F/A-18A-D Full Run Intakes

Sierra Hotel Models, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Craig Sargent

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Hard to believe that next year, Hasegawa’s quarter scale Legacy Hornet will be a quarter century old. Despite its age, Hasegawas Hornet is arguably still the best kit of McDonnell Douglas’ strike fighter. A true multimedia kit, the model includes white metal, photoetch and styrene parts to build a pretty accurate model of the jet. The kit has recently been updated with new sprues to keep pace with some of the aircraft’s updated features. The latest release in NASA markings even includes the air-to-air refueling store used by the type.

What is surprising is that the model was released with very shallow and poorly represented intakes. What is even more surprising is that it has taken so long for anything resembling an acceptable set of full length intakes for the kit.

Seamless Suckers attempted to release a set years ago, but they were plagued with asymmetric profiles between port and starboard intakes instead of mirrored profiles and fit was atrocious.

Enter SHM and their set of full length intakes for the model. The set comes with two full length intakes cast in fine white resin and a pair of compressor faces cast in grey resin. All of the parts are cast flawlessly. Clean up is easy with a couple of quick swipes of a razor saw and quick sand on a sheet of sandpaper laid flat on the desk.

The main parts are cast in white resin, so you don’t need to paint the intakes if you chose. I’m always a little dubious about the ability of resin to stay white without yellowing over time, so painted the interiors of mine white before fitting.

The compressor faces capture the first two rows of fan blades and include fastener detail on the central hub. A quick coat of dark silver and a wash brings the detail beautifully to life.

A set of full colour instructions is included, showing where to cut the upper fuselage to allow the intakes to fit, as well as detail photos of the intakes on the real aircraft.

The only real gripe I had, and it’s minor, is that the panel line which follows the line of the intake lip is a little wobbly and fades in the centre, so took a little cleaning up with a scriber. This in no way detracts from the quality and usefulness of this set.

In fact, the fit of the resin intakes surpasses the fit of the Hasegawa kit parts. I have fitted two sets already, as can be seen in the images below - one set to a CF-188 with kit wheel wells, and the second set to a Hornet being modified back to the prototype FSD jet, with Aires wheel wells fitted, and including the modified Sparrow fairings on the intake. Both sets fit perfectly and as can be seen, required no filler whatsoever. I can safely say that I will be using a set of these intakes on all of my Hasegawa Hornet builds.

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These intakes finally allow the modeller to rectify one of the biggest shortcomings of the Hasegawa kit and are easy to use and very accurate. These will not fit the Hobby Boss kit, as that model has intakes that are too wide and square shaped, so would take some major surgery to correct. I cannot recommend these enough, and have been very vocal in “encouraging” the SHM team to get these done. The wait was worth it.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Sierra Hotel Models for the samples and images.

Review Text Copyright © 2014 by Craig Sargent
Page Created 5 November, 2014
Last updated 5 November, 2014

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