This is my 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18C CAG Bird of VFA-195 stationed onboard USS Independence back in 1994. The squadron was then assigned to USS Kitty Hawk when I went onboard the ship during her stopover in Sydney back in May 2001.

However the aircraft was repainted with a different scheme. I paid AU$10 for the kit during one of the IPMS meeting in Sydney. 

It was completed on 17 June this year so please neglect the dates on the photos.

I apologise for the poor photo quality because they were taken with an old camera of mine. 

There are some problems with the fit especially the canopy but I didn’t bother to fix it because it will involve some work. I want this to be a quick build. The other challenge that I face is the main fuselage. Some sanding is required there.

Click on images below to see larger images

The aircraft was painted with Gunze H307 and H308. There are decals for up to 4 squadrons in the box. However the VFA-195 decals that I use are old & fragile. They tear quite easily. So I ended up using some paint to touch up the decals on the tail. 

Navigation light was painted white before they are re-painted with Gunze's clear red and blue.

Weathering is achieved with water soluble crayon. I really like the method because you can easily remove the crayon using soapy water if the weathering is overdone as long as you don’t leave it for too long.