LF-18 Midget Hornet

[Tophe]

In 1980 I think, I bought the first F-18 kit available (Italeri 1/72). I was building all the lightweight modern fighters of the World, and I felt uncomfortable about this F-18: lightweight or not? (F-16 is, F-14/15 aren't, F-17/18?). I did not build it and kept the box till now, 30 years later.
Now I am a (happy) what-ifer , and I will simply turn it/her a very-light-weight airplane!
(It/she will be biplane, asymmetric, turbojet-less, canard, well: different)
Here are the boxart and the parts I will not use:

[Tophe]

And here are the parts I am going to use (already started):

[PR19_Kit]

Tophe, you could build a complete aircraft with the bits you DIDN'T use!  

[Tophe]

Tophe, you could build a complete aircraft with the bits you DIDN'T use!  

I fear I couldn't dear Kit. Without wings, only a genius (like some of us here) could build a racing-car or something, not me alas.
But, dreaming tonight, I was wondering: why this one would be asymmetric? And the idea came in my mind: this will be a missile launcher (ground-air, flyable only to transfer to a threatened city, than landing and) turning his missiles to the threatening skies... Of course, the tail would be protected from the launching fire: vertical missiles on one wing tip, fins on the other wing...
While (as Kris Kristoferson was singing: "Sunday morning coming down"), here is how the Lightweight F-18, twin-rocket up and down, is looking, drying:

[Tophe]

The Midget Hornet of my dreams is almost finished:

[thedarkmaster]

very nice

[tc2324]

Thats impressiveso far.

[John Howling Mouse]

That is incredible, Tophe.       Of course, the asymmetry of your tailfins drives me crazy (as it always does) but it would not be a "Tophe" if it was balanced.

Still, I'd like to do this same concept in 1:48 but with the tailfins spread out onto each rear wing, would you mind that?  It's such a good concept!      

[Tophe]

Thanks a lot JHM, I was afraid I had hurt all our Canadian friends with this piece of heresy...
Of course, feel free to be inspired as you want (twin T-tail way for you?). Just know I have been partly directed by the way Italeri cut the parts (mainly for the length in one piece, for the size of lower wings)... With a 1/48 kit, different, you may find best another direction, all is possible. I know your models have wheels, while mine are just desk objects standing on wings... You are a great modeler, I am a crazy bad guy, we don't play the same game - I am simply happy I made you smile
I illustrate below the missile-explanation of my asymmetry (I still have to glue the 2 Sidewinders at mid-starboard wing):

[Taiidantomcat]

Great thinking!

[Tophe]

The Sidewinders are on, explaining fully the asymmetry:

[saintkatanalegacy]

it's like something out of the battletech universe!

[PYF42]

The Sidewinders are on, explaining fully the asymmetry:

Salut Tophe
Great job again ,I really like your LF-18 ... But not the asymmetrical missile ...Sorry ...
(C'est juste une petite remarque de la part d'un admirateur , vénéré Tophe  )
Regards
Fred

[Stargazer]

Arf... the Midget Hornet would have been PERFECT if it had been symmetrical... 

But then, that wouldn't be Tophe, right? 

[Tophe]

I understand your position, just please understand mine: I would like visitors to see at first sight this is a delirious airplane, not existing, impossible.
Your position is very different: you air-enthusiasts know perfectly well the source plane, and you would like her to be hardly transformed but still possible to fly, as much as possible, stable and maybe good fighter. OK, JHM may do what you dream of, I will be happy if he does, celebrating somehow my crazy invention (in a less delirious but far more beautiful way)