Academy 12520 - USMC F/A-18A, VMFA-232 Red Devils, AUS Decals, 1:72 Scale

Academy - USMC F/A-18A, VMFA-232 Red Devils, AUS Decals, 1:72 Scale

ACA-12520

Academy has a quality line of 1/72 scale aircraft, and they have recently begun to release several re-boxings of these kits with special decals. Their latest special edition covers a USMC F/A-18A+ Hornet from VFMA-232, the Red Devils. The F/A-18A+ Hornet is an A-model that has had an avionics upgrade, primarily consisting of the addition of the AN/APG-73 radar. For the front-line Marine aircraft, so-called "bird slicer" IFF antennas are also found on nose of the A+, forward of the cockpit. Beyond the A+ parts, A-model Hornets also feature prominent reinforcement plates along the inside of each vertical stabiliser.

The Red Devils kit provides markings for a single jet, BuNo #162396, assigned to VMFA-232 in 2007 during a Persian Gulf deployment aboard USS Nimitz. This colourful CAG bird features decals with bright red lettering. The decal sheet is printed by Cartograf and includes an array of small stencils for the Hornet and its stores. There is a second RAAF specific decal sheet.

The kit itself arrives on five grey sprues and one clear sprue. The parts have fine recessed panel lines and crisp details. Construction follows a 16-step manual, with the decal placement guide found on a separate sheet.

The completed model is 240 mm long and 66 mm tall from fuselage bottom to tail tip.

Skill Level 4. Glue and paint are required but are not included.