Dragon Models Ltd

1/144 EA-18G Growler on CVN Deck

Kit Number: 4598

Reviewed by  Jim Pearsall, IPMS# 2209

MSRP: $13.95 Thanks to Dragon Models USA (www.dragonmodelsusa.com) for providing the review kit. The Aircraft The EA-18G "Growler" is the latest in a long line of anti-SAM aircraft. The mission is SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Antiaircraft Defenses) and it's very important. It began in earnest in Vietnam, when the SAM-2 was making it impossible to continue bombing missions into North Vietnam due to high loss rates. The first "Wild Weasels" were modified F-100Fs with radar receivers that could locate SAM sites. With the info on where an active site was, the F-105 bombers could be called in to destroy the site. The system was improved and moved on to the F-105G. When the 105 became obsolete, the F-4G took over the mission. Now the F-4 is gone, and the Navy's EA-6B Prowler armed with HARM missiles and the F-16C Blocks 50 and 52 are the main SEAD aircraft. Since the EA-6 has been around since 1971, the Navy is now buying a next-generation SEAD aircraft. Enter the EA-18G. The Kit This kit is the Dragon F/A-18E with new underwing stores and EA-18G markings. Since the first production EA-18G just came off the line in late October of 2007, the markings are obviously for the prototype, as anything else would just be a guess. Because the kit is "modular", it has a large number of sprues, and some parts aren't used. This is great for the spares box!

This kit qualifies as "multi-media", as there is a fret of brass antennae for the wingtip modules. Building the Kit The Aircraft Dragon have outdone themselves with the F/A-18 kit. Fit on the aircraft is wonderful. The cockpit is quite complete for a 1/144 scale aircraft. But you can tell that the ALQ-99 jamming pods are an add-on. The pins on the pylons don't line up with the holes in the pods. On the other hand, the one-piece fuel tanks are just … nice, round, and fit so nicely on the pylons. The canopy is so thin that I'd think twice about masking before putting it on the aircraft. It's so thin, and oh so fragile. The things that take this kit out of the "box shaker" category are the necessity for cutting off the wingtip sidewinder rails and putting on the wingtip pods (those little PE antennas require skill, patience and a very steady hand) and the main landing gear doors. The nose gear doors are fine, but Boeing (McD-D for those of us who go back aways) made the E and F models of the Hornet a stealthier aircraft. The intakes have been squared up, and the gear doors now have sawtooth leading and trailing edges. The instructions show a straight cut, which is wrong. And believe you me, for 1/144th, it requires a steady hand, a good knife (I used a scalpel with #11 blade) and a straight edge to get something which looks like the real thing. Paint and Decals OK, I've had a problem with Dragon's color callouts before. Not this time. They call for 36320 Dark Ghost and 36375 Light Ghost, and that's what my other sources also call for. They're getting better. Way to go, Dragon! With this fairly simple color scheme, I used white glue to temporarily put the gear doors in place, closed; put the canopy on, masked it and painted the aircraft. I decided to put the wings in the folded position. You'll see why later. After removing the mask, I painted the canopy bows. I pulled off the gear doors and went through the agony of cutting them. Then before I added the fragile parts, I put on the decals. They're Cartograf, and they're very good. Since the aircraft has to be the prototype, it's much more colorful than anything you'll ever see in the fleet. I finished with the gear, the doors, the external stores and the hook. Except for the disconnect on the span of the pins/holes on the ECM pods, it was smooth sailing. And then I began thinking about the carrier deck. And I realized there's a problem here. NO CREW IN THE AIRCRAFT! I don't think the Navy's going to let them launch it in that configuration. I think someone knows that, as there are 2 nose gear struts provided, one in the normal position, the other with the strut down to catch the catapult shuttle. The instructions tell you to use the normal strut. So I did the wings folded. I think it looks really great with the wings up like that. The Deck This is a nicely molded diorama base. I painted the catapult in burnt iron, then a medium gray border. The rest of the deck was painted 36081 Euro 1 Dark Gray. Not quite black, but very dark. I painted the deck cupola windows a color which I thought looked kind of like window tint. I assembled the tow vehicle and the fire truck. With only 3 parts each plus 4 wheels, they don't provide much of a challenge, but it's nice that those parts all fit nicely. Both vehicles sit with all 4 wheels on the deck, which is the biggest challenge for most cars, trucks or tanks in any scale. OK, I have a little experience with an operational carrier deck. I spent one day in 1996 aboard the USS America in the Adriatic, off the Croatian coast. We got the entire tour, and then we were herded up to the bow catwalk to see Tomcats and Hornets launched to patrol over Bosnia. After a quick lunch, we were then moved to the LSO position to see the mission land. Since we were out on deck, we were dressed sort of like the deck crew, with float coat and cranial. That's the brightly colored jacked and the headgear with the built in ear protectors and bump hat. The deck crew was next. There isn't any real assembly here, as each of the 6 figures is molded in 1 piece. Nevertheless, I applaud the fact that these guys really look like humans. The clothing has the wrinkles and creases, the faces can actually be discerned (I had to use a magnifier), the pants and float coat are defined, and the headgear is correct. Painting the fireman was pretty easy, but I knew that I couldn't just put everyone in the yellow that the instructions show. So I did some research. Due to the extreme noise on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, the float coats are color coded as follows: · Purple: Aviation Fuel Handlers. · Blue: Plane Pushers, Tractor Drivers, Plane Directors. · Yellow: Flight Deck Officers and Plane Directors. · Green: Catapult and Arresting Gear Personnel. · White: Safety Observers. · Red: Ordnance. · Brown: Plane Captains I finished the figures, and put the EA-18 on the deck. After the photo op, I removed the 18 and finished the Jet Blast Deflector (JBD). Again, this went nicely, with only a couple of trims required to get those lifting arms to align. Then I placed the A-6E on the cat, because it has both crewmembers. Yay! Overall Assessment This kit is certainly state-of-the-art. The molding of the aircraft is superior, the aircraft and vehicle fit is great. I'm surprised I didn't manage to shatter that thin canopy, but I'm getting more experienced too. The extra thought to provide PE for the wingtip ECM is certainly appreciated. Now if they just figure out how to get around the landing gear door conundrum, and add a couple of aircraft crew. Thanks again to Dragon and John Noack for this build.

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