Hasegawa

1/48 F/A-18C VFA-94 "Mighty Shrikes"

Kit Number: 09849

Reviewed by  Steven Brooks, IPMS# 45582

MSRP: $88.99 Review kit provided by Dragon Models USA - Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com I am not a big fan of old school flames, but I have to make an exception for this model. Gloss black over gray, separated with black and orange pin stripes, and bright orange flames flowing back from the leading edges, really complement the shape of the F/A-18C. You would have to go to a motorcycle show to find a better looking fuel tank. This model gives you an opportunity to put a hot rod on your Hornet shelf. When I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised to find white metal landing gear struts and a small fret of photoetched parts. Along with the detail parts, the kit includes 227 plastic parts on 10 sprues. According to the Hasegawa web site, the "M" sprue contains parts for later F/A-18C aircraft including one GPS, one UHF, and one IFF antenna, none of which have previously been included in one of their model kits. The photoetched fret includes the boarding ladder, nose wheel well, and cockpit detail parts. The 15 page instruction booklet is broken down into 21 assembly steps, and, as usual, the drawings are very clear and easy to understand. All of the special tasks are highlighted with blue instruction symbols. The instructions with this kit are for the older kit #07026, an F/A-18C of VFA- 25, so a single page is included in this kit for paint and decal placement, and for attaching the new antennae, the parts from the "M" sprue. The only decal option is the aircraft as it appears on the box. They are crisply printed and in perfect register. They applied and adhered beautifully. I only had one small problem. With the long, orange pin stripes that separate the black from the gray on the fuselage, the carrier film is too wide to allow the stripes to fit properly. A little trimming will take care of this problem. When it comes time to assemble this kit, it is typical Hasegawa. There was very little clean up and everything fits together well, with almost no filling and sanding. I only encountered two problems during assembly. The F-18s have folding wing tips for storage onboard aircraft carriers. The top halves of the wings in this kit are very thin at the hinge point, which causes them to roll upward slightly. I overcame this problem by warming them with hot water, then gluing and clamping them overnight. The other problem was the shallow panel lines. In a few places, the engraving was extremely shallow, but the obvious fix is to re-scribe as needed. If this kit has a weak point, it would be the cockpit. The cockpit is good, but very basic. With careful painting and dry brushing, it is quite usable. The seat has limited detail, and no molded harness. The photoetched fret provides a few detail parts, but a good aftermarket set and belts would really bring this cockpit up to speed. My favorite part of this kit was the white metal landing gear. They do require extra time for clean up, but the detail and extra strength are worth every bit of work. The aftermarket white metal gear would cost around $15, so getting them with this model helps offset that cost. I know of only two companies currently manufacturing 1/48 scale F/A-18C models. I have built both kits, and I would strongly recommend the Hasegawa kit as the best choice. I would like to thank Hasegawa and Dragon Models USA for making this kit available for review.