Hasegawa

1/72 F/A-18E Super Hornet VFA-143 Pukin' Dogs

Kit Number: 800

Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $29.95 retail Injection molded, 11 sprues of light grey plastic, poly hubs for the horizontal tailplanes and 3 clear parts; decals for 2 VFA-143 aircraft. To avoid confusion, I must first point out that I did not use the kit decals: the photo is not of a Pukin' Dog. Here I am on Long Island, NY, a few miles away from Grumman's abandoned Calverton facility where everything came together to produce the F-14, being retired from duty this year and replaced by this F/A-18E I'm reviewing. I thought it fitting that with the very large shoes the F/A-18E has to fill, why not pay homage to the colorful Naval history the "Iron Works" helped forge? The USAF has a history of recalling old markings as TwoBobs decals has been quick to show us with their "Throwback Nose Art" sheets featuring an F-15 Memphis Belle and Shangri-La among others. What could be more colorful than the chrome yellow wings and distinctive section leader markings utilized just before WWII? Modeling is a hobby, right? Supposed to be fun? Well, Yellow-Wings Decals helped make it so. As for the kit, Hasegawa has done a good job. To make a real F/A-18E, the old F-18 fuselage had to be lengthened, new more powerful engines took on new rectangular shaped air intakes, the wings were enlarged and a million other details were tweaked. Hasegawa made all the changes you'll see in this scale. In fact, kudos to Hasegawa's engineers who figured out how to almost seamlessly make it happen. I was surprised how easily it came together with nominal use of putty. The wings to fuselage joint and where the front and back fuselage join together require a little attention, while the entire tailplane practically snap fits with no touchup. The FS color numbers are indicated for the entire aircraft including cockpit and intake interiors. Throughout the model, panel lines and rivets are nicely recessed making weathering a simple process. The instrument and side control panels are flat with decals provided. Part Q3, the instrument panel, should stand almost vertical, in front of the positioning pins. The one piece ejection seat is pretty basic and is the only disappointment, especially when you consider that each missile has separately molded, paper thin fins and color stripe decals. I disarmed my fictional Green Hornet Section leader of VT-6, leaving off Hasegawa's full array of exceptional missiles and drop tanks. Dry fit the air intakes to be sure how they fit because they do fit nice and snug needing very little putty. There's one ejection pin mark right inside the intake that needs putty. The intake ends at a wall where I suppose you would see the front of the engine. That would be great if model companies provided a part or decal to simulate that. As indicated in the directions, if you intend to hang the pylons and racks, drill the holes before cementing the wing halves together. The horizontal tailplanes connect to poly hubs for ease of alignment. The landing gear, wheels and wheel wells are nicely detailed, marred only by the occasional ejection pin mark inside a couple of landing gear doors. Hasegawa provides clear parts protected inside a polybag, and Future adds unmatched crystal clarity to the canopy while protecting from paint or cement crazing. The decal sheet provides markings for two VFA-143 aircraft plus extensive stenciling and simulated ducts and fairings. The decals are thin but sturdy - they snuggled down and the clear carrier film disappeared with the Future decal system. It is an easy build that will look great right out of the box. The trophy hound can go to work inside the cockpit and air intakes. While it's sad to see the F-14 retire, it's quite a testament to the F/A-18E that it is replacing other aircraft as well. Our Navy's top brass has put a lot of faith in the F/A-18E and Hasegawa at least, has answered many modelers' prayers. Thanks to Dragon USA/Hasegawa for the review sample. Get yours at better hobbyshops or    Dragon Models USA    1315 John Reed Court    City of Industry, CA 91745    626) 968-0322    www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/prodmidh.asp?tlcode=HAS.

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