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Help with a 1/48 Super Hornet


burner12

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I am currently working on a hasegawa 1/48 F/A-18E Super Hornet. And I currently have an issue with the vertical stabilizers. When I dry fit them, exactly from the factory w/ no changes, they appear to be too far apart, as in the angles they sit makes them too wide, but the outside doesn't have a gap whereas the inside does. But when i move them closer they look a little better, but then there is a gap on the outside. And when i move them completely inward they look too close together. Now i don't know the correct angle of a Super Hornets vert. stabilizers and am trying to find out which position is correct? Are a Super Hornets vert. stabilizers farther apart than a Legacy Hornets? Or were they just molded the wrong way? because I have seen a photo of this model complete and they don't seem so far apart

 

So from the photo below, which is my copy and the tails are dry fitted with no changes are they ok or wrong?

 

 

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=185967 4th pic down

 

my version

 

IMG_0573.jpg

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I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but here are my observations....

 

1) If you're concerned about accuracy, use drawings or a head on pic of a Super Hornet to establish the angles of the tails. DO NOT use another built model, even if you like its look.

 

2) I'm not surprised if the "fit" doesn't help you establish the right angle on your model, and you have a gap one way or the other. Pick the lesser of the two evils (gaps) that gives you the angle (or "look") that you like for your model.

 

3) As far as contests go, judges will NOT care about the angle of your tails, as long as they are "in the ballpark". HOWEVER, you WILL get gigged if you don't get their angles the SAME on each side. Concentrate on symmetry when you set the angles.

 

Hopefully, someone who'd built that model will be here shortly to help with a tip that might help with those particular parts. I just want you not to worry because you think a manufacturer like Hasagawa did something right and you're doing something wrong with the parts. Best of luck!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Hi Richard,

- Perhaps these:

FA-18Edwg.jpg

 

FA-18Cdwg.jpg

 

 

 

 

....will help. And I totally agree with Gil, whatever angle you settle on using, from a competitive/contest point-of-view, make certain that your tails are symetrical to one another. If you're building it for the fun of it, build it however you want so that you have fun. Model on, Brother of the Sprue.

Edited by Weedeater
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I am currently working on a hasegawa 1/48 F/A-18E Super Hornet. And I currently have an issue with the vertical stabilizers. When I dry fit them, exactly from the factory w/ no changes, they appear to be too far apart, as in the angles they sit makes them too wide, but the outside doesn't have a gap whereas the inside does. But when i move them closer they look a little better, but then there is a gap on the outside. And when i move them completely inward they look too close together. Now i don't know the correct angle of a Super Hornets vert. stabilizers and am trying to find out which position is correct? Are a Super Hornets vert. stabilizers farther apart than a Legacy Hornets? Or were they just molded the wrong way? because I have seen a photo of this model complete and they don't seem so far apart

 

So from the photo below, which is my copy and the tails are dry fitted with no changes are they ok or wrong?

 

 

http://s362974870.on...howtopic=185967 4th pic down

 

my version

 

IMG_0573.jpg

I haven't built that kit but I have built several other F-18 kits. None of the current releases are set up to positively set the vertical stab angles. I suppose they allow some wiggle room to allow the builder to compensate for other alignment issues. I don't glue the vertical stabilizers till the LG, wings, and horizontal stabs are set to their proper angles and the A/C sits true and level on the LG. I place the model on a dead flat ceramic tile to establish angles and heights. At that point you can make a simple card board template to assure both stabs are at the same angle relative to the ground. If accuracy is important use a drawing or head on photo to cut the template. Gil is correct in that symetry side to side is more important than the exact angle. Probably 98 out of 100 judges don't know the exact angle of the vert stabs on an F/A-18 but 95 out of 100 judges will ding your model is they aren't symetrical. Hope this helps.

 

Phil

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Actually the answer to the correct alignment was right in front of my face, I just hadn't thought about it. When you design stealth into an aircraft now they use plan-form alignment, where each angle is the same. And if you

 

look at the inside angle of each intake it is aligned with the tail. So if you just eye ball the tail by first dry fitting it then glue it and hold it aligned with the angle of the inlet, the you have the correct angle.:smiley22:

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Actually the answer to the correct alignment was right in front of my face, I just hadn't thought about it. When you design stealth into an aircraft now they use plan-form alignment, where each angle is the same. And if you

look at the inside angle of each intake it is aligned with the tail. So if you just eye ball the tail by first dry fitting it then glue it and hold it aligned with the angle of the inlet, the you have the correct angle.:smiley22:

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Actually the answer to the correct alignment was right in front of my face, I just hadn't thought about it. When you design stealth into an aircraft now they use plan-form alignment, where each angle is the same. And if you

look at the inside angle of each intake it is aligned with the tail. So if you just eye ball the tail by first dry fitting it then glue it and hold it aligned with the angle of the inlet, the you have the correct angle.:smiley22:

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