The market has seen more than its fair share of 1/48 scale F/A-18Es on the market over the last several years. It’s a very popular subject with no shortage of marking options to choose from. You may wonder why we need another one in this price range.
The box holds 14 gray and two clear parts trees, one fret of photo-etched metal (PE), a vinyl tube for the optional D-704 Buddy Pod, upper and lower fuselage halves, and four beautiful decal sheets for six different aircraft and weapons. (I went with VFA-31 based on the USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2009, which happens to be on the box cover.) Watch out for some of the larger attachment points on the parts tree, and be careful when removing parts so you don’t mar them. Both the painting guide and instructions are printed in in color and easy to follow.
Starting in the cockpit, the multipart ejection seat proved the most complicated part to assemble, with PE seat belts and decal warning placards and labels. The cockpit tub is a one-piece affair with molded side consoles, but the cockpit sides are separate. Decals provided all the details; no detail painting required. The cockpit and nose gear bay nestle into the forward fuselage halves without difficulty.
Speaking of the fuselage, it’s a complicated affair made up of several parts. Everything fit and only a few seams required light sanding. You can choose to pose avionics bay doors open, and the molded detail is quite extraordinary. If you decide to close the doors, you must sand the inside of the doors to assure proper fit. You can also pose the nose cone to reveal the radar, model the canopy up or down, and even fold the wings with the separate control surfaces. The boarding ladder can be displayed stowed or open, but be warned, you have to assemble the individual steps and will need to be patient.
The full engines can be finished for display, but, strangely, there’s no maintenance cart or opening panels. The nose and main landing gear look fantastic when complete and have an extremely positive fit. The bay doors are thin and look realistic with good detail molded in.
Painting was a breeze for the version I chose. The color guide refers to Mr. Hobby, Acrysion, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya, and Humbrol. I used Model Master Light Ghost Grey for the bottom, which seems accurate. However, I used Model Master Grey for the top and should have consulted the paint guide. The low vis markings, looking darker on the decal sheet, disappeared over the Model Master color. Do not make the same mistake. The decals settled wonderfully and conformed to all the fine surface details with some Microscale Mirco Sol.
HobbyBoss did a fantastic job with this kit. It assembles without frustration and looks amazing. However, it is not an easy kit to build. It has a lot going on, and while everything fits great, you cannot get it done on autopilot. Do we need another F/A-18E Super Hornet on the market? I can’t say. But I’m pleased with this one.