Let the small birds fly! Revells 1/144 F/A-18 E Super Hornet and F-14A Black Tomcat

[FabianAUT]

Hey folks!

This is the first time that i participate in a group build. I was really looking forward to that and finally i found some time for it!

I am still a beginner so i thought its a good idea to start small and work my way up to the bigger kits.
Also this way i may win the price for the smallest entry

I hope its ok that i build two kits in one thread! If not, just let me know and i will separate it into two.

Now to the kits:

Revells 1/144 F/A-18 E Super Hornet is a fairly new kit from 2011





Detail on the parts is very nice and a lot better than i expected from this scale!





The kit comes fully loaded with 2 Sidewinder AIM 9X, 2 MK83GP Bombs, 2 AIM 120 C (AMRAAM), 2 GBU-31 (JDAM) and two fuel tanks.




The F-14A Black Tomcat is from 2004 and also seems to be a nice little kit.










First progress should be going up this weekend.

Thanks for watching and happy easter!

[m0rce]

I like this scale.
Got a 144th spit on my desk at work and looking to get some more. (Helps on long teleconferences to have something to play with... )
Look forward to your updates

[Dunhill2005]

Although I am not the administrator of the SiG,I would say that two aircraft are ok in a thread.
If you would to build a Dio, more than one aircraft could indeed be in it...

Grüße nach Graz

[FabianAUT]

@ m0rce

yeah the scale is nice and handy wich also makes it easier to collect!

@ Dunhill2005

I think so too, but you know admins can be moody

Grüße zurück nach Deutschland

This is indeed an international forum!

[martin57]

welcome . nice kits , good luck with them

[FabianAUT]

First steps are done and the f 18 cockpit is finished. I may add a little weathering, on the other hand it wont be really visible in this scale.

I also found it quite challenging to get some decent pictures of it because i dont have a "real" macro lens. These images are all extreme crops, so i hope you can see the tiny work.

My reference material:






I`ve added some seatbelts using masking tape

[FabianAUT]

Made some more progress on the f 18 today.

Main parts coming together



Fit wasnt too bad but still it needs some filling, sanding, rescribing...



same for the intakes

[FabianAUT]

and another update:

The nose is made out of two parts so there is a seam line to deal with and yes i primed my fingernail



Nose and intakes reworked



Added a drybrushing in light grey to the cockpit area and



reworked the underside of the wings

[corpsman23k2]

Well if this is your first you are on the right track fine job looking forward to finished build

[Nige201980]

Great work on something so small. Cockpit looks ace.

[FabianAUT]

Thx guys, glad you like it!

@corpsman: I found the youtube step by step and how to videos very usefull and lots of technices and products im using for the first time. Like Tamiya Extra Thin or my new friend Mr Surfacer 1000

The F 18 is finally starting to look like one





Started priming and painting the landing gear parts. Like in the cockpit the painting instructions arent very precise so i have to use reference pictures.

[FabianAUT]

Hi everybody!

I had a very busy week unfortunately but i managed to get something done today.
It may not seem like a big update but it took me quite a while to get to that stage.

The small parts arent so easy to work with after all and i also dont want to rush things and take my time to work as careful as i can.

Everything is now ready for priming. I got no airbrush so im going to use a Tamiya spray can primer.
The front part of the canopy is glued in place with Micro Kristal Klear and the rear part is just there to allow easy painting.
Its a perfect fit!



Used some foam i had to seal off the intakes and wheel bays.



All the ordnance and pylons assembled and ready for priming



Thanks for watching!

[martin57]

great little builds like them a lot well done to you

[LudvigN]

What a cute cockpit! Top job!

[FabianAUT]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

Another small update today, i hope i get some more work done this weekend.

Today i brushed the first coat of paint on the model. I mixed 80% grey with 20% white and added a lot of thinner to allow me to brush it even.
Its not perfect, so i may add another layer later.



I also started to paint the tiny missiles and bombs



Once again it was a good idea not to trust the painting instructions because they told me to use iron for the exhaust, but after looking at this picture i knew there is something wrong. Buh Revell



So i mixed anthrazit with iron and copper with iron to get closer to the real thing. I will try to polish a little once its dried.



As always, thanks for watching!

[FabianAUT]

Update time again

I've painted the vertical stabilizers black. I masked it but there still was some overpainting, but its nothing that cant be fixed.



getting ready to paint the underside of the aircraft.



Details painted, decals and stencils applied. The decals are still a bit shiny but i hope some flat clear coats will fix that.
Next step will be adding the landing gear and pylons!



Thanks for watching! Greetz

[FabianAUT]

Hi everybody!

Unfortunately i`ve been quite busy last week but ive done enough to post a small update.

I installed the landing gear and the hook. I definately need to find a better solution to paint wheels, its such a painful job





I also had a first decal session on the top. To be honest, i messed up the decals arround the cockpit a bit. There are some gaps that will need correction with paint. The clear part is covered by the decal, instructions say to remove that after placement but im going to leave it on until i put the clear coat on. I hope it didnt get ruined by the decal and is still clear!



I also started working on the F-14. The cockpit parts cut out...



...and primed.



as always, thanks for watching!

[FabianAUT]

Slowly but steady i`m coming closer to the end

The F-18 is ready for weathering. All the decals and stencils are in place and it have been a lot more than you would expect from such a small model.
I lost count somewhere around 100...
Only thing not in place now is the ordnance.







On the F-14 the cockpit is done and the nose section is glued together







Thanks for watching! Greetz

[Twokidsnosleep]

Great work, especially on such a small scale

[shortCummins]

thats just insane! I though 1:72 was too small