Hasegawa 1/48 F/A-18F Super Hornet Kit First Look
By Fotios Rouch
| Date of Review | July 2005 | Manufacturer | Hasegawa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F/A-18F Super Hornet | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 07238 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Nice external details | Cons | |
| Skill Level | Novice | MSRP (USD) | $65.00 |
First Look
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The Super Hornet does not need much of an introduction. Lots of politics and differing opinions can be found quickly with a web search.
It was proposed in 1991 after the cancellation of the A-12 Avenger.The Super Hornet is an upgraded and stretched out Hornet.
Flight testing of the F-18E started in 1992 and the first deliveries started in 1998.
The F-18F/E will offer the US Navy a great commonality of parts for all the different roles and missions as it will be replacing the Tomcat, the Hornet and Prowler.
The kit was introduced to the US market during the Dragon Expo at the Atlanta IPMS/USA Nationals.
Notably absent from both the Revell and Hasegawa boxings and instructions for this aircraft model are the names of the parent companies (McDonnell Douglas and Boeing).It is also curious that the kit was released at about the same time by the two companies that have been partners for a while.It is clear that both companies molded their kits so they can be produced as both single and two seaters.
The kit comes molded in light gray styrene and contains over 250 parts.
The engraved panel lines are very nice and the surface detail shows the great engineering and quality of the kit reflected in the purchase price.
The cockpit comes with adequate detail but it would not hurt to have a resin cockpit replace the existing one (I wonder if the Black Box cockpit made for the Italeri kit would fit here as well).
The intakes have full trunking leading to the turbine plates.
The elevators can be connected with an internal rod and made to move together.
More importantly the model comes with separate leading and trailing edge flaps that can be positioned up or down.This alone gives "the look" to the model!
The afterburners are ok in detail but again a highly detailed resin replacement could be desirable.
The landing gear has very nice detail and the landing gear wheel wells come with a very nice and more realistic depth to them.
There are some stores options:
- 4 x 480 gallon tanks
- 2 x AIM-120 AMRAAM
- 2 x AIM-9X
- 1 x AN/ASQ-228
The canopy can be positioned open or closed.The clear plastic parts come in a very well protected layout with molded barriers all around that should help protect the parts from getting crushed or scratched.
The F-18F box sold at the Nationals had a sticker on top advertising the included photo walkaround.The photos included are of great quality, full of detail and include both schemes found on the decal set.
The decals provided are for two NAVY squadrons:
- VFA-103 Jolly Rogers 2005
- VFA-102 DIAMONDBACKS