Cobraaaa!!!!

Historical Background

The emergence of the helicopter, specifically of  Bell's UH-1 Iroquois or Huey, made the theory of air cavalry practical. In Vietnam, the Huey fleet carried troops across the country, to fight at the ground and the time of their own choosing, rather than the enemy's. However, these unarmed Hueys were vulnerable to ground fire especially when they are nearing the landing zones. Without support from nearby artillery or other ground troops, the only way to pacify the landing zones was from the air, using an aircraft, preferably another, armed, helicopter that can closely escort the transport choppers and loiter over the battlefield. Originally the Army used UH-1s fitted with machine guns and rocket launchers, but was needed was a dedicated helicopter gunship Bell has been investigating such concept since the 1950s and in 1962 had revealed a mockup of what they called D-255 Iroquois Warrior concept. The D-255 was a purpose-built attack helicopter based on the UH-1B but with a slender fuselage and the two crew sitting in tandem. It was to be armed with a turret-mounted 40mm grenade launcher in the nose, a 20 mm belly-mounted gun pod and stub wings to mount rockets or anti-tank missiles.

The Army was interested and awarded a proof-of-concept contract to Bell in December 1962. Bell modified a regular Bell Model 47 (UH-13 Sioux) into Model 207 Sioux Scout which had the hallmarks of a modern attack helicopter with sleek fuselage, tandem cockpit, chin-mounted turret and stub wings for weapons. Although impressed, the Army decided that the Model 207 was too small, underpowered and generally not suitable for practical use. Instead the Army launched the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) which resulted in the large and fast Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. It proved to be too sophisticated and was eventually cancelled in 1972. Although Model 207 was rejected by the Army, Bell persisted with their idea of a smaller and lighter helicopter gunship. Bell mated the T53 turboshaft engine, the transmission and the rotor system of the UH-1C, adding to the latter a Stability Control Augmentation System with the design philosophy of the Sioux Scout and produced the Model 209.

With the war escalating in Vietnam and the AAFSS programme stuck in technical difficulties and political bickering, the US Army asked Boeing-Vertol, Sikorsky, Kaman, Piasecki and Bell for an interim gunship design. In April 1966, Bell's Model 209 won the evaluation and a first production contract for 110 airframes were signed. Bell added 'Cobra' to the UH-1's nickname of 'Huey' becoming Model 209 HueyCobra - the name adopted by the Army for its production AH-1G. For production some modifications was made, including the adoption of simple landing skids instead of retractable undercarriage, a new wide-blade rotor and plexiglass, instead of armoured glass canopy. The first HueyCobras were delivered in June 1967 and saw extensive service during the Vietnam War, taking over the role of assault helicopter from the 'snake' Huey gunships.

The Cobra has a slim fuselage, designed to present as small a profile as possible against enemy ground fire. Due to the slimmer shape and lighter weight, the Cobra is twice as fast as the Hueys it escorted. The original variants were powered by a single Lycoming T53-L-11 turboshaft engine rated at 1,100 hp allowing it a speed of 277 km/h. The crew seating arrangement, which has since become the virtual standard for attack helicopters, placed the pilot at the rear seat, which is slightly elevated behind the co-pilot/gunner. The gunner also a full set of flight controls. The weapons turret under the nose were originally used to mount two 7.62 mm miniguns or two 40 mm grenade launchers or one of each weapon. Later versions of the Cobra mounts the M197 20 mm three-barrel cannon in the turret. The stub wings can carry up to 1,360 kg of various weapons but usually consist of folding fin aerial rocket tubes, gun pods or, later, anti-tank guided weapons.

Originally not equipped to fire anti-tank guided weapons, the Cobra was fitted with the M65 TOW/Cobra system complete with M65 Telescopic Sight Unit and M73 reflex Sight, creating the AH-1Q variant in 1973. The AH-1S is an upgraded -1Q variant with 1,800 hp Lycoming T53-l-703 turboshaft. The -1S was followed by the -1P with glass cockpit, improved low-altitude performance and composite rotor assembly. The AH-1E introduced the three-barrel M197 cannon while the AH-1F introduced laser rangefinder, infra-red countermeasure equipment, digital flight systems and heads-up display. Prior to 1988, all the S,P,E,Q and F Cobras were simply known as various variants of the AH-1S. Apart from the Vietnam War, US Army Cobras took part during Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm in 1990/1991 and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1993 and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994. 300 Cobras were lost due to enemy action and accidents during the Vietnam War with a further three during Desert Storm. The Cobra was phased out and replaced by the AH-64 Apache in US Army service beginning in 1990 and fully retired from service in 2001. Retired machines were passed to allied nations and also the USDA Forest Service. The Cobra was exported and used by the armed forces of Israel, Japan, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan.       

The Kit

Hasegawa came out with a 1/72 kit of the single-engine Cobra in 1997 when they released the JGSDF version of the AH-1S. The US version was released in 2000 while the one I use in this build is a 2015 reboxing of the 2000 kit. And, according to online reviews, this is the most accurate version of the -1S (at least for the 1/72 version). The parts are spread among five dark olive drab sprues, one clear sprue and a small decal sheet. The parts are well moulded and have engraved panel lines. Some are marked as 'Not for use' as probably they are only relevant to the JGSDF version. Details are acceptable for 1/72 scale and from casual viewing, it looks like it's going to be a simple, straightforward build. It also includes two crew figures. The decals provide markings for just one helicopter : a snake from the 7th Cavalry, US Army.

Construction

Almost inevitably with flying machine models, even the rotary winged ones, construction started with the cockpit. And as per my usual practice, the relevant parts were painted while on the sprue. There were just two paints needed for the cockpit - flat and gloss black. The parts were then removed from the sprue and the resulting scars were then touched up. The parts were then assembled, the crew fifures however were not used. The provided decals were then used to represent the instrument panels on the cockpit sides. Before the fuselage halves were cemented together, holes were drilled or puttied over where needed and the cockpit sides were painted Black. Afterwards, the completed cockpit plus the bottom of the fuselage (Part A4) were inserted into one of the cockpit halves and the whole fuselage was cemented together. The tail skid was however left off at this time.

Next up were some of the external features. The tail fins were first and some care were needed here to avoid gaps. The stub wings were next. The halves were mated together, sanded and then cemented to the fuselage. The pylons for the FFAR pods were also added at this time although the TOW missile assembly was left off. The last sub-assembly I added to the model at this time was the sight at the nose. In order to ease handling during painting and decalling, the landing skids were left off. Although the tail rotor, the M197 cannon and the exhaust were assembled, they were set aside at his time.

Painting and Decalling

Hasegawa has you paint the model entirely in Olive Drab. However, based on my readings during my AH-64 Apache build, US Army helicopters are painted Helo Drab instead of Olive Drab. For modellers, only Model Master has this particular paint in their range. I'm not going to wait for several more weeks in order for newly-ordered paint to arrive. So decided to use the next best alternative : Tamiya's XF-51 Khaki Drab. While it does not exactly match Helo Drab, looking at photos on the internet shows that Helo Drab can assume shades from OD to Dark Grey but I think XF-51 is just about the shade of the 'original' Helo Drab. The FFAR pods and the TOW tubes however were painted US Olive Drab. The M197 cannon was painted black and then I decided to use my newly acquired AK Interactive weathering pencil 'Gun Metal'. The pencil works as the usual pencil-watercolour combo. The graphite(?) is moistened and then applied over the parts....and voila, metallic-looking parts! The narrow sealing tape however was not painted as I doubt my ability to cleanly mask and paint such a narrow line.

The decals were then applied in the usual manner and was then given the Mr. Mark Softer treatment.

Finishing

Finishing at this stage means permanently attaching the remaining sub-assemblies. I started with the weapons first. By the way, the kit FFAR pods were replaced with the ones from the Italeri weapons kit as the latter has the 'rocket heads' (for what its worth) poking from the tubes, whilst the kit ones are more or less 'empty'. Once the skids were attached, I found that the model was not very stable and usually went tail-heavy. However once the main rotor was put in place, it no longer has that nose-up attitude. The cannon assembly and the canopy howere were quite a tight fit and the cannon nearly broke apart when I try to insert it into its slot. The canopy needed a bit of sanding to get it into place; however the finished still has quite a noticeable gap. The model received a coat of Gunze Flat Coat and the masks were then removed, finishing the build.

Conclusion

Hasegawa's 1/72 Cobra is an easy kit to build and without any real shortcomings. The details are convincing enough especially in 1/72 although those who wants more detail can easily add them.

Gunboat Gustav

Historical Background

The Bf 109 has its origins in the 1933 study by the Technisches Amt (C-Amt) department of the Reichluftfahrtministerium. The study outlined four broad categories for future combat aircraft. One of them, Rüstungsflugzeug III, was for a single-seat fighter/short-range interceptor. The new fighter was to have a top speed of 400km/h at 6,000 meters, with a flight duration of 90 minutes. Power was to be provided by the Junkers Jumo 210 engine of 700hp. Armament would consists of a single 20mm MG C/30 engine-mounted cannon, firing through the propeller hub, or two cowl-mounted 7.92mm machine guns, or a single lightweight MG FF 20mm cannon with two 7.92mm machine guns.The aviation companies Arado, Heinkel and Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW), who was headed by Willy Messerschmitt, received the development contract in February 1934 whilst Focke Wulf received theirs in September of the same year. A proviso was made that the Jumo 210 engine would be interchangeable with the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 600.

All participants were asked to deliver three prototypes for testing in late 1934. Messerschmitt's design, the P.1034 was begun in March 1934 and the first prototype was ready by January 1935. However the Jumo 210 engines were not yet ready. In order to get the competing prototypes into the air, the RLM acquired Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines allowing the P.1034 (given the RLM type designation Bf 109) to fly in May 1935. The Jumo engines were finally available in late summer 1935, allowing prototype V2 to be completed in October 1935. The Bf 109 eventually prevailed against its rivals, especially the Heinkel He 112; being faster, and having superior climb and dive performance. The Bf 109 was first shown to the public when prototype V1 was flown during the Berlin 1936 Olympics.

The Bf 109A was the first production version, powered by a Junkers Jumo 210B or D engine and armed with two cowl mounted MG 17 7.92mm machine guns. This was followed by the serial production Bf 109B, armed with the same armament although some aircraft were fitted with the engine mounted machine gun. Prototype V8 was fitted with two MG 17s in the wings and in prototype V8, 20mm MG FF cannons were fitted. Both Bf 109A and B models were tested under combat conditions during the Spanish Civil War. The A and B models were followed by the C, D and a major redesign in 1938 resulted in the E model. A second major redesign in 1939-1940 resulted in the F series. The Friedrichs have a streamlined nose with a half-elleptical spinner. The type also omitted the stabiliser support struts while all weapons were concentrated in the forward fuselage.

This was followed by the G ('Gustav') model, introduced in the middle of 1942. The initial variants (G-1 through G-4) only have minor differences with the F model but most notably the use of the more powerful (1,455 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. Other modifications to the G included a reinforced wing structure, an internal bullet-proof windscreen, heavier and welded framing for cockpit transparencies and additional armor for the fuel tank. Odd-numbered variants were designed as high altitude interceptors with pressurised cockpit and GM-1 (nitrous oxide) boost while even-numbered variants were unpressurised air superiority fighter and fighter-bombers. Later variants (G-5 to G-14) were produced with uprated armaments and provision for factory-supplied equipment/weapons package known as Umrüst-Bausätze (adding the suffix '/U' to the aircraft designation). Field modification kits known as Rüstsätze were also available.  

Armament initially consist of a pair of 7.92 mm MG17 on the upper deck and a 20 mm MG 151/20 Motorkanone firing through the propeller hub. From G-5 onwards, the MG 17s were replaced with 13 mm MG 131s. As the latter has a larger breechblock, resulting in a bulged fairing, the Gustav was nicknamed Die Beule (the bulge). Additional Rüstsätze kit for bomber-destroying missions include R5 (two 30 mm MK 108 cannons in underwing pods) and R6 (two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in underwing pods). While increasing the Bf 109's lethality, it has an adverse effect on handling qualities, reducing its performance in fighter vs fighter combat. The G-6 can also be armed with a pair of Werfer-Granate 21 rocket system, intended to be employed at a stand-off range against Allied bomber formations.

While faster than the 'F' model, the Gustav was less maneuverable and its introduction into service coincides with the reversal in fortune for Germany, mainly fighting a defensive war. More than 10,000 Gustavs were built, making it the most numerous of Bf 109 variants. Apart from the Luftwaffe, the Bf 109G was also used by Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Romania. Spain also built licensed copies as Hispano HA-1112 while Czechoslovakia built copies as Avia S-99 and S-199.

The Kit

Hasegawa kit JT47 was a 1998 version of their 1997 'Bf 109G-6 'Hartmann'' kit which in turn was a modified version of the earlier G dan F series in Hasegawa's 1/48 stable. The parts were spread among nine grey and one clear plastic sprues with a number of parts being marked as 'not for use' (belonging to other marks of the Bf 109). Sprue B is absent as it represents the F/early G cowling with the smaller openings for the MG17 machine guns. The parts display Hasegawa's usual quality of nicely done details whether raised or engraved.  Decals provide markings for two kanonenvogels (Bf 109G with the R6 field modification kit):

1. Obersleutnant Alfred Grislawski, J.Gr.50; and

2. Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Bartels, 11./ JG27

The kit can also be made into a plain G-6 simply by leaving the MG 151/20 cannon pods off and using aftermarket decals (well, thank you, Capt. Obvious). 

Construction

As always, construction started at the cockpit. Hasegawa's cockpit consists of 10 parts; detail is so-so and I felt that more could be done by Hasegawa here (like the seat for example). The parts were painted RLM 66 Schwarzgrau using Tamiya XF-63 German grey whilst still on the sprue and were touched up after assembly. No decals were provided for the instrument panel but they do have raised detail here that can be dry-brushed to 'pop-up' the details (I didn't do it - I just dab white paints here and there as 'instrument faces'). The fuselage was joined using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. Afterwards the instrument panel and the completed cockpit were cemented into place. Certain access hatches on the starboard fuselage were puttied and sanded as per the instructions. The upper nose cowling was put in place although the machine gun barrels were left off for the time being. The supercharger air intake was assembled and cemented but the sand filter was left off as I have not decided which markings I intended to do at this time. There is also an errata sheet as the original instruction had the 'plain' beule placed on the right-hand side of the fuselage. 

Next, the wing assembly. I first painted the inside surface of the radiator cooler intake RLM 76 (the fuselage colour) and the grills in Mr Color 28 Steel. As the Gustav uses larger tyres, bulges were present on the upper wing surface and Hasegawa has you drill holes in order to accommodate the said bulges. This however resulted in marred wheel wells which need to be puttied over; I just let it be as nobody is going to lift the model up and peer underneath it! Extra panel lines were also needed to be engraved on the upper wing surfaces. There are faint lines at the area required so I placed a Dymo tape and engrave the new lines. The elevator trim tabs also needed modification and I simply place the tailplanes against the drawing in the instructions (they are in 1/48), mark the area and cut the excess plastic off.

Painting and Decalling

Both marking options have the standard Luftwaffe mid-war camouflage of RLM74/75/76. The model was painted overall RLM 76 at first, using the Tamiya mix of 7 parts XF-2 Flat White, 1 part XF-23 and 2 parts XF-66 Light Grey. By this time I really have to decide which marking to finish the model. I eventually chose Grislawksi's Gustav simply because he scored more kills than Bartels! With the selection process out of the way, the 74/75 pattern of Grislawksi's can be applied to the model. I originally wanted to use Vallejo Air but reverted to using Mr. Hobby RLM 75 as the Vallejo version is way too dark. I however think that Vallejo's version of RLM 74 is close enough and used it. As usual with mottled Jerman camouflage pattern, I tried to recreate the illusion of airbrush-applied mottling by varying the viscosity of the respective paints and from six feet away, it looks good enough! About the mottling - the instructions did not correspond with the box art and the finished example PLUS photos of the real plane! I should have followed my head!

As the kit dates back to 1998, the whites of the decals has that ivory shade and for my copy, suffers from some yellowing due to age. The former was left as it was but leaving the decals in direct  sunlight for several days helped cure most of the yellowing. Also, probably also due to age, the decals took a bit longer to come loose from the backing paper. There is also a mistake with the instructions as it has the skeletal Balkankreuz for Grislawski's plane (the photo on the box side has the black and white one). I simply Google for photos of the particular plane where it shows it having the Black-and-White Balkankreuz upon which I acted accordingly. The port wing Balkankreuz however flipped upon itself a bit and I was unable to flip it back correctly. I therefore had to retouch the cross with white paint and to make them look symmetrical, retouched the Balkankreuz on the starboard wing too!

Finishing

The model received some wash into the panel lines at first. This was followed by adding some weathering effects specifically some residue marks, exhaust soot and some paint chipping; the last were made mainly on the port wing root, leading edge of the wing and the propeller blades. I originally anted to add fuel spill effect on the drop tank but eventually decided not to. The smaller and more fragile parts were then cemented onto the model such as the gun barrels, the pitot tube, the radio aerial and even the gunsight (I prefer to cement the latter during the finishing process to avoid mishandling and loss inside the fuselage; besides, the cockpit opening is large enough to handle the part). A few more finishing touches aere like....painting the flying lights (which sometimes I forgot to do!). A final coat of Flat Clear finishes the build.

Conclusion

Hasegawa's Gustav 109s can still hold its own despite the introduction of the more modern kits from Eduard and Tamiya. The build is simple enough that novices can try their hand although more advanced modellers might want to dress up their model with aftermarket parts or use the newer kits. My issues with the kit  is concerned with the off-white colour of the decals and the lack of details in the cockpit. Oh, also don't trust the instructions 100%!

Super Bug

Historical Background

In the 1980s, McDonnell Douglas proposed an enlarged F/A-18 Hornet, marketed as Hornet 2000. The concept envisaged an F/A-18 with a larger wing and a longer fuselage to carry more fuel (the Hornet's main shortcoming) and more powerful engines. The study was made official in January 1988. At the same time, the US Naval Aviation was having problems with the A-12 Avenger II stealth attack aircraft programme, which was intended to replace the A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair on board US carriers. The Navy was also looking for a replacement for its aborted Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (which was basically a navalised F-22 Raptor). The Navy also considered updating an existing design rather than designing a totally new aircraft, as the end of the Cold War led to budget cuts and considerable restructuring. As an alternative to the NASF and A-12, McDonnell Douglas offered the Hornet 2000 as the 'Super Hornet'. In 1992, the US Navy ordered the Super Hornet, partly to replace the venerable F-14 Tomcat and partly as all replacement aircraft should be based on the F/A-18 pending the introduction of the F-35. Despite basically a new aircraft, the F/A-18 designation was retained to help the Navy to sell the Super Hornet to the Congress.

The Super Hornet first flew on 29 November 1995 with full production begun in September 1997. In 1999 it went through the Navy's operational tests and evaluations and was finally accepted in February 2000. The Super Hornet is about 20% larger than the original Hornet (now dubbed 'Legacy Hornet'), it was also 3,200 kg (empty weight) and 6,800 kg (maximum weight) heavier. The Super Hornet also carries 33% more fuel, allowing a 41% increase in mission range and endurance by 50% over the Legacy Hornet. To make room for that extra fuel and additional electronics, the fuselage was stretched by 86 cm and the wing area was enlarged by 25%. However, although it was 5,000 kg lighter than the F-14, the Super Hornet still cannot match the former's range and endurance. Despite the extension and enlargement, the Super Hornet has 42% less structural parts than the Legacy Hornet. The Super Hornet was powered by a pair of General Electric F414 afterburning turbofan engines which have 35% more thrust than the original F404. The new engines also allow a higher 'bringback' weight. With the retirement of KA-6D and S-3B inflight refueling tankers, the Super Hornet was designed so that it can be equipped with an air refueling system ('buddy tanks'), carrying a 1,200 liter fuel tank/hose drum unit on the centerline and four 1,800 liter tanks under the wings.

The intake ramps were redesigned, from oval in the Legacy Hornet to a rectangular one. The wing root leading edge extensions (LERX) were also enlarged, improving vortex lifting characteristics in high angle of attack maneuvers. The Super Hornet also incorporated some stealthy features, including redesign of the intakes so that the engines compressor face is masked, reducing the aircraft's overall radar cross-section. Other measures include panel joint serration and edge alignment. Two extra hardpoints were added under the wings for a total of 11. The Super Hornet has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system and also a digital flight control system that detects and corrects for battle damage. Initial production Super Hornets were equipped with the APG-73 radar as the C and D versions of the Legacy Hornet but were later replaced with APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Main electro-optical sensor and laser designator was the AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR. From May 2007, the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was delivered to operational units, allowing, among others, off-boresight missile cuing. Like the Legacy Hornet, the Super Hornet came in two versions: the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F.

The Super Hornet achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in September 2001 with VFA-115 'Eagles'. The Eagles also became the first unit to use their Super Hornet in combat when a pair of them attacked two Iraqi SAM launchers at Al Kut and an air defence command and control bunker at Tallil Air Base in support of Operation Southern Watch on 6 November 2002. The mission also marked the debut of the JDAM. The Super Hornet was subsequently used in US operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and along the Somali coast. Unlike the Legacy Hornet, the Super Hornet was not operated by the USMC (who prefer to wait for the F-35). So far, only Australia is the export customer for the Super Hornet, curently operating 24. Other potential customers were sought, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, UAE, Bulgaria and Belgium. The Super Hornet airframe is also used to build the EA-18G Growler, the replacement for the venerable EA-6B Prowler on board the Navy's carriers.

The Kit

Hasegawa introduced their 1/72 kit of the Super Hornet in 2003 by releasing the 'F' version and this was followed by the 'E' in 2004. The parts were spread among seven light grey and one clear sprues. The parts were well-moulded and featured finely engraved panel lines and hundreds of tiny dimples representing the flush rivets. The fuselage breakdown allow Hasegawa to make just one mould for the forward fuselage of both E and F models. The intake trunking, as with many other models are short and ended with a 'wall'. Other interior details, such as for the landing gear wells were sufficient in 1/72 scale. Unlike previous Hasegawa kits, there were some external stores provided : four 480-US Gallon external tanks, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders. Also included is a AN/AAS-38 NITE Hawk FLIR pod (strangely not the ATFLIR). Of course you need weapons from other sources to fully arm your Rhino. Two marking options were provided : NH 200 / 165861, VFA-14 Tophatters, USS Nimitz and NK 200 / 165781, VFA-115 Eagles, USS Abraham Lincoln.

Construction

As usual, construction started at the admittedly not-detailed-cockpit. It was painted Gunze 317 with the details (make that just the control stick) in Flat Black. The dials and switches were represented by decals. Rather bafflingly (as it would be invisible), Hasegawa instructed you to fill the holes in the shell of the rear crew position. The front fuselage of the kit is a three-piece affair. The left and right halves were cemented first. The cockpit was cemented to the lower fuselage and afterwards it was cemented to assembled upper halves. As with any other multi-part assembly, some extra care were needed to avoid seams. Although instructed to be fitted later, I decided to put the ejection seat into place. I however discarded the kit ejection seat and replaced it one from Aires. The nose assembly was set aside as I go through the main fuselage.

The main fuselage is another multi-part affair with the possibility of bad fit. Before doing anything, holes were drilled into the bottom of the fuselage to accommodate an external fuel tank later on. As the intake trunks ended in a blank 'wall', the latter was painted Flat Black while the intake trunking itself was painted Gunze H308. The decals representing the grille (I think) on the intake was done at this time as there might not be enough space for my fingers when the intake parts were joined together. A blanking plate closes the aperture for the WSO's cockpit. The mounting for the engine turbine face at the rear of the fuselage is also the mount for the horizontal tail and was provided with poly caps so that the tails can be removed for painting. As feared, there are some steps on the joint lines which needed attention but nothing major. The same goes when the fuselage was mated to the nose assembly.

The wings were two-piece affairs and holes were drilled into the lower half before the two of them were mated together. The wingtip missile rails were separate and the instructions have you cement the rail and missile together before cementing the assembly to the wings. I digress by cementing the rails to the wings first and leave the missiles for later. But the way the wingtips were engineered meant that I have to apply the decals for the wingtip slime lights (after painting the relevant areas first) before cementing the missile rails. The separate hump on the spine fit well but there was a bit of a gap between it and the fuselage towards the rear. The twin vertical tails were cemented while the horizontal tails were pushed into place. The latter would be removed during decalling to ease things. As usual, all the small parts, landing gears and doors were left off until after painting. The pylons wera also left off at this time to ease handling.

Painting and Decalling

As with most US modern military combat jets, the Super Hornet is painted a two-tone grey scheme, specifically FS 36375 and FS 36320. The former was applied using Gunze H308 while the latter was mixed from Tamiya XF-66 Light Grey, XF-54 Dark Sea Grey and XF-2 Flat White as didn't realize I have run out of Gunze H307. The still-separate parts were also painted while still on the sprue and will be touched-up later. The area next to the cannon muzzle was painted Burnt Iron. For markings, instead of kit decals, I used TwoBobs' 'F/A-18E Rockin' Rhinos #1' decal sheet featuring a CAG bird from VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks and VFA-143 Pukin' Dogs. Both schemes are attractive but in the end I chose the Pukin' Dog scheme. Having used their decals for my  F-117, A-10 and F-111 projects before, I am very sure of their quality. One complaint though : some of the decals were not shown in the instructions. The decals then received an application of AK Interactive Decal Adapter solution. I however slipped my hand while applying the said solution on the right hand side diagonal stripe, resulting in a crooked line underneath the LERX.

Finishing

There really wasn't much to do at this stage, for this kit. The landing gear was assembled, given some wash and was then cemented to the fuselage. The horizontal planes were simply pushed into place. The panel lines were then highlighted with AK Interactive Paneliner for Grey Aircraft. For underwing stuff, I did not have really clear idea on what were hung underneath the pylons during combat missions. In the decided, using stuff found in Hasegawa's Weapons Sets, two GBU-16s, two GBU-31 JDAMs and an AGM-88 HARM were used while the Sidewinders and AMRAAMs came from the kit. However I decided to use the 'L' family of the AIM-9 instead of the newer X. Liquid cement was stippled on the GBU-16s to replicate the thermal coating used on USN bombs. before cementing the external stores, certain panel lines were enhanced using AK Interactive Paneliner while pencil was used for the rest. After the external stores have been attached to the model, it was sprayed with a couple of layers of Flat Clear.

Conclusion

The Hasegawa 1/72 F/A-18E Super Hornet got a 'fair' rating from me. The overall shape is nice  although the fit wasn't, especially from the intake forward. Detail-wise, the interior was as as expected form the kit of this scale although should have added a bit more to spruce up the deck behind the pilot's office. And apparently, for this particular kit, some of the external details / panel lines are of the prototype's (or imaginary?) - I came to this conclusion after perusing the instruction sheets of subsequent reboxings of this kit, showing the required trimming/sanding/filling. And there is no need for me to go on about the relative lack of underwing stores, but at least, Hasegawa has the decency of providing modellers with the pairs of Sidewinder and AMRAAM missiles.  

Achtung! Jabo!

Historical Background

Even before the Hawker Hurricane entered production in May 1937, its designer, Sydney Camm (later Sir Sydney) has started the design for its successor. Two designs, similar but larger than the Hurricane were drawn and were later known simply as 'N' and 'R' , as they were designed to use Napier's Sabre and Rolls-Royce's Vulture engines. Both used 24 cylinders in a 'H' configuration (Sabre) and 'X' arrangement (Vulture) and designed to produce 2,000 hp. Hawker submitted the designs to the Air Ministry in July 1937 but was advised to wait until a specification for a new fighter is issued. After further prompting by Hawker, the Air Ministry issued Specification F.18/37 in March 1938, asking for a fighter which would be able to reach 400 mph (644 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,600 m). It should be powered by a British engine equipped with a two-stage supercharger and armed with twelve .303 inch Browning machine guns with 500 rounds each, with provision for alternative weaponry.

With government sanction, Camm and his team officially started work on their prototypes. Aircraft R became Hawker Tornado, the development of which was terminated in 1941, following the failure and the termination of its Vulture engines (in Avro's Manchester bomber). Aircraft N was called the Typhoon and both it and the Tornado have their front fuselage structure made up of bolted and welded duralumin or steel tubes covered with skin panels while the rear fuselage was of flush-rivetted, semi-monocoque design. The skin panelling on the forward fuselage are large to allow easy access to the engine and other important equipment. The wing was designed with a small inverted gull-wing bend and with a thickness to chord ratio of 19.5% at the wing root. The thick wing possessed great structural strength, provided a lot of room for armament and fuel and also became a steady gun platform.The thickness however created a large drag rise, preventing speeds from exceeding 410 mph at 20,000 feet. Climb rate and performance also suffered above that height. Because of problems with the Napier Sabre, the Typhoon's first flight only took place on 24 February 1940. Further delays to the programme happened on 15 May 1940 when Lord Beaverbrook ordered that aircraft production would only concentrate on five types (Spitfire, Hurricane, Blenheim, Whitley and Wellington).

Nevertheless, on 3 May 1941, the second prototype, armed with four Hispano Mk II 20 mm cannons flew, as the prototype for Typhoon Mk.IB (the twelve MG-armed version was known as Typhoon 1A).The first production Typhoon first flew just three weeks later, on 27 May 1941. The introduction of the superb Focke Wulf Fw 190 outclassed the main RAF fighter at the time, the Spitfire Mk.V. Therefore, the Typhoons were rushed into service with No.56 and No.609 Squadrons. However, several aircraft were lost to unknown causes and the Air Ministry began consider halting the production of the Typhoon. In August 1942, a test machine was lost over Thorpe, killing the pilot. Investigations revealed that the elevator mass balance has torn away causing an intense flutter to the rear fuselage. This caused structural failure, tearing the tail away.  To overcome this problem (only partially as there were instances of the tail being ripped away until the end of the type's service life), 20 alloy 'fishplates' were riveted externally across the rear fuselage transport joint.

Another problem, the first actually, and also never fully solved, was carbon monoxide seepage into the cockpit. Despite the lengthening of the exhaust stubs and the sealing of the left cockpit access door (for the 'car-door' type), the problem remained and it became an SOP for a Typhoon pilot to use the oxygen mask from engine start-up to engine shut down. As originally designed, the Typhoon was fitted with a car-door style cockpit doors. This restricted the pilot's visibility and from November 1943 onwards, all production aircraft switched to the 'bubble' canopy, offering greater visibility. In order to have as many as possible bubble-canopied Typhoons for Operation Overlord, conversion kits were produced to convert many of the existing car-door Typhoons. Once operating from forward airfields in Normandy, it was found that the 80% of the dust clouds stirred by propeller wash consisted of hard, abrasive materials causing excessive wear and tear to the engine. A dome deflector was hurriedly designed and fitted. These however has the propensity of being thrown off whenever the engine backfired. They were soon replaced by a drum-shaped filter which has a 'cuckoo-clock' door at the front which opened when sensing pressure changes caused by the engine backfiring. Earlier, when it was determined that the Typhoon can carry loads up to 1,000 lb under each wing, a four-bladed propeller was adopted to increase take-off performance. It was also decided that the larger tailplane of the Hawker Tempest improved the handling characteristics of the Typhoon while carrying its bombload. However the modification programme took time and it was several months before the majority of the Typhoon received the four-bladed propeller and the enlarged tailplane.

The Typhoon did not mature into a reliable aircraft until late 1942. It was at one point almost cancelled but for the strong urges of one of its champions, Squadron leader Roland 'Bee' Beamont of No.609 Squadron who also worked as Hawker's test pilot while being rotated from 'line' service. From late 1942 to early 1943, Typhoon squadrons were based on airfields on England's south  and south-east coasts to intercept the Luftwaffe's nuisance raiders (mainly Fw 190s carrying a single bomb) doing 'tip-and-run' attacks. The Typhoons (and also the first of the Griffon Spitfires) were successful in intercepting these raiders. However, the profile of Typhoon resembled a Fw 190 from certain angles, causing friendly fire incidents. This led to the Typhoons being marked with white noses, and later with black and white stripes under the wings. It was then realised that the Typhoon was more suited to the ground attack role rather than being a pure fighter. The powerful engine allowed it to carry two 1,000 lb bombs and the first 'Bombphoon' squadron, No. 181 was formed in September 1942. A year later, four RP-3 60 lb rocket projectiles were mounted on each wing. Although requiring more skills to use, a full salvo of the rockets from a single Typhoon was said to be an equivalent of a full destroyer's broadside.

The rocket-armed Typhoons formed the basis of the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force. Although interchangeable with bomb racks, line squadrons were specifically assigned as rocket- or bomb-armed units, in order to simplify logistics. It also allowed units to be proficient in one particular weapon. By the time Operation Overlord commenced, 2 TAF had 18 Typhoon squadrons (Fighter Command has another 9 for anti-raider duties). The Typhoon proved to be the most effective ground support aircraft, making interdiction raids against communication and transport targets prior to D-Day and giving direct support on D-Day and beyond. Despite a rather poor hit rate of the rockets, a combined bomb and rocket attack was devastating to the morale of German troops. The usage of air observers, acting as liaison between the troops in contact and air support further increased the effectiveness of Allied air support. Typhoons were used until the end of the war and were totally removed from the inventory in October 1945. 3,317 Typhoons were built, most of them by Gloster.

The Kit

Hasegawa released their first 1/48 Hawker Typhoon, a car-door version, in 1998. This was followed by the bubbletop version in 1999. As 'Kings of Reboxings' they re-released the two Typhoon types in the following years with different markings. The kit I used here was released in 2003. The parts were spread among 13 medium grey and one clear sprues, some poly caps plus the usual decal and instruction sheets. The parts, as usual, are well moulded and feature nice engraved surface detail. In order to save production costs, the main fuselage was moulded sans the mid-upper part. These were moulded separately so that Hasegawa can mould just the cockpit area for the car-door and bubbletop versions. The decal sheet provide markings for two aircraft:

- ZY-B / MN316, No. 247 (China British) Squadron

- HF-L / JR128, No.183 Squadron

Construction

As usual construction started at the cockpit. Hasegawa provided the basics of a Typhoon cockpit, including a separate tubular framework. There is some confusion about the colour of the cockpit but I decided to go with Hasegawa's recommendation of British Interior Green. The colour was a mixture of Tamiya XF-21 Sky, XF-5 Flat Green and XF-65 Field Grey. The assembly was then cemented to the right fuselage half, along with the XF-1 Flat Black-painted radiator. The fuselage inserts were then cemented to the respective sides of the fuselage halves.They fit OK to the main fuselage but when the fuselage were mated, there was quite a sizeable gap down the spine. which I couldn't eradicate fully. The two-piece horizontal tail was cemented together and mated to the fuselage with no fuss. After the cement has cured, I found that bubble-top Typhoons have flat black interiors with natural metal seats!

Before assembling the wings, holes were drilled into the lower wing half for the rocket pylons and the entry footstep. The upper wing halves were then mated to the lower half and the entire assembly was then cemented to the fuselage. While other modellers said there wasn't any problems here, I found a gap and each of the wing roots; but nothing too serious. The radiator flap was put in place and as usual, the landing gear parts were left off at this time.

Painting and Decalling

RAF tactical aircraft in Europe after 1941 were painted Medium Sea Grey (bottom) and a camouflage pattern of Ocean Grey and Dark Green. The paints I used for the colours are Tamiya XF-83 (Medium Sea Grey) and XF-81 (Dark Green). IPMS Stockholm suggested that XF-54 is a good match for Ocean Grey and that's what I use, although I modify it a bit by adding XF-18 Medium Blue. The ID band on the leading edge and propeller blade tips were painted XF-3 Flat Yellow. The prop spinner was painted XF-21 Sky while the blades were painted Flat Black. The wheel bay and landing gear were painted Gunze 8 Silver. Being invasion stripe-challenged, I chose the markings for HF-L. Looking at a photo HF-L/JR128 in flight, I noticed a slightly different camouflage pattern than suggested by Hasegawa, so I touched up the relevant areas and thankfully the tonal difference was not that apparent. The decals were then applied the usual way. There were also a number of stencils seen in the photo but was nowhere seen on the decal sheet.

Finishing

As usual, I started by assembling the landing gear and then cementing them to the fuselage. Because of the flat spot on the tire, the tail wheel was cemented first. The main wheels were then cemented and adjusted so that the flat area is well, flat to the surface.The rocket rails, which was painted separately were then fixed to their places under the wings, followed by the rocket projectiles. The propeller assembly was inserted into place and was followed by the canopy. A wash using watercolour sludge technique was used and the model received a layer of Flat Clear to finish. And one thing I didn't realise until the model was finished was that the starboard landing light has already been omitted and faired over on production, bubble-canopy Typhoons. Fairly typical of my builds...... 

Conclusion

Apart from older Monogram offering, I guess the Hasegawa Typhoons are the only game in town for that aircraft in 1/48 scale (the Italeri offering is a reboxing of Hasegawa kit). On the plus side, the kit has good overall detail, on the inside and on the surface. On the negative side, chief among them was that fuselage insert (although, I think, with careful handling, it might fit without problems). . And finally, the bad fit between the wing and the fuselage. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable build. And as a postcript, JR128, the aircraft I represented here did not served in No. 183 Squadron during the war - it only received the 'HF' code during trials with rocket launchers at Hawker's factory. It was transferred to No.181 Squadron on 7 August 1944 before being lost over Falaise on the 18th of the same month.

Sarang Tebuan Jangan Dijolok*

Historical Background

In the early 1970s, the US Navy started a Naval, Fighter-Attack, Experimental (VFAX) programme to procure a multi-role aircraft to replace the A-4 Skyhawk, the A-7 Corsair II and the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and also to complement the F-14 Tomcat. In 1973, the USN was mandated by Congress to pursue a cheaper alternative to the Tomcat. Grumman proposed the F-14X, a stripped-down Tomcat while McDonnell Douglas proposed a navalised F-15. However both were nearly as expensive as the F-14 causing Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger to order the Navy to evaluate the competitors in the USAF's LWF programme : the Northrop YF-17 and General Dynamics YF-16. $34 million of the funds for the VFAX programme was then transferred to the new programme, the Navy Air Combat Fighter (NACF) in May 1974 in order to exploit the the technology developed for the LWF. Although the YF-16 won the LWF programme, the Navy was skeptical whether a single-engined aircraft with narrow track landing gear could be easily and economically adapted for carrier service. It therefore rejected a proposed naval variant and on 2 May 1975, announced the YF-17 as the winner.

As the YF-17 did not share the same requirements as the VFAX, the Navy asked Northrop and McDonnell Douglas (which has co-operated for the NACF programme), to develop a new aircraft based on the YF-17. On 1 March 1977, the Secretary of the Navy W. Graham Claytor announced that the new aircraft would be designated F-18 with the name 'Hornet'. Initially known as McDonnell Douglas Model 267, the F-18 differed from the YF-17 by having strengthened airframe, undercarriage and tailhook, widened main landing gear and folding wings and catapult attachments added. To meet the Navy's range and reserves requirement, fuel capacity was increased to 4,460 pounds - it turned out to be not enough as the figure resulted from a calculation error of the fuel fraction. The error was realised too late and the F-18 remain short-legged throughout its life. Originally 780 aircraft were to be procured : the single seat F-18 fighter and A-18 attack aircraft and the two-seat TF-18 trainer. Following advances in avionics adn the introduction of multi-function displays, the fighter and attack functions were combinded into one airframe and in 1984 the designation was officially changed to F/A-18A while the TF-18 was redesignated F/A-18B.

The first F/A-18, an 'A' variant, was rolled out on 13 September 1978 and first flew on 18th November. The Hornet entered operational service on 7 January 1984 with USMC's VMFA-314 'Black Knights' and Navy service in March 1984 with VFA-25 'Fist Of The Fleet'. The Hornet first saw combat in April 1986 when VFA-131, VFA-132, VMFA-314 and VMFA-323 from USS Coral Sea flew against Libyan targets in Operation Prairie Fire and Operation El Dorado Canyon. The Hornets were also in the thick of the action during the Gulf War / Operation Desert Storm. Demonstrating the 'quick-change' mission capability, two Hornets, each carrying four Mk.84 2,000 lb bombs for an attack mission, piloted by LCDR Mark I. Fox and his wingman, Lt. Nick Mongilio from USS Saratoga were intercepted by Iraqi MiG-21s. Entering a brief dogfight but without losing their bomb loads, the two Fishbeds were shot down with an AIM-7 Sparrow and an AIM-9 Sidewinder. The two planes then continue with their mission. The Gulf War also showed the Hornet's ruggedness when one received battle damage in both engines but managed to fly back to base, 125 miles away. A Hornet however was shot down by a MiG-25 'Foxbat' on 17 January 1991. Its pilot, LCDR Scott Speicher of VFA-81 was killed.

In September 1987, after a production run of 380 F/A-18As, manufacture turned to the improved C and D models. Both these models were the result of a block upgrade incorporating upgraded radar (AN/APG-73 replacing AN/APG-65), avionics, ability to fire AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile and AGM-65 Maverick and AGM-84 Harpoon missiles. The crew seat was upgraded to Martin-Baker SJU-17 NACES and self-protection jammer suite was included. The APG-73 radar has synthetic aperture ground-mapping mode, allowing the pilot to find targets in adverse weather conditions. Since 1989, the C and D models have improved night capabilities with the usage of Hughes AN/AAR-50 thermal navigation pod, Loral AN/AAS-38 NITE Hawk FLIR targetting pod, NVGs, full-colour MFDs and colour moving map display. Beginning in 1992, the Dash 402 version of the General Electric F404 engine became standard in the Hornet fleet, giving an extra 10% maximum static thrust than the previous marks. The NITE Hawk pod was also upgraded with laser designator/ranger to allow self-marking of targets.

In 1993, in a split buying decision (the other half was the MiG-29), the Malaysian Government announced the purchase of eight F/A-18D to provide all-weather strike/interdiction and also anti-shipping capability to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. There was an option for additional 12 airframes but the plan was shelved because of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-98. The RMAF Hornets are basically of the same standard as late (i.e post-1992) USMC F/A-18Ds. The first four aircraft (M45-01 to -04) are of the 'twin stick' configuration and can be used as operational/conversion trainer. The rest (M45-05 to -08), have fully missionised rear cockpits. The aircraft were delivered in two batches: four in May 1997, flown 'home' by RMAF and USMC aircrews and the second batch in August of the same year, piloted by Boeing (who have absorbed Mc Donnell Douglas) pilots. On 5 March 2013, three of the Hornets (together with five BAe Hawk Mk.208) were used in supporting operations against the intruding Royal Security Forces of The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo hideouts at Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu, Sabah using 'dumb' Mk 83 and laser-guided GBU-16 bombs.

Earlier in 2015, it was revealed that the RMAF Hornets have undergone a mid-life upgrade known as Integration 25X Capability. The program includes, among them: Raytheon AN/ASQ-228 Advanced Targeting FLIR, BAe Systems AN/APX-111 IFF Interrogator, Joint Helmet Mounted Cuing System (JHMCS) and new weapons in the shape of AIM-9X Sidewinder, AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM and GBU-31 JDAM. The upgrade basically made RMAF's Hornets more compatible with the larger F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which Boeing is offering as a contender in RMAF's new MRCA aircraft. The Hornets of TUDM are grouped under No.18 Squadron at Butterworth Air Base in Penang.  

The Kit

Hasegawa came up with the 1/72 kit of the Delta version in 1991. This was actually based on the late-1980s-vintage TF-18 / F/A-18B kit but with additional /modified parts to turn it into the D version. The kit I used here is a 1999 reboxing with new decals. The parts are spread among six light grey and one clear sprues. While the outer portion of the model feature nicely engraved panel lines, the interior is basic with just a tub, seats, instrument panel and rather generic control sticks. External stores include the AN/AAS-38 FLIR pod, ASQ-173 (I think) laser spot tracker, a pair each of Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles and three external fuel tanks. Other ordnance have to sought from elsewhere. Decals provide markings for two aircraft: VMFA-224 'Fighting Bengals' and VMFA-533 'Hawks'. For this build however, I bought F4Dable Models' "Born In The USA! US Built Aircraft of the TUDM (Part 1)' decal sheet. The sheet provide generic markings and also individual aircraft numbers for all of RMAF's Hornets. The sheet also specified the modification works that need to be done to model an accurate Hornet of the RMAF.

Construction

As usual, construction started at the cockpit. While usually molded as a single piece, Hasegawa chose to mould the cockpit separately (so that the WSO/RIO cockpit can be left off when moulding parts for the single seat A and C models). As mentioned before, the interior is pretty basic and would benefit from replacement resin set. I however chose the line of least resistance and just replace the most visible parts - the bang seats. Bearing in mind that RMAF Hornets were late lot aircraft, they were replaced with SJU-17 seats from Aires. A more subtle decision also had to be made regarding the backseater's cockpit. As mentioned before, there were two versions of the Hornet bought by RMAF. To simplify everything, I decided to finish the rear cockpit as it is and therefore my decal option would be confined to aircraft -01 to -04 (the best course of action would be to buy a replacement cockpit, as the kit cockpit is an F-18B one). Instead of attaching the instrument panel for both cockpits to the cockpit, Hasegawa had them attached to the cockpit openings in the upper fuselage. before closing up the fuselage, holes were drilled into the upper fuselage half to accommodate  a couple of antennas. The completed cockpits were then cemented onto the lower fuselage half.

The intakes and part of the lower fuselage beneath the wings were separate and need to be cemented to the main lower fuselage. The intake 'tunnel' were basically non-existing - it ended in an inserted wall not far from the intake lips. The wall inserts were painted black to maintain the illusion. The fuselage halves can now be mated although it should be test-fitted first to judge whether you can straight away apply the cement or some remedial work had to be done first...and guess who didn't listen to his own advice? This resulted in ugly seams along the front fuselage which were hard to remove without destroying the details near them. The various bumps and bulges were then added. I used a bolt-head from an old Tamiya Grant to create the GPS bulge (it may or may not look too small). The  AN/ALR-67 aerials underneath the intakes were then removed according to the decal instructions. I was however unable to find any ALE-47 chaff/flare launchers nor have the inclination to scratchbuild them. The vertical tails were then set in place.Although the locating tabs were already at an angle, they did not fit snugly. The wings are one-piece affair so there aren't much problem here - you just need to check the angle between the wings and the fuselage. as there is a wee bit of wing anhedral.

Painting and Decalling

So far (early 2016), the RMAF Hornets underwent only minor changes in its colour scheme. From acceptance in 1997 to circa 2011 (IIRC) they were painted FS 36118 Gunship Grey and afterwards were painted Medium Sea Grey (or its Federal Standard equivalent). For the Gunship Grey, I use Gunze H305 but this time I applied it 'neat', without the usual scale effect lightening. As for the extreme nose of the Hornets, the decal instructions mentioned (and also personally viewed by me), they were originally the same colour as the rest of the fuselage, just being lighter and glossier. Sometime after 2005, during repaints, the nose was painted differently, with a lighter grey, close to FS 36440. As I intended to have my Hornet at about this time period (or later), I painted the nose with this lighter colour using Gunze H315. I actually painted this colour first at it was easier to mask off the nose rather than the other way round. The 'metallic' parts of the exhausts were painted Silver and Burnt Iron. The insides of the 'burner cans were painted an off-white colour as I have seen many modern jet fighters have the insides of their exhausts in this colour.

The decals were a breeze to apply and since they were printed by Cartograf the quality is assured. F4Dable also made a note in the instruction sheet saying that RMAF's Hornet used two types of roundels during its service. On delivery they were of the 'wrong' style (light blue forming the outermost ring). In 2003 it was made 'right' (darker blue now instead of light blue) but from 2005 onwards, it reverted to the original 'wrong' roundel (as the 'wrong' one was now the approved version). As the time I based the markings is of post-2005, using the 'wrong' (or was it 'right'?) i.e light blue outer-roundel. The various stencil decals were applied although some missing panel lines meant a bit of confusion. I however left off a few of the underfuselage / underwing decals as they cannot be readily seen to the casual observer.

Finishing

As usual, the landing gears were cemented first to allow the model to 'stand'. Once this was done the pylons were next in the line. I paused for a while to determine what load should my Hornet carry. Browsing the internet and looking at built models, especially those in the RMAF markings, most show them carrying Paveway laser-guided bombs and/or AGM-65 Mavericks.In the end I decided, after recalling rumours during the Ambalat Block standoff plus the fact that not many modellers display their Hornets as such, to hang a pair of AGM-84 Harpoons. The kit external fuel tanks were cemented to the inner wing and the centreline pylons. I left the AN/AAS-38 off as (I imagine) a daylight maritime strike mission does not need it. The fuselage stores stations were used to hang AIM-7 Sparrows as again I imagined that the strike Hornet is self-escorting. The wingtip missile rails were used to hang the ubiquitous Sidewinders. I used missiles from Hasegawa weapons sets. The painting instructions for the Harpoon was dated however and the missile was painted overall white, with one of the black marking bands replaced with a yellow strip. As leftover decals have decayed with age, the strip was painted using Tamiya XF-3.

Unfortunately the canopy was cracked due to a mishap at around this time and I decided to just glue it to the model.A final spray of semi-gloss clear finishes the build. 

Conclusion

The Hasegawa 1/72 Night Attack Hornet is rather long in the tooth. Although overall the kit has acceptable details, especially in this scale, some of them are missing and not up-to-date and I believe the Academy offering is better. Fit is also not good here and there but nevertheless it was still a good alternative to the Academy kit. The main drawback for this kit (as with most of Hasegawa aircraft kits) is the lack of weapons options,  especially for those who wish to hang ordnance on their model. Apart from the fit problems, the model actually builds quickly. As for this particular build, with hindsight, I quite regret the decision to dispense with the Nite HAWK pod. The pod is almost indispensable plus I could have a more heavily armed model by perhaps adding a pair of AGM-65 Mavericks.

*That's 'Don't stir the hornets' nest' in Malay