Meng 1/48 FA-18E Build Part 3: Painting the Stripes and Finishing it up

In this exciting episode, I show how I paint the stripes for Maverick's plane and show the finished model. If you want to see how to make an aircraft carrier base like the one I have in this video, here's a link:
• Making a 1/48 Scale Ai...

[@dorkf1sh]

Always impressed with how clean and crisp your work is from any angle

[@willgibb7580]

"What? No! That's not how we wing it! You've lost your 'winging it' privileges!” LOL. In all seriousness, excellent job on those stripes!! The Super Hornet turned out awesome!!!

[@garyrunnalls7714]

I use brake fluid on a Q tip to remove over spray. Works great on clear plastic, no haze .

[@calvingifford9442]

Very nice Hollywood SuperBug!

[@nackdibby7960]

Yet another magnificent Top Gun build! It took me 3 days to watch all of this and it was worth every second!😅 It’s perfect!

[@franklinlewis6059]

Like how you don't tie yourself up in knots about a little mistakes. Not letting the perfect become the enemy of the good and, by the way,...very good.

[@modelcitizen6759]

Another top build Prime, ere how's about a cup,of tea for us Brits on the next one, cheers, David.

[@allanrichards3752]

Stunning paint job. Actually the overspray in the canopy relieves my anxiety a bit. I am yet to get anywhere near a perfect model and always screw up somewhere. Seeing the experts make the odd hiccup gives me hope.

[@ArkansasBassMan]

That box on the nose is part of the IFF system I believe. Older versions had an array of antennas affectionately called the bird slicers.

[@calvingifford9442]

James is correct. And the 'Pizza Boxes' (as we in the Hornet Maintainer Community call them) are on ALL but the earliest prototypes.

[@calvingifford9442]

@@fredtedstedman No the Legacy 'Bird Slicers' were part of the IFF System. On the Super Hornet, the 'Pizza Box' is part of the enhanced/upgraded IFF System. 😀

[@calvingifford9442]

@@fredtedstedman Those are Environmental Control System exhaust pipes. In the prototype and Block I Supers this was just a slit, but it became a problem when the aircraft skin above the engines stated getting heat stressed. At first, thermal blankets were used. Most of the Block I Supers have been retrofitted with the pipe-style.

[@calvingifford9442]

@@fredtedstedman Those are Environmental Control System exhaust pipes. In the prototype and Block I Supers this was just a slit, but it became a problem when the aircraft skin above the engines stated getting heat stressed. At first, thermal blankets were used. Most of the Block I Supers have been retrofitted with the pipe-style.

[@rickbourn971]

You are SO good at this!! Hope it is still fun for you!!

[@bulversteher]

I'd love to see you take on the Belgium F-16 Solo Team's "Dream Viper"!

[@stevethefishdotnet]

The stripes look nice! I hate it when I get underspray in my cockpits. No fun.

[@PlasticModelBuilder]

That turned out nice. Good job.

[@swing.wing_singh]

Excellent work. Looks fantastic. Great looking aircraft no doubt. Perfect justice to the blue stripes.

[@tedbriscoe6649]

Great detail work!

[@carlmitchell3431]

Fantastic work as always.

[@markusv311]

Amazing bulid and paint job as always Sean. The front landing gear looks so nice. Thanks for sharing all this👍

[@billhubbard2667]

Always amazing. Well done brother. I can’t decide whether your videos motivate me or make me want to burn down my shop.

[@NAVAIRinScale]

Looks great! FYI the Fightertown Decals are printed in 35450 so that accounts for the color difference. Unfortunately there wasn’t room to include the large stripes on that sheet. Thanks for using the correct TOPGUN badge. Meng was pretty funky. On the future sheet, we’ll have more info and decals for the Maverick jet, including all the bunos they painted. Also to note, they used different fonts for the flap and modex numbers on the different jets.

[@NAVAIRinScale]

Interesting choice to paint black first. I thought painting the stripe area blue and then mask it with constant width tape (Tamiya flexible tape would be great for that) And paint gloss black after. Yours came out great. 👍👍

[@scubasteve9032]

Great job as usual! I will probably hit you up soon to build one of those for me to go with my F14 and Iron Eagle F16 I got from you

[@davidrosen5137]

Looks great! Tight!

[@Brucie_Boy]

Looks good! I’m working on my second one. The first time I build the two seater with the same markings not realizing it was supposed to be only one seat. 🤦‍♀️

[@MisterGsWorkbench]

Great job and kudos for painting those stripes - I'd honestly use decals or nothing on that one. And congratulations on installing wheels!!!

[@johnwoodside8714]

Fabulous craftsmanship yet again buddy, awesome job.

[@michaelnaven213]

Another fantastic build, thanks!

[@kudukilla]

I was planning on this one, but I ended up with a 1/72 Revell version as a Christmas present (2 pack with the F-14). May still do the Meng as well.

[@rangerstl07]

"Box on top of the nose" = Gun blast deflector.

[@TheModelGuy]

Very clean looking stripes. I’m not sure I’d take that on.

[@nielsvc7525]

Yet again a awesome buildl! Even with the pimple canopy ;)

[@thomasbell6655]

Looks stunning........

[@dekon70]

Superb job as usual!

[@nicolaisen1]

Badassery at work!

[@mariorios767]

I like your videos. Congratulations

[@baralad2]

I recently stumbled across your channel and I'm very impressed by what you have done,,, any plans in the future to complete the topgun set and do mavericks p51 mustang ?

[@seanerk5kt9]

No but that sounds like a neat idea

[@MusicMinisterJP7]

Very nice build.. I wanted to ask, why does it look bluish at 14.45..? I like that blue, although you say you hit it with Light ghost grey..

[@gamerleveldad1397]

Great job again. Question for you, what type of material are you using along with your cricut for making masks? I saw you were using something else from fiskers in your other video, I've used Tamiya tape to moderate success but trying to get better with it.

[@seanerk5kt9]

There’s artist frisket which I haven’t used in a long time. Sometimes just use cheap stick on vinyl but you have to be careful with that as it’s really sticky. Oramask makes some vinyl that a lot of people use but I don’t like it cuz it’s not sticky enough around curved surfaces.

[@gamerleveldad1397]

@@seanerk5kt9 good to know about oramask. I checked what I have is the smart permanent (so should be removable), but I had troubles with it blowing away even at maybe 10 or 15 psi, though that was on wood and not plastic. Guess I just need to gitgud:D

[@LagoAZ]

10/10!!!

[@rickbourn971]

Maybe it’s my old eyes but I sure don’t see a problem with the canopy….

[@RyanSheridanLifts]

Absolutly awesome build and video as always. Are there any P-51 or B-17 projects in the near future? Keep up the great work. I love your videos.

[@seanerk5kt9]

I’ve been tossing around the idea of a 1/48 b-17

[@RyanSheridanLifts]

@@seanerk5kt9 yes! That would be Awesome!

[@bubbapipe]

Thank you for the coffee. Great looking finished model yet again. So you never actually said if you did anything with the canopy. Also do you have a link for the channels you mentioned..

[@seanerk5kt9]

kzbin.info/door/HdnICllDPhgeEg1qQoYzDg

[@bala8oo]

Attention to detail is mind numbing

[@user-ny3sl6kc1g]

Гарне рішення з лініями. Не втримався взяв собі U-2 від Italeri у 1/48 до пари, буде поряд з SR-71. Коли покажите свою колекцію чашок?

[@franklinlewis6059]

Well,... I'm doing bourbon ( something Kentucky)

[@jacksaloman9513]

Another question, did you paint the whole aircraft Light Ghost Grey or does the Top Gun F-18 get the Light and Dark Ghost Grey treatment? I am building the same aircraft and looked at real pictures of the jet and hard to tell if it got the 2 colors. Thanks.

[@seanerk5kt9]

I just did the light ghost grey over all of it since it’s really hard to see the difference between the two anyway.

[@TJRohyans]

Looks great. What do you use for the silver/chrome bands on the landing gear? Metal foil or paint?

[@seanerk5kt9]

Bare Metal foil

[@jacksaloman9513]

You have a link to the person you are referencing?

[@seanerk5kt9]

kzbin.info/door/HdnICllDPhgeEg1qQoYzDg

[@bodiesbyjason7558]

I’d like to talk to you about building me something

[@user-tk8kf3zb6x]

Do you have an email I can contact you?

[@user-ny3sl6kc1g]

Гарне рішення з лініями. Не втримався взяв собі U-2 від Italeri у 1/48 до пари, буде поряд з SR-71. Коли покажите свою колекцію чашок?