[weiwencheng]

Just got the Dragon Tomcatters Super E. I have just a few questions and comments. First it would be nice if there was more of a weapons selection than just the Aim-120s. Second, being are the actually on the wingtips of the real thing? It seems odd, I am always used to seeing Aim-9s. Drop tanks are pretty loose, needed a bit of glue and landing gear doors needed some shaving to fit snug and not jut out. I just can't get over all the empty pylons on this model. I guess I am too used to CW models. Oh well, mainly bought it for the tail art.

[tank nut]

Well as much as I like my red rippers dragon I will never again own one as long as CW it is around

[David Hingtgen]

AIM-120's don't go on Hornet wingtips.

As for all the empty pylons---you can load them up with more droptanks!

But really, because Witty and Dragon just don't make the common, basic, 500lb dumb bomb (which any plane can use on any pylon) nor any of the smaller JDAMs it's often hard to load up their planes. They like to make adaptors/pylons which only accept 1 type of weapon--then not include it! Dragon is especially bad with this, having permanently-mounted HARM launchers on many of their planes---then not including HARM missiles. (And if you have one of their Super Hornets, there's just no solution---Dragon's HARM won't fit on Dragon's Super Hornet HARM launcher)

Witty and Dragon both copied the Hasegawa kit's weapons, which has a big error(involves AMRAAM and HARM). That makes it very hard to do an accurate load, especially with what they include. I just pulled most of the weapons off my Witty, (I prefer empty pylons to inaccurate loads). Might paint some stuff up and try to get it to fit some day.

If Dragon ever releases a scheme I like on their revised Hornet mold, I'll buy it and use some stuff from my weapons sets. The 2-sec "AGM-123 to GBU-16" conversion gives me a decent amount of appropriate bombs.

[smartd]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

AIM-120's don't go on Hornet wingtips.

As for all the empty pylons---you can load them up with more droptanks!

But really, because Witty and Dragon just don't make the common, basic, 500lb dumb bomb (which any plane can use on any pylon) nor any of the smaller JDAMs it's often hard to load up their planes. They like to make adaptors/pylons which only accept 1 type of weapon--then not include it! Dragon is especially bad with this, having permanently-mounted HARM launchers on many of their planes---then not including HARM missiles. (And if you have one of their Super Hornets, there's just no solution---Dragon's HARM won't fit on Dragon's Super Hornet HARM launcher)

Witty and Dragon both copied the Hasegawa kit's weapons, which has a big error(involves AMRAAM and HARM). That makes it very hard to do an accurate load, especially with what they include. I just pulled most of the weapons off my Witty, (I prefer empty pylons to inaccurate loads). Might paint some stuff up and try to get it to fit some day.

If Dragon ever releases a scheme I like on their revised Hornet mold, I'll buy it and use some stuff from my weapons sets. The 2-sec "AGM-123 to GBU-16" conversion gives me a decent amount of appropriate bombs.

They want you to buy their weapons packs which load you up will all sorts of goodies and pylons as well as crew figures in some packs.... check them out.

[David Hingtgen]

My point was that Dragon's Super Hornet is so messed, you can't even really use a Dragon weapon set. A bomb or two, yes, but that's all. Dragon's "system" came so close yet so far. Just one little mistake and it screws it all up. And every model they make has 1 little weapon flaw that pretty much "dooms" them to inaccurate or "60% empty" loads.

I own several of their weapon packs, and still have mostly empty or inaccurate loads, due to Dragon just not making the right parts, or making everything "permanently incompatible". What is the point of offering a JDAM, Paveway, and Harpoon in the weapons packs and in the model boxes, if the aircraft itself has a permanently-mounted HARM launcher that only a HARM will attach to? What is the point of offering the HARM missile, if half of the HARM launchers will not accept it?

I have a LANTIRN pod with an F-16 mount, but it cannot attach to their F-16 since the intake itself doesn't have the mount. Their F-15E's desperately need the LANTIRN pods to look right, but they cannot attach since they are missing the F-15E's intake mount to attach to.

[Min]

The HARM launcher can be easily removed though. I'd accidentally knocked mine off and it looked like it was secured in place with nothing more than a bit of glue/paint. What was left behind was the outboard pylon itself.

So..... if the HARM rails were removed, what could one fit onto these outboard pylons?

[David Hingtgen]

If you remove the HARM launcher from the outboard pylon, nothing can attach directly. I only know of 3 weapons that are authorized---AMRAAM, Sparrow, and HARM. All 3 use a dedicated rail launcher mounted between the missile and pylon. Best option is probably to try to get a HARM to fit (which it should anyways, but Dragon screwed it up by trying to make an AMRAAM fit on it---they succeeded, but in doing so screwed everything up----an AMRAAM shouldn't fit on a HARM rail, and they made it so the HARM can't fit any more)

Actually, from what I've seen, the Sparrow is the most common weapon on an outboard Super Hornet pylon. That position isn't used that much, often the entire pylon isn't there at all. But good luck getting a Sparrow launcher in 1/72----they don't exist even for plastic kits. (the Sparrow launcher also forms the core of the dual-AMRAAM launcher seen under Hornet wings)

AMRAAM rails are easy to get if you want to go that route. Luckily, the underwing AMRAAM launcher on a Super Hornet is the basic model, not the Super Hornet-exclusive HIPEG version (which is on the wingtips on many).

GBU-12/16 will likely be an option in the future, but I haven't seen it even tested yet.

[David Hingtgen]

And of course, just after I type that last sentence, I find a pic from a few weeks ago showing a Super Hornet with a GBU-16 on the outboard pylon. That's easy to get. Just take one of Dragon's AGM-123's, and pull the rocket motor off the back. (it's not even glued in). Instant GBU-16.

Navy NewsStand - Eye on the Fleet

[Min]

How about fitting a GBU-16 as shown below? Sorry about the blurry pics, kinda setup and shot in a hurry.

[David Hingtgen]

Sure, but you'd have to replace the SLAM with something else. SLAM's can only be loaded if the outboard pylons are empty.

How'd you do the lugs/swaybraces for the outboard pylon? Glue them on from another Dragon model? What type of glue? (they're made of a weird slick/rubbery plastic)