except corporate info. I'm thinking of a new Samsung to replace my 8 year old phone! I'm not an Apple fan due to past security/data fixing issues. - MT

X Cover 4... its just a bike and shooting phone as its waterproof.

[joscasle]

12 minutes ago, wm cheng said:

OMG @MechTech that US Navy.mil photo site is AMAZING!!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  I could loose myself there for hours.  What a great resource.

To all the people building the Bandai VF-25 transformable model - you have brought back PTSD for me   Best of luck, less painful to watch others go through it but it makes me relive my bad memories.  I congratulate you @joscasle for attempting to paint all the markings, that's the way it should be done and your patience will pay off big time in the end!

I just wanted to jump ahead and not get hung up on the ordinance issues so I went back the the main bird.  This is the last time I get to see it clean from the factory.  BTW, I love this Mr. Super Smooth Clear Matt rattle can - I used to mix Tamiya flat into Future to provide a clear matt spray, but it took a bit to get the mixture right and I found matt to dry/gum up the airbrush a lot during spray.  So the lazy me took to the clear matt rattle can and its amazing!  No clean up and super smooth and highly recommended.  It leaves a matt that will take weathering, but still has a slight sheen to it which is perfect.

I started the weathering with some graphite powder (mechanical pencil shavings), smudge stick (blending stump) and kneadable eraser and started to work on half the plane trying to follow the photo references as much as possible.  All the photos show they kept this particular plane fairly clean with the exception of the walkway near the canopy.  This is my first past. I'll maybe tone it down and blend it in a bit more, the nice thing is you can just erase it if its too heavy or add if its too light.  

I kept the underside very lightly done as they were much cleaner than the top

Its hard to get the real handprints with the paint over at this scale (I need a really sharp eraser to get those cleaned off patches)

Great job, really nice Super Bug!!!

[Convectuoso]

5 hours ago, Sanity is Optional said:

I've built a few Bandai 1/72 variable kits with just lining (VF-21, SV-262, RVF-25), and one with full lining+decals+flat coat (VF-27).

Do you have any pictures?

I want to see how they look when built that way

[Sanity is Optional]

44 minutes ago, Convectuoso said:

Do you have any pictures?

I want to see how they look when built that way

Sure, I did a full build-log for the VF-27 (topcoat+decals+panel lining).

WIP 1
WIP 2
WIP 3
WIP 4
So many decals
WIP 5
Finished

[Return To Kit Form]

Wow!  Some nice work on here these days - and a blast from the past! WM Cheng and NZEOD back at the bench again. Nice!

On this side I am just finishing up a spec build of the recently released Moscato Hobby Models 1/48 scale M-72 Gabriel. I just have to finish the figure (added for scale). 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Return To Kit Form

[Convectuoso]

Thanks, @Sanity is Optional. Gives me a better idea of what can be accomplished.

Great work, btw. I hope mine looks as good as yours.

[Dobber]

Wow William! The weathering is looking fantastic on your Super Hornet! I finished my 2 B-wings and am now finishing a Clone Wars 1/48 Y-Wing. Your Super Bug is inspiring to maybe tackle the 1/48 Tamiya F-14A next.

Chris

[MechTech]

Thanks NZEOD!

WMCheng, I'm glad the site helped! There is also their official Flickr page which will have other content too: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/

That paint job and weathering is looking great! That scheme really shows off how it got the nickname "Rhino" to keep the catapult settings from getting confused between the old and new airframes.

RTKF - That looks very realistic and the base helps put it in the moment. I'd add the figure in as part of the diorama to give it scale.

ALL - Did you guys hear about the Blue Angles and Thunderbirds  fly-over at various locations? I heard the Blue Angels are in trouble - for not maintaining social distancing while in formation - MT

[Dobber]

@joscasle keep up the good work! Your VF-25 is looking real good!

Chris

[Dobber]

Been working on this one now that the B’s are done. This is an older kit I never finished and am now working diligently on. The color scheme is what inspired my custom B-Wing...Orange is my favorite color. I drilled out the main canon barrels (I LOVE the big “fangs” the old Y’s had!) and got the canopies to fit generally correct. They are just resting in position in the pictures. Clone crew is mostly finished, though only the gunner is in at the moment so I could ensure he is in a good position relative to the bubble. Let me just say that Vacuum formed canopies are the absolute worst! So hard to get to fit right and work with. The ion canons were so hard to get into position. Still have to finish the R2 unit and then do final detailing and weathering. I’m also going to see if I can find some stenciling decals to put on the fuselage as this large surface is begging for some extra detailing. 
 

 

 

 

[Sanity is Optional]

12 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

Thanks, @Sanity is Optional. Gives me a better idea of what can be accomplished.

Great work, btw. I hope mine looks as good as yours.

Thanks, I'm pretty happy with it.

One thing I'll suggest is any small decals that go over non-flat locations (on the VF-27 it was the diamonds on the intakes/thighs) are better done via paint than decals.

Those particular decals practically disintegrated with how much micro-sol/micro-set it took to get them to conform, and one of them was actually replaced with a sticker due to the damage.

[Thom]

On 5/11/2020 at 6:41 PM, wm cheng said:

OMG @MechTech that US Navy.mil photo site is AMAZING!!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  I could loose myself there for hours.  What a great resource.

To all the people building the Bandai VF-25 transformable model - you have brought back PTSD for me   Best of luck, less painful to watch others go through it but it makes me relive my bad memories.  I congratulate you @joscasle for attempting to paint all the markings, that's the way it should be done and your patience will pay off big time in the end!

I just wanted to jump ahead and not get hung up on the ordinance issues so I went back the the main bird.  This is the last time I get to see it clean from the factory.  BTW, I love this Mr. Super Smooth Clear Matt rattle can - I used to mix Tamiya flat into Future to provide a clear matt spray, but it took a bit to get the mixture right and I found matt to dry/gum up the airbrush a lot during spray.  So the lazy me took to the clear matt rattle can and its amazing!  No clean up and super smooth and highly recommended.  It leaves a matt that will take weathering, but still has a slight sheen to it which is perfect.

 

I started the weathering with some graphite powder (mechanical pencil shavings), smudge stick (blending stump) and kneadable eraser and started to work on half the plane trying to follow the photo references as much as possible.  All the photos show they kept this particular plane fairly clean with the exception of the walkway near the canopy.  This is my first past. I'll maybe tone it down and blend it in a bit more, the nice thing is you can just erase it if its too heavy or add if its too light.  

I kept the underside very lightly done as they were much cleaner than the top

 

Its hard to get the real handprints with the paint over at this scale (I need a really sharp eraser to get those cleaned off patches)

Some great work on that Super B! I just ordered the Revell version, and would hope to do half as good as what I am seeing here!

[CrossAir]

V.F.G VF-25S Messiah ist done. Not flawless but overall it'S OK for me . The last round of coating did it.

More here in the VFG-Thread

Edited May 14, 2020 by CrossAir

[derex3592]

WOW! Great job!!! Love the paint scheme!