What I'm Building

[anthonyp]

Well, looks like I'm going to have another repeat of last year's build, ie, a VFA-209 USNR F/A-18A+ based in Michigan, EXCEPT, I'm fixing to finish off the squadron.  That translates to seven more planes.  

This week.  

I doubt I'll finish, mainly because I'm going away on either Thursday or Friday of this week for the weekend, but I'm determined to get at least one of them done.

First up is the same Fujimi kit from last year, now done up in a scheme similar to some Aggressor USN F-5E's.  Next would be the Fujimi CF-18 kit, probably in NSAWC camo.  These would be followed by a Hasegawa F/A-18B in USAF F-16 Nellis Aggressor paint, with the following ones in standard tactical grey schemes:  a Hasegawa F/A-18D, a Heller F/A-18A, a RoG F/A-18A, and finally an Italeri RF-18A done up as a plain old F/A-18A (I'd save the recce nose for another Hornet, maybe an F/A-18F).

And on top of that, I started two YF-23's today (one Dragon and one Italeri kit).  Both would be 87th FS planes flying out of KI Sawyer in the U.P.  Again, doubt I'll finish these before next weekend...  One might end up being some sort of experimental schemed plane, though I don't know yet.

This'll be interesting to see what I can finish before I leave for the weekend.

[anthonyp]

Ok, so I apparently am not in the mood to build a Hornet yet.  I ended up assembling the main assemblies and undercarriage for my long put-off F-16S Super Falcon naval strike fighter, as well as the YF-23's and an ESCI 1/72 F-117(-ish) combo GB build (JSDF and 1-Weeker).

It started out as a 1/72 Hasegawa F-2A.  It went together pretty much out of the box, except for the vertical tail of an F-16C substituting for the one in the kit (I figure a carrier strike fighter wouldn't need the braking chute).  The undercarriage came from an A-7 kit, with the nose strut trimmed up to give the plane a typical F-16 squat.

This thing will end up being some miscellaneous USN squadron.  I'm playing with giving it the side intake rails similar to one of the early "F-16N" proposals.

[nev]

Perhaps slightly more realistic a target than 7 in a week

Look forward to seeing this, always like the F-2, more brutish than the  :f16:  

[anthonyp]

That sounds like a challenge    

[anthonyp]

Ok, so far, I have assembled since yesterday:

1/72 Fujimi F/A-18C (VF-209)
1/72 Fujimi CF-188 (VF-209)
1/72 ESCI F-117(-ish) (two-fer, JASDF)
1/72 Hasegawa F-2A (USN, here it comes!)
1/72 Italeri YF-23 (87th FS)
1/72 Dragon YF-23 (87th FS, probably)

Started:

1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18D (VF-209)
1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18B (VF-209)
1/72 Heller F/A-18A (VF-209)
1/72 Revell F/A-18A (VF-209)

To be started:

1/72 Italeri RF-18A (VF-209 as standard F/A-18)

[Southern Gentleman Voice]
Yonder Nev done challenged me to a buildin' frenzy.  It matters not that he didn't actually challenge me, it twas enough that he question my ability to build like the mad production Comrade I am!

(white glove slap)

Ah say, Xacto knives at 50 paces at dawn, Sir!

[/Southern Gentleman Voice]

 

[anthonyp]

Ok, got all those Hornets assembled and they've been transferred to the paint bench, but I really doubt I'll be able to pull this one off.  I've been having too much fun outside this week (golfing, riding my bike, etc).  Also been closing down my business and handing off my clients to someone else, which has been taking a lot more time than I'd like (clients pulling the old "One more thing before you go" stuff).

Tomorrow afternoon I'm out of here until Monday afternoon, so I really think I'm out of this one.  I'll see if I can't get them done tonight (and maybe tomorrow night, since I might not be able to leave until Friday morning), but I think I'm going to come up short.

Oh, well, at least I got those things built, finally!  One more project THIS much closer to completion.

At least they're almost done, they won't impact my Coastie Builds too much.

Speaking of which, I'll start that forum up before I disappear for the weekend.

 [insert random Jimmy Buffet song]