Small Scale Military Headquarters

We are officially announcing that the F-18 C VFA-86 Sidewinders in 1:18 Scale are being placed into production. More details about this item are to follow.

they also said this: It comes to our attention that there is a F-18 image with our logo circulating around the web. This image is neither the actual bbi product nor is it the official photo. Any photo or information not provided by our office has not been approved by us.

they said this

It comes to our attention that there is a F-18 image with our logo circulating around the web. This image is neither the actual bbi product nor is it the official photo. Any photo or information not provided by our office has not been approved by us.

uh, it's about time o.O

Thanks for the news AG. I for one am real excited about picking up another Hornet

aferguson wrote:http://www.warbird-photos.com/gpxd/view ... =1&t=27588

Picture looks like the "Real McCoy"...Love the scheme, hope that's the one they do!

Ooh... Who knows what colour have been put on Sidewinder's Hornet, other than the one associated to the false BBI project?
I need one, I can't wait anymore...

At least BBI confirm the new release of 1/18 F-18 will come out. Looking for their announcement on the correct and final image. Thanks for information. Now need to check the wallet to prepare for pre-order.

Well, now I know what the wife will be putting under the xmas tree for me this year!

I'll be getting one!

HD

So the Sidewinder release probably isn't the camo/aggressor scheme then but a regular operational hi-vis/low-vis scheme

A new F/A-18 with supposed improved landing gear sounds great. But I’m really on the fence. I have a couple Golden Dragon Hornets as spares for customs later on I bought for cheap. Though I love some of the Sidewinders’ schemes over the years on their CAG jets starting with their A-7 Corsairs, it’s gonna take the right combination for me to be blown away to spend the money on this one.

It would take minor improvements and maybe one of the “right” paint schemes. I would prefer it to be the CAG from 2006 bureau no. 165200, like the one Snake posted. After that their CAGs weren’t as nice. Too over artistic.

If they are improving their landing gear I really don’t understand why it wouldn’t be any more difficult to improve some other things that would really make the plane “POP”.

The required improvements:

1. The exhaust cones and the intake. The turbine fan in the rear is way, way too shallow and the intake is non existent. If they can’t mold a deeper more correct turbine or even cutout the intake and put in a fan blade, then just hollow both openings. They would look better even if there were merely holes.

2. The landing gear doors. There are three small doors on the front bay, not two big ones. There are 3 medium sized doors for each main landing gear bay, not one giant one.

I know it would require more intensive tooling to redo the wingtip missile launcher rails so I’m not even suggesting improving that.

Those two above improvements would put me over the top on buying it…possibly even if the scheme wasn’t perfect. I could then make a custom scheme to my liking.

Well, pictures of the actual model can be seen on the following website. It is the aggressor scheme....

www.warbirdmodelle.de

Click on "Vorverkauf/Vorschau" on the left upper side
Then "Maßstab 1/18" and finally on the picture of the F-18
After that you guys can see several pictures of the real model!

Greetings

C00per

C00per wrote:Well, pictures of the actual model can be seen on the following website. It is the aggressor scheme....

http://www.warbirdmodelle.de

Click on "Vorverkauf/Vorschau" on the left upper side
Then "Maßstab 1/18" and finally on the picture of the F-18
After that you guys can see several pictures of the real model!

Greetings

C00per

it just a repaint w/ better landing gear

True Black Dragon One, BUT, there are many here that passed or missed out on the F-18 first time around...so it is a repaint that I am looking forward to = )

Oh yeah BBI, while you're improving the main gear, could you go ahead & correct the issue with the "wavey" tailplanes? Plastic is super thin on those, and is very noticeable on a couple of my F18s.
Thanks, in advance!

I've just had a look at this german page, pictures have a too low resolution to study the modell. Who knows why the #415 on the left side of the nose area has been put crooked? Navy squadron fantasy?

i doubt bbi can consider any suggestions for improvements since it's undergoing production.

Photos were just posted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 430&type=1

I had a look at the FB photos just now. It doesn't look bad overall, but the exhausts with the fan blades in there pretty much makes me lose all interest. I can understand a little loss of accuracy and detail, but that's just ridiculous.

I think this would have been a 1000x better choice, especially given the livery on the last F-16. These would have sold like hotcakes.

And Phaid, I also cringed when I saw the exhaust nozzles. I'm half tempted to drill them out or something. But since I don't have a 1/18 Hornet yet, I guess for now that random camo scheme will have to do.

All of the previous version of BBI 1/18 F-18 have the exhaust nozzles look like the picture in BBI FB or not?

I think they all look that way. Unlike the JSI Tomcat that was intended to be more model-like, this bird started out as a $40 Toys-R-Us shelf-stock piece that really didn't have maximum detail in mind.

If they plan to set the price equal to F-16 or MH-60. They should at least do these exhaust nozzles right.