E/F/A-18E/F/G Super Hornet FAQ

[willieself]

Originally Posted by Spook498

As of today, they are still early, non ACS cockpits.

Thank you sir!!!!

[Spook498]

You are quite welcome!

[MickyG]

Originally Posted by MickyG

I've done a fair bit of research over the last few days and it looks like on the 1/72 scale front, the following are true (some of this will be true for 1/48 scale as well):

Valid for Hasegawa kits only

• older boxings from 2007 and earlier have the standard ECS vents (and I hope that's the right name for them, compared to the "Bard stacks")
• newer boxings from 2011 have the Bard stacks
• newer boxings also have the ACS rear pit on Sprue R but it's shown as "unused" in the instructions
• all EA-18G Growler boxings have the bard stacks and the ACS rear pit (the coaming is on Sprue R)
• all growler boxings also have the non-ACS rear pit, as it's on a common sprue to all super hornets of the two seat variety (sprue Q)
• I can't tell with any certainty but it least appears that the Growler boxings have the reworked dog tooth leading edge on the wings - anyone with this kit will have to let me know for sure.
• there is a conversion set (containing PE and Resin) from DreamModel for the F/A-18F that converts it to an EA-18G

What that means to those of you wanting to build a two seater Super Hornet with an ACS pit and older style ECS vents, with a minimum of fuss, is the purchase of two kits - an old and new boxing. The old box will get you the right vents and the new box will get you the ACS rear pit. Though that leaves you with a pretty odd mixup of new vents and old pit, which probably won't be accurate for anything.


The other option is the purchase of an old boxing and the DreamModel set. This leaves you with all the extra Growler parts but it a) costs less and b) gives you everything you'd need to make a newer airframe for a single seat Super Hornet (because you'd use the rear pit parts for your conversion).


I know what route I'll be taking!

Got my 1/72 update set in the other day and the preview is up, for anyone interested.

[adamitri]

Would it be ok to model the SH with all the red covers on the top of the plane and intake covers while the plane is sitting on the flight deck ? Or are all of the covers used in the hanger ?

[Loki]

Hangars only iirc

[Loki]

I am building an early Lot 21, 165537 and would like to know if this had the heat blankets behind the ECS on the top section of the fuselage.
I can't find any reference photos showing the top at all although I have many overall.

When were the blankets introduced?
Would it be incorrect to model this a/c without them?

Thank you.

Martin

[GW8345]

Originally Posted by Loki

I am building an early Lot 21, 165537 and would like to know if this had the heat blankets behind the ECS on the top section of the fuselage.
I can't find any reference photos showing the top at all although I have many overall.

When were the blankets introduced?
Would it be incorrect to model this a/c without them?

Thank you.

Martin

I don't 100% remember but I don't it had the blankets installed back then. 400 was a very early lot 21 and if memory serves me correct the blankets were not part of the initial configuration and were added later, 400 was configured as pre-production lot 21.

[Loki]

Hi Gerry,
Thank you. I do recall your PM on this and Joe wasn't 100% sure.
I must admit, I had thought that the blankets would not have been installed for the reasons you rightly give. I just wanted to throw it out there to see if anyone knew for certain or not. Obviously not because I didn't trust or believe your answer
I hope you know that.

I have left them off the model anyway in the belief that they were not installed. It suits me anyway as I don't like the decal representation.

[Joe Hegedus]

I don't know when the blankets were installed. I can state that the were in place in mid-2008, and apparently had been for a while at that point as the color had faded until they were almost the same shade as the upper surface, but I can't say when they were added. I only have 2 images of BuNo 165537 that show the upper aft fuselage and they are from this time period. Sorry, can't post those as they haven't been cleared for public release.

[GW8345]

Originally Posted by Loki

Hi Gerry,
Thank you. I do recall your PM on this and Joe wasn't 100% sure.
I must admit, I had thought that the blankets would not have been installed for the reasons you rightly give. I just wanted to throw it out there to see if anyone knew for certain or not. Obviously not because I didn't trust or believe your answer
I hope you know that.

I have left them off the model anyway in the belief that they were not installed. It suits me anyway as I don't like the decal representation.

No worries at all

[Loki]

Originally Posted by Joe Hegedus

I don't know when the blankets were installed. I can state that the were in place in mid-2008, and apparently had been for a while at that point as the color had faded until they were almost the same shade as the upper surface, but I can't say when they were added. I only have 2 images of BuNo 165537 that show the upper aft fuselage and they are from this time period. Sorry, can't post those as they haven't been cleared for public release.

No problem at all, many thanks for the reply.I wouldn't expect anyone to go against opsec so that's absolutely fine.

[JesniF-16]

Hey guys. I was wondering if the Super Hornet experts could tell me if all of the VF-11 Hornets have been retro-fitted with ECS stacks by now? I have the VF-11 Fightertown decal sheet with Bu 166634, 166623, & 166627... These are all low-vis and date from September 2008-09. They have the AB tail codes, but I just wanted to know if it were safe to do these schemes since I already have installed ECS stacks. I found some pics of these birds, but it is difficult to see the top fuselage and the photos were pre 2008. I am trying not to be so anal about accuracy, but I can't help it and I just want to know

One more question... how often does the Navy change the paint schemes?

Thanks in advance,
/Jesse

[GW8345]

Originally Posted by JesniF-16

Hey guys. I was wondering if the Super Hornet experts could tell me if all of the VF-11 Hornets have been retro-fitted with ECS stacks by now? I have the VF-11 Fightertown decal sheet with Bu 166634, 166623, & 166627... These are all low-vis and date from September 2008-09. They have the AB tail codes, but I just wanted to know if it were safe to do these schemes since I already have installed ECS stacks. I found some pics of these birds, but it is difficult to see the top fuselage and the photos were pre 2008. I am trying not to be so anal about accuracy, but I can't help it and I just want to know

One more question... how often does the Navy change the paint schemes?

Thanks in advance,
/Jesse

As far as I know, all fleet aircraft were retrofitted with the new ECS stacks by then. There may have been a few stragglers in the RAG's/School Houses/Test Squadrons but the fleet birds should have been retrofitted by then.

I'd say you are safe with them on.

As far as how often do paint schemes change, are we talking markings/tail art or the actually camouflage scheme? If it's the camo scheme, the F-18 has not changed it's scheme since it's introduction to the fleet. There may be variations done at the squadron level but the basic scheme has not changed. To answer your question, not often once a scheme has been approved, in the past 50 years, there has only been three scheme changes.

[JesniF-16]

Originally Posted by GW8345

As far as I know, all fleet aircraft were retrofitted with the new ECS stacks by then. There may have been a few stragglers in the RAG's/School Houses/Test Squadrons but the fleet birds should have been retrofitted by then.

I'd say you are safe with them on.

As far as how often do paint schemes change, are we talking markings/tail art or the actually camouflage scheme? If it's the camo scheme, the F-18 has not changed it's scheme since it's introduction to the fleet. There may be variations done at the squadron level but the basic scheme has not changed. To answer your question, not often once a scheme has been approved, in the past 50 years, there has only been three scheme changes.

Thanks Gerry! I just needed someone to tell me to go with it

As far as the paint, I noticed Ripper 166634 was the CAG jet and was given a TPS paint job in Sept. 2008.... 166628 was the low viz "Arnold" and was painted in CAG colors in Sept. 2008. The reason I realized this is cuz it's on the Fightertown sheet 48032.

Thanks again.
/Jesse

[GW8345]

Originally Posted by JesniF-16

Thanks Gerry! I just needed someone to tell me to go with it

As far as the paint, I noticed Ripper 166634 was the CAG jet and was given a TPS paint job in Sept. 2008.... 166628 was the low viz "Arnold" and was painted in CAG colors in Sept. 2008. The reason I realized this is cuz it's on the Fightertown sheet 48032.

Thanks again.
/Jesse

Okay, you lost me there, never heard "low viz "Arnold"" before.

I believe you are talking about the markings and not the basic camo scheme. There's really no definitive time frame for when markings are change, it could be a new skipper wants to change the looks of the jets, new directive are passed down from the five sided rubber room or wing, or someone got a wild hair up their ...........

As for why a jet will go from a regular line bird to a CAG and vice verse, again there are multiple reasons;

1) Aircraft transfer
2) Reorganizing block/lot aircraft
3) Making the best/lowest flight hour jet in the squadron the CAG
4) Some one got too smashed on det and came up with a wild ass plan

[JesniF-16]

Maybe this is not considered the Arnold jet... I am learning more about these aircraft as I build them.


Thanks for the additional reasons for a new CAG jet! The greatest plans are concocted over a beer or 12

/Jesse

[GW8345]

Originally Posted by JesniF-16

Maybe this is not considered the Arnold jet... I am learning more about these aircraft as I build them.


Thanks for the additional reasons for a new CAG jet! The greatest plans are concocted over a beer or 12

/Jesse

Yea, to me that's just a regular line jet.

[Modern Aircraft]

Question about the burner cans...looking at Jake's awesome book it says that when engines are off the burner cans are closed, so when it is getting ready to take off from a carrier are the burner cans open? Looking at the in flight pics in the book it looks like they are closed and even on landing look closed. I am thinking of doing a carrier launch in 1/32 eventually and trying to figure out what Aires burner cans I would need to get. Thanks in advance.

[GW8345]

Originally Posted by Modern Aircraft

Question about the burner cans...looking at Jake's awesome book it says that when engines are off the burner cans are closed, so when it is getting ready to take off from a carrier are the burner cans open? Looking at the in flight pics in the book it looks like they are closed and even on landing look closed. I am thinking of doing a carrier launch in 1/32 eventually and trying to figure out what Aires burner cans I would need to get. Thanks in advance.

It depends on the weight of the aircraft.

If you google "Super Hornet Carrier Launch" you'll find lots of pics and you can decide which way you want to go.

[Neeko]

Like Gerry wrote, it depends on the weight. The heavier the jet, the greater the power setting. I took a bazillion photos on my last cruise, and by and large what I have noticed in going back through them is that with our standard combat load they tended to be only slightly opened when taking the cat stroke or landing. As soon as they cleared the flight deck, they would goose the throttles to full power as necessary. On a heavy pig, like a 5-wet tanker, it's a whole different story though...

Launch:








Recovery: