Monogram 1/48 Blue Angels Hornet

[stikpusher]

Well I’ve got about two weeks left of unfettered free time until the next batch of company comes into town. Then my projects will slow down for a bit…

[creading]

This is looking nice. I can't wait to see it painted up.

Cheers,
C.

[stikpusher]

Thanks C. I need to clean up some ejection pin marks on the Sidewinder rails, get them glued on, then paining can commence! Oh yeah, clean up the radome to nose attachment too… and dip the canopy in Future and all that assorted masking, etc…

[Joe Rix]

Appears that the building stage has yielded some sweet results. What brand of paint will you be using for the Blue Angels blue?

[stikpusher]

Aug 13, 2023 20:34:40 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

Appears that the building stage has yielded some sweet results. What brand of paint will you be using for the Blue Angels blue?

Humbrol Midnight Blue. It’s a perfect match for Blue Angels Blue

[handiabled]

You are moving right along on this one. That is going to look sharp with the Midnight Blue on it

[stikpusher]

Thanks Brent. It goes together simply enough. I can’t wait to get the Humbrol Midnight Blue on this one. A lovely gloss paint.

[stikpusher]

After encountering a few problems with the decals on my Thunderstreak build, I decided to go with some AM Blue Angels decals for this project and ordered them last week. These arrived in the mail over the weekend.

[stikpusher]

I did a little more work on this today.

I had puttied up a divot on the underside of the radome where it meets the bottom of the fuselage. After letting that dry overnight, I sanded that smooth. Then once that was done I added the wingtip Sidewinder rails



Once those had dried, I added some Micro Krystal Klear into the spot where the projection lens for the HUD is on the IP hood




Tomorrow I'm going to mask off the wheel wells and intakes, then paint the underside in the Humbrol Gloss Midnight Blue... at least that's the plan...

[TJ]

A ha. Tamiya white primer is the ticket

[406 Silverado]

That's a lot of work you're doing to this one Carlos. Can't wait to see what the color coats are going to look like bud.

[Joe Rix]

Nice touch with the HUD lens. It's all looking really sharp Stik.

[Tojo72]

Making good progress,that cockpit painting looks great,who needs placards?

Here is a Blue Angels F-18 sitting at the Hickory NC Aviation Museum

[stikpusher]

Thanks guys!

TJ, Tamiya White primer is indeed the ticket to the most vivid white you can imagine!

Joe, that little HUD lens took far longer to dry than it did to apply. Once I have the HUD installed it will look the part.

Tony, who does need placards? That's a beautiful photo of the museum Hornet!

Here is one I took at the old El Toro Air Show/Open House, probably around 1992...

[handiabled]

The heads up looks great Carlos! I remember doing a kit of all the Blue Angels on a display when I was a teenager. Of course back then they were all Phantoms. I believe it was a Revell F-42J set of them

[stikpusher]

Thanks Brent! I remember those team sets back in the day. Never built one myself. Just lots of the Hasegawa 1/72 A-4s in Blue Angels markings that were sold as bagged kits at the El Toro air show every year... I think they were like $3-$5 each back in the 70's...

Today's update:
Gloss Blue airbrushed on to the lower surfaces



I'm going to let it dry overnite, then do the upper surface tomorrow...

[406 Silverado]

Ohhhhhh BOY!! Now we gots some color on this thing!!

[Joe Rix]

Oh yeah. This is exciting. Looking smooth.

[stikpusher]

Joe & Joe, thanks. I'll get the topside painted today soon, then set it aside to dry. I have dad duty until Sunday, so by then it should be dry and I can get photos up. Then next week is Yellow trim and decals... woohoo!

[stikpusher]

Well, I spoke too soon... I was able to get a photo of the topside Gloss Midnight Blue after today's airbrush session...



now everything gets to sit and dry until the next planned session on Monday...

[project510]

Love the detail on the cockpit! Your photos are cool as well. Brings back memories. My grandpa took me to see them around that same year when I was a kid. Good stuff.

[stikpusher]

Thank you. This one is coming together nicely I think.

[keavdog]

Coming along nicely Stik! Can't wait to see those decals on her.

[handiabled]

Looks great! Markings on this will definitely make it look the part

[TJ]

The blue looks great.

[deafpanzer]

It looks lovely now with a coat of paint already!

[Joe Rix]

Looks terrific with the full dress on. So, how are the decals for this kit? Are they in decent shape? How do you feel the yellow decals will look on the blue paint?

[406 Silverado]

This is coming together nicely Carlos. If the cals are like I think they are, they'll allow some blue to bleed through which is why you're masking off and shooting the yellow trim.....correct?

[stikpusher]

Thanks for all the kind words guys!

John, I’m with you, and also can’t wait to see decals on this baby!

Brent, yes indeed, the markings will make this look the part!

TJ, I really do like how the Humbrol enamel gloss paints airbrush. They do have an extended drying time, but man that shine!

Joe, the kit decals look good, and don’t appear to be translucent. But since my Thunderstreak had some issues with the decals I opted for some AM decals by Milspec. I’ve never used that brand before, but they do look nice. Keeping my fingers crossed with them.But I do have the kit decals as a back up in case of problems with the AM set…

Joe, I’m hoping that the Milspec decals don’t allow any blue to bleed through… I do have to paint the wingtips yellow, and am thinking about doing the horizontal and vertical stabilizers as well, even though the set has decals for those areas.

[stikpusher]

Back home today and able to do another bench session. I airbrushed on the yellow trim areas and the steel area ahead of the afterburners





Tomorrow I have to do a bit of tape residue clean up, and then it’s decal time!