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This is the new 1/48
F-18D cockpit set. It is cast in the usual cream coloured resin and
contains 19 pieces. Let's start with the Instrument panels. The
Hasegawa forward instrument panel isn't as nice as the Black Box forward
instrument panel, but oddly enough the Monogram F-18A instrument panel is a very
close second to the Black Box instrument panel. In the rear the Black Box
instrument panel is much superior to the Hasegawa instrument panel and seems
very close to the real thing. As far as I can tell...the Hasegawa F-18D
rear instrument panel is actually an F-18B instrument panel. Black Box has
the best instrument panels front and rear. For you folks that want to get
the rear coaming above the instrument panel correct, then some cutting and work
will be needed because Black Box didn't include the stepped F-18D coaming and
the Hasegawa coaming is clearly for an F-18B trainer. The side panel
detail is sweet in this resin set with excellent detail.....the Hasegawa kit
doesn't include any side panel detail at all and F-18's have plenty of side
panel detail.
The pilots control stick in the Black Box set is a
noticeable improvement over the Hasegawa part. The rudder pedals in this
set are very delicately done, especially compared the triangular bits of plastic
molded into the foot pedal area of the Hasegawa cockpit tub. Black Box
does correctly not include a rear control stick as these were not part of the
rear tubs in the F-18D's. Black Box did include a base of the control
stick molded to the resin cockpit tub floor....and it looks just like the real
thing. The forward cockpit tub is well done but besides the addition of
the coiled wire on the right side console....and the detail on the rear wall of
the forward cockpit tub....this set is identical to the Hasegawa forward cockpit
tub. The seats will hide most of the detail on the rear wall of the
forward cockpit tub. The cockpit tub is a vast improvement over the rear
tub in the Hasegawa kit. Hasegawa is kidding us when they market their kit
as an F-18D. A couple of areas screaming for detail are the horizontal
canopy base frame that the canopy rests on. This area has lots of fine
detail that would be interesting to see made up better than the basic plain
plastic of the kit. The problem is....this part is so long and delicate
that I suspect are attempt to mold this in resin would result in a badly twisted
part that would hardly serve the modeller well. The other area that
screams for attention is the horizontal surface behind the rear seat headrest
that has the canopy support mechanism. This area is rich in detail on the
F-18D and the Hasegawa part is sadly lacking in all but the most basic
detail.
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seats........early style F-18D seats....same seat as in all Canadian
CF-18's |
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Front Cockpit tub
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And finally we come
to the seats. Much has been said
about this set and the chatter among modellers is this set could have been done
better. As it turns out this set contains SJU-5/6 seats and not the SJU-17
seats found in most F-18D's. The seats are very nice, but some folks are
wondering what they are going to do with these seats if they buy the extra package
offered by Black Box containing the later style seats. Well considering
the rest of this set is quite well done in general, then it seems like a useable
set to buy....but what about the wrong seats or at least the fact the seats are
the early and less common seats. If you buy the extra Black Box seats doesn't
that mean
you're stuck with 2 extra seats you have no need for? Not really....at
least not in my opinion. We've all heard of Leading
Edge Decals and their high quality decals of mainly Canadian
aircraft....including all the beautiful CF-18 airshow fighters. I think we
all have at least one or two of the Leading Edge decal sheets or we plan to buy
them. The Hasegawa CF-18A (F-18A) is a decent model (cockpit wise),
but it sadly lacks sidewall detail and a decent early version of the F-18
seat. So anyone wanting the build a CF-18 using these excellent Leading
Edge Decals was doomed to having a great model with a very bad Hasegawa
ejection seat. Well not anymore. With this set....you get 2 CF-18
seats. Make up some sidewall detail and add some other detail like the
coiled wire to the right side console and you have a decent looking
cockpit.....then you drop in one of these seats and it will completely transform
the cockpit into a work of art. Then buy the set of late model seats for
this set and you'll kill two birds with one stone. I've currently got a
couple of CF-18's on the go, so the seats from this set will find a good home
there and then I can buy the later version F-18D seats for an upcoming F-18D
plane I want to build. So for me anyways...this cockpit set containing
the earlier F-18 seats is a welcome surprise as I know I will find a use for
them.
Steve Bamford
(click on pictures below to bring up
full screen pictures)
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| cockpit
tub |
instrument
panels Front panel on right |
sidewalls
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control
columns and rudder pedals |
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