Blue Angels F-18

[airdave]

okay, here we go again...
my limited impatient building skills...
and I'm building a big airplane for myself!
lol
could be an Irwin Allen disaster in the making!

I was hoping to find others who had this model
and can offer some tips.

anyway...here goes...my Blue Angels F-18 build
(okay, stop laughing already....hey!!....I mean it!!)

so, the model is from Paper-Replika.com
http://paper-replika.com/images/stories/instructions/Military/blueangels/piccontent.jpg

I am printing it out on 110lb cardstock
and I going for the regular print (not glossy stock)
and I may try to clearcoat it when I'm done.

Instructions are on their website
but they're not really instructions...just a set of photos/images.
Nice looking images, with all the parts numbered...but not the clearest for me...we'll see.

[airdave]

So, I started with photos 1 and 2 this afternoon
(while watching the Nascar race)

Nose and Cockpit

First thing I noticed was this tiny little cone for the very tip of the nose.
LOL you got to be kidding!
This is not a good start.

Now lets be fair...I'm not good with little parts.
This "cone" is small....very small....extremely small....
and its not even a cone yet! lol

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_0.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3215)

and you want me to roll (and glue) this into a cone?! ROFL



so, needless to say, this part has conveniently been lost in the large paper file I call a waste basket...and we move on to parts 2, 3, 4, 5 etc

Most of it went fairly easy.
Trying Aileens Tacky Glue for the first time and it works pretty good.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_1.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3212)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_2.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3213)

Ran into my first major problem.
The canopy fit, and the small sections that create the canopy opening.
I just found these small slivers of card, with very small glueing tabs, too difficult for me to get a good clean fit.
The area around the front edge of the canopy has a few layers of small pieces and it got a little sloppy.
I found it easier to use a little extra glue and form the pieces as the glue set.
Its still a little messy, but it is what it is!

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_3.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3214)

[kenlwest]

Pretty darn good start on this one.

Ken

[cgutzmer]

Thats quick! Looks great :)

I want to see a macro shot of part one built and put on! ;)
Chris

[willygoat]

Looks great so far Dave! This has been in my build pile since its release. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

[cdwheatley]

Looks good to me!

[airdave]

"see what I'm gonna do with it"?...you'll be lucky if I can just follow the basic instructions! LOL

I watched a little TV last night and when I do that, I usually sit and work on my models. So I put the last extension piece onto the fuselage/cockpit assembly

and moved on to the main "engine housing"?...thats what I'll call it for now.

I admit that my skills are weak...but I'm working with two digital images as instructions, no other details or text instruction...and I glue, unglued, cut apart, re-attached a dozen tabs and connections before finally figuring out how to properly put this piece together.
First, I think it is overly complicated as one piece...it could have been broken in to two or three section (and when you see the half a dozen add-on pieces, you wonder why it wasn't?)

Its one of those "once you get it, it is very simple" kinda parts...but it took me three hours to get it!
...and in the end, its a little sloppy, but passable.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_4.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3216)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_5.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3217)

There a couple of sections that are cut, but for no apparent reason, and then seem to be attached back together, but without joining tabs...so I have added a number of little joiners (that with my luck will probably have to be cut out again later!)...another result of limited instructions I think.

[airdave]

Heres a couple more details regarding the "engine housing" assembly


http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_6.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3218)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_7.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3219)

[Keds_Girl_Lala]

That looks very nice. i have seen the real air planes fly, so I look here to see the model... I like it very much. For the TINY Nr. 1 part. I would cheat and use some shaped wood and paint it blue!

[airdave]

If you were building this model any larger, then you could find a way to do the nose tip
...but at this scale, the hole in the end of the nosecone, is so small, about the size of a toothpick,
that its just not worth worrying about.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_1b.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3220)

I am going to round off the end of a fat toothpick (to a blunt cone shape)
and insert it through the hole.
And a little blue paint should fix it up.

[airdave]

and...thats exactly what I just did!! lol

I took a regular wooden toothpick, cut the end of blunt.
sanded it into a cone shape.
painted it with a dark blue art marker
and used a long dowel to hold it and slide it through the fuselage and out through the nosecone.
(oh and I put some clear glue on the toothpick before I put it in place)

see what happens when you get a little motivation!

(now if I could just find my other sock........?)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_1c.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3221)

[cdwheatley]

Ha ha, good thinking! :D

[airdave]

yes, thanks Keds Girl for the inspiration!!

off to print some more pages and tackle that engine housing unit again tonight!!

wish me luck!

[airdave]

almost bedtime...not a lot visibly accomplished today.

I put in about three hours, and got the two intake nozzles
and two exhaust extensions (for the exhaust/afterburners) in place.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_8.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3222)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_9.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3223)

Biggest problem with this model, is related to the lack of clear instructions again.
There are a number of folds and attachments that just aren't clear in the photos,
and you end up guessing or assuming where something is.

There are a number of folds that aren't indicated on the parts and it takes time fitting, turning, fitting, refolding, fitting, turning
....until you figure out the proper position and exactly what folds are missing.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_10.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3224)

[Julescrafter]

Haha (lol) that's true :p
looking good airdave! :) sorry bout tiny parts :p

Jules


Instructions are on their website
but they're not really instructions...just a set of photos/images.
Nice looking images, with all the parts numbered...but not the clearest for me...we'll see.

[spencermitchellmusic]

Hey Dave, keep it up. You look like you are having a better go of it than me. I tried building this model for my 10 year old son as a valantines present but i just couldn't get it done. It took me several hours to try to get the intake nozzles oriented properly and I still dont think they are correct. Don't get me wrong, Jules I love your sight and you have done some great work for us. This one is just a little difficult given the instructions that we have to work with. I will probably try it again later and see how i do with round two. Here are a couple of pics of where i ended up.

[airdave]

yes, it looks like you have the inlet ducts inside out...and missing the unmarked fold that I described earlier.

I am about at the same stage now spencer...trying to figure out those side assemblies that attach the wings.

Once again, working from one small picture, trying to figure out folds that just aren't there...

Just not enough info in the photos to help...but slowly I am figuring it out.
I'll post some photo progress tomorrow if I can.

[pahorace]

Hello Dave,
very nice your Blue Angels F-18.
Extraordinary drawings by Jules.

...
What do you say to produce, in the end, a 3D-anaglyph? :D

Orazio

[airdave]

ha ha your are right Orazio!!

I WILL create an anaglyph of the model!
I should have thought of this already...I can make anaglyphs of all my models!

Great idea!!

[airdave]

Wed. night...crappy TV night again...good excuse to get off the computer though!
so, I puttered away with the next stage in this build...

fitting the fuselage to the engine assembly and assembling the side pods/wing mount assemblies.

I hate to sound like a stuck record (or for you young folks, a skipping CD?)...but one small "instruction" image does not help me again!

(This is, so far, a good looking model, detailed enough to deserve a nice set of instructions!
so don't raz me for whining about a "free" model! lol...you listening Jules?!)

anyway, follow MY instructional pics, and I'll try to give you all the details...

trying to assemble these side pods/wing mounts, I found that the small glueing tabs and sliver of card were not going to be easy to deal with, so I cut off the tabs and worried about the gap after I glued the two halves together. See the little insert I made.

[/URL][URL="http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3240"]http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_11.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3240)


this shows you how i made the insert and glued it in from the back.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_12.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3241)


took me a while to figure out the overall shape of these assemblies...the instruction photo just doesn't show it close enough or from the right angles.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_13.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3242)


so now I'm ready with the side pods/wing mounts, but first I glue the fuselage in place. I test fitted this many times before I figured out a plan of attack for the glueing. (might be my inexperience showing, but some of the easiest looking steps, turn out to be quite complicated to get it right and avoid a ton of glue everywhere!)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_14.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3243)

[airdave]

now comes the big tricky part!...

These side assemblies/wing mounts are not going to fit properly.
They have a formed shape that sorta matches up to the fuselage, but they are gonna require a little twist and glue, twist and glue, etc

I found that I have to get the back fitted in first and then work forward toward the cockpit area.

First problem was keeping the rear part in place...so I rigged up some card to hold the rear in the right place as I twist the front to fit.
Then I decided I need a "card sandwich" in the front to squash the cockpit a little, and widen the fuselage, for a better fit.

Then I noticed that the side pods collapsed when being twisted slightly,
so that means adding some ribs for support! ...phew and I haven't even started glueing anything yet!

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_15.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3244)

but, I have a feeling that I may have to make a full former inside these side pods to make them retain their shape
and fit the fuselage properly...I'll give that a try tomorrow!

[John Bowden]

Remember Dave......... it's not the summit that makes us do this........ it's the climb!;)

It is looking pretty close to a Hornet......... :D

All kidding aside........ the F/A-18 IS a tough one to model in paper..... and it does look like you are doing a good job of it!

john

[airdave]

these side ASSemblies are a paint in the...side ASSembly

lol
they definately require better forming before you try to attach them to the fuselage.

this time its my impatience that has resulted in a not so perfect fitting.

first thing I noticed was the side "pods" (can I just call them that from now on?)
...sat a little low and revealed a sliver of unseen area.
So I decided to add a "shim" and raise the pod,
although this affected the top level surface a little bit.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_16.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3254)

Then I fit the side pod
...using some card to hold the rear in place I applied glue to the whole structure
and carefully positioned it against the fuselage.
I did my best to get it in the right spot on the first try,
trying to keep the glue in place
...but you kinda got to twist and push and pull the whole structure
until its sitting properly (and hold it there long enough for the glue to set!).

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_17.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3255)

From the outside it doesn't look too bad
...but I fought and fought to get the pod tight against the body and just couldn't do it.
So... from the wrong angle you can see the improper fit.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_18.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3256)

I'm not sure how much better I could do this...
but I think the better design would be to have these pods fit into the fuselage
...rather than against the fuselage.
I would also add some more formers and get the side pod into a better shape before trying to attach it.

I'm thinking about adding a paper seam filler to cover this gap.

[airdave]

oh....
and this is where its at right now

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/500/medium/BA_F18_build_19.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3257)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/500/medium/BA_F18_build_20.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3258)

I have touched up a few visible open gaps and imperfections with some blue art markers.
Don't like using the markers in the really visible areas, but I had to do something to clean it up.
Hopefully some fixative at the end will even out the colours.

[cdwheatley]

Looking good! For the slightly improper fit of the pod, why not try a tiny drop of superglue to close up the gap between it and the fuselage?!

[airdave]

Looking good! For the slightly improper fit of the pod, why not try a tiny drop of superglue to close up the gap between it and the fuselage?!

more like an entire bead of bathtub caulking to close up this gap!! LOL

do you think latex caulking comes in navy blue?

[cdwheatley]

Oh ok, it's obviously much worse than it looks even in the photo then.

[airdave]

yeah, I think you are being generous...and I appreciate it.

from certain angles it doesn't look too bad,
it could probably be a lot worse, but I guess I feel guilty about allowing the photograph to fool you into thinking its any better than it really is.
I have used the blue marker as much as possible to hide imperfections and visible white areas within the gaps.

the attachment of the these side pods has resulted in a slight distortion of the fuselage (you can actually see a little ripple just behind the cockpit)...this is more annoying than the gaps! lol

a fresh look at it this morning has given me a new opinion..."it is what it is, and it could definately be a lot worse!"....so I will move on.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_21.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3273)

[airdave]

The lack of detailed instructions, leaves me guessing at the construction of many areas of this model
...all you are given is a series of about 12 (small CG) photos of the model at various stages of construction.
I blame all my problems on this fact! lol

...but thats also no excuse for not reading (or looking) ahead before you leap!
I commented earlier on the engine inlets needing a filler or insert piece to close them
...but later in the series of "instruction" photos, I find that pieces have been provided for that purpose!
Only problem is...they should have been installed, on the back of the inlets, before the inlets were installed.
I see no way to properly fit them inside the engine assembly at this point.
(as a matter of fact, I am not even gonna try to install them!)

-had I read ahead and learned about these parts, I could have installed them earlier in the build!

Anyway, heres the progress so far...

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_22.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3289)

Assembling the main wings.
The rear aileron construction was a bit confusing at first, but straightforward once you figure it out.
The assembly that mounts at the end of the wing, makes no sense.
It is difficult to verify the mounting position from the "instruction" photos.
The glueing/mounting square on the assembly does not match anything on the wing.
In the end, I compromised and devised my own method.
I coloured in the white area with yellow marker and created a "slit" in the assembly that the wing fits into.
It may or may not be accurate but fits simply and more securely.

Once the wings were ready to install,
I looked at the mounting area and decided that the wings would not be very secure
...again, I like the idea of inserting the wings into the fuselage, as opposed to just glueing them flat to the outside.
I decided to add some toothpicks as locators and hopefully additional support.
(although it would have been a good idea to glue these supports in before the side pods were attached to the fuselage.)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_23.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3290)

[airdave]

While I wait for the wing supports (toothpicks) to set up,
I went ahead and completed all the other wing assemblies.

All very straightforward and ready to install.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_24.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3291)

I also took a look at some of the extra "detail" parts left to install...
first thing I found was a small covering piece for the leading edge of the cockpit canopy.
It covers up all the messy build in that area...nice!
Only issue was, it prints out on the parts sheet as white?
This is obviously a design or print error...so I just went ahead an used my navy blue art marker. The colour isnt perfect but very close.

[airdave]

Fitting rear wings and fiddly bits...

I decided at the beginning of this build NOT to use the landing gear.
For me, planes are most pretty in flight and the gear is usually an accepted purpose but not very attractive. I like to display my models "in flight".

And lets face it...the gear is full of really tiny fiddly bits!!

Then, about halfway through this build I decided to tackle the gear.
And this is the one part of this model, that is straightforward.
The "instructional" photos clearly show you how to assemble the gear.
I think there are actually three images to work from, just for the gear!
And the gear is complete with many tiny and fiddly bits.
...I told you it was a dumb idea.

So I attached all the "closed" gear doors...lets move on.

Rear Wings (2 horizontal stabilizers and 2 vertical stabilizers)
After careful examination of the "instruction" photos, I sorta figured out the placement.
Once again this is a glue flat to the outside attachment.
I don't particularly like this.
Its tough to get the wing to fit flat against the body and then glueing it down can be tricky.
I would rather see inserted tabs, or even a wing that fits into a an opening or slot.
I would even recommend cutting off the glue tabs and trimmin the butt ends to fit tightly to the shape of the fuselage, and then "butt" glueing.

Anyway, heres some pics to show the wing placement from all angles.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_25.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3307)

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_26.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3308)

You will notice some fuzzies/dust on the aircraft...this is dry overspray from a Fixative.
I am hoping to apply some clearcoat to the model and get a gloss to the surfaces.
I have applied three coats of fixative to hopefully seal the ink before clearcoating.
The last coat of fixative was a little heavier and resulted in some overspray dust that shows up real well under the camera flash.
I will dust it all off today.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_27.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3309)

This last photo shows you how well I didn't get the main wings on.
In attempting to hold the wing in place tightly, trying to get a tight fit between wing and fusleage,
I ended up applying too much pressure on the paper wing surface
and now the front inner "toothpick support" is now visible within the wing.
The toothpicks definately helped positon the wing, but didn't help in any way to get a good fit.

You can also see in the above photo, I have started to attach the last few small detail pieces.
I will show these in my next photos.
Next step, as I said, is applying some clearcoat
...and designing a Stand.

[spencermitchellmusic]

looks much better than my attempt did. can't wait to see it with a nice shine on it.

[airdave]

I got it coated with some sealant tonight (a nice floor polish that doesn't bleed the inks)...
now I just have to find a good clearcoat or shellac.

I'm actually thinking of trying some urethane clear if I don't find anything better.
(I've got some out in the shop...I'll reduce it and run it through the airbrush.)

Wish me luck!
LOL
Could turn out to be a big disaster!


Still got a few little bits to attach...but I got a stand made for it tonight.
Post pics tomorrow.

[airdave]

sorry, I haven't posted anything further on this build
been busy with other things.

The clearcoat was definately not a success,
I have recoated the plane with a matte varnish
and its still sitting on my workshop bench.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_28.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3376)

I'm happy with the simple stand.
The plane attaches with nothing more than a toothpick inserted in the bottom of the fuselage.

http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/data/624/medium/BA_F18_build_29.jpg (http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3377)

I'm gonna call this one done, for now.
Too many attempts with clearcoat have left a few areas with an unsatisfactory finish (and I don't want to do any more damage)

and I have had to make a couple of repairs from dropping the plane twice! lol

I plan on building this kit again...possibly with glossy papers...
and definately at a larger scale next time!
All in all, its a nice model with a lack of good instructions.
Theres only a couple of tricky build areas and a larger scale will definately help sort those out.

[legion]

And this build thread helps with constructing for others! Nice work on the bird!

[F-22 nut]

question where did you down load it :)

[cMags]

question where did you down load it :)

First post:

...
so, the model is from Paper-Replika.com
...

[airdave]

thanks chris

[Inky]

I wish you had posted this before I built my F-18 Blue Angel. I had all the same problems you did. I am thinking about building the whole fleet and just changing the tail number.

Very nice job on this build.

[cMags]

I wish you had posted this before I built my F-18 Blue Angel. I had all the same problems you did. I am thinking about building the whole fleet and just changing the tail number.

Very nice job on this build.

When did you build your F-18? This build thread was from 2 years ago... :eek:

[Inky]

I built it back in March. guess it wouldn't of mattered, I wasn't a member of this site yet. I had just found this post of the build.

[aansorge]

Has anyone (more clever than I) tried one of the Super Hornet recolors from Paper-Replika? The engine portion of the fuselage is the same (part 17), thanks, Airdave for being a life/sanity saver.

[airdave]

My Blue Angel F18 (the subject of this thread) is the paper-replika model.

Or are you asking if we have built any of the other paint schemes?

[aansorge]

My Blue Angel F18 (the subject of this thread) is the paper-replika model.

Or are you asking if we have built any of the other paint schemes?

Exactly. There are versions of the model that are designated as Super Hornet. There are some differences (overall scale, the LERX - the part of the wing that comes under the cockpit [thank you wikipedia], and the engine air intakes) and I just wonder if people build as is. The air intakes don't look quite right, but might simply need a tweak or two.

And what on Earth is part 28? Looks like a little wedge that goes somewhere around the intake.

[airdave]

F18 Super Hornet is, overall, a larger airrcaft than the Hornet.
Carries more fuel and armament.
Generates a bit more lift.
became the Navy's replacement for the retired F14.

My biggest complaint with this model (at the time) was the lack of instructions.
The cgi build images that Julius posts (as instructions) didn't always offer eveything you needed.
I think things have changed a bit, and his assembly information is more detailed now.

Part 28 are vertical tabs/fins on the eading edges of the wing LERX.
http://personal.eunet.fi/pp/vmhalme/hornet_finnaf/052hornet_finnaf.jpg

[skyman00]

Not to thread-jack Dave’s BA Hornet thread here but, Mr. Perdana has never released a “true” Super Hornet or “Rhino”. All he has released is the Legacy Hornet or “Bug” and simply renamed it.


No “DIS” intended Jules, as you have truly given the community some great birds with many hours (actually, years now) of enjoyment. These are excellent, beautiful builds that I’ve personally enjoyed!


There are several noticeable differences between these two birds. The first few, most obvious, are the wider LEXs (Leading Egde Extensions), the trapezoidal intakes (one of the many places on this vehicle using the angled-edge Stealth Tech) and the dog-toothed wing LEs (directly fore of each wing hinge). Others are the angled 5-sided elevators, the jagged-edge well and door shapes on the fuse belly, no in-take ramps, no LEX fences (part 28), no gap between the LEXs and fuse, no dorsal aft speed brake (forward LEX spoilers just fore of the b/p vents act as brakes instead) and overall aircraft increased size (L,W,H). I’m sure there are other diffs I’ve missed, these are just some obvious ones I can name quickly.


I suppose you can use part 17 as a fuse base to build off of, however the whole build would require a lot of work, a re-design really, to achieve a more accurate SH look.


Go with Ojimak’s SH for a simpler, more accurate build. For a good and challenging technical build, Modelik’s SH is readily available from several online sellers, even directly.


Now, back to Dave’s BA Hornet... -J

[aansorge]

Yes, Back to Dave.

And thanks a million for the detour.