1:72 F-18E

The real subject

The F/A-18E Super Hornet is a single-seat multirole carrier aircraft of the US Navy. Against the earlier Hornet it is noticeably larger and heavier, has an enlarged wing and above all differently shaped air intakes: instead of rounded ones it received square ones, which is the most conspicuous way to tell the two machines apart. It is powered by two turbofan engines. In 1:72 scale it is precisely the fine surface detail, for which molded plastic is too coarse, that decides how a model looks, and this is where photo-etch pays off most.

What the set contains

Photo-etched parts in 1:72 scale for completing a model of the Super Hornet. It is an accessory to a build; you cannot build a stand-alone model from it. The list of parts, their positions and the kit the set is tuned for are given in the instructions from the manufacturer.

How to work with photo-etch

Keep the fret intact and release a part from it only at the moment you are going to fit it; a tiny piece of metal is otherwise easily lost. Separate it with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not with scissors, after which thin sheet ripples. Make the bends in a bending tool or between two blades along the scored lines, so that the edge comes out sharp. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue in minute drops, because cement for plastic models does not hold on metal. Degrease the parts before painting and apply a primer meant for metal, otherwise the paint will come off during handling.

• 1:72 scale, photo-etched parts for the F/A-18E Super Hornet
• an accessory to a build, not a kit of its own
• the parts are separated with a blade and bent along the scored lines
• glued with cyanoacrylate glue; metal needs a primer under the paint
• the extent of the set and the kit it is meant for are given in the instructions from the manufacturer

Terms of supply

The aircraft model, paints and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.