[11SQNLDR]

Damn - that's one sexy jet & even though she's clean i'm still gonna get one

[David Hingtgen]

Actually, since they are doing "AA", no missiles is correct. You'll notice it doesn't even have any pylons under the wings. That is also correct. Jolly Rogers Super Hornets never deployed with an AA tailcode. If you want a "loaded" JR Shornet, it needs to have an AG tailcode.

Long story short: "AA" JR Shornets aren't really JR Shornets---they're merely painted in their colors, usually flown/owned by VFA-106, The Gladiators. When they're actually used/flown by the Jolly Rogers, they got the AG tailcode. It's just that "AA 103" was so photographed, EVERY model maker keeps making that exact one, despite the fact that it was short-lived, not really a JR plane, and is long gone.

Even shorter version: This model is an airshow demo plane (and thus usually seen stripped of armament and even its underwing pylons) that looks like a Jolly Rogers plane, even saying VFA-103 on the side. But it wasn't used by the Jolly Rogers like that.

It was later delivered to the Jolly Rogers as their CAG plane, and it still is----but it was repainted with AG markings (and a few other tiny tweaks) when they actually got it. This situation happens a LOT with Super Hornets-----the CAG plane is owned by VFA-106 during the transition and used by them at airshows in a stripped-down configuration, then it gets cleaned up and repainted and delivered to the squadron when the pilots finish their training. This is why there's a "sky blue" and "dark blue" VFA-213 Super Hornet----same plane, but one scheme is when VFA-106 was using it for airshows, and one scheme is when the Black Lions actually owned it and used it on deployment.

[edb157]

Would rather see the short lived dark gray tailed Jolly Rogers with mission markings or the newer CAG jet with all the award markings....That being said - I will still probably buy this model.

[b-huj]

I just saw the production release of this model and it actually does come fully clean...
I mean it, not even pylons, which leaves some "hardpoints" underwing and the tabs for wingtip missiles, very unlike a real launch rail.

Putting aside the livery, the detailing is quite simplified too, not many warnings, only the major placards are still there, no "no step" or "step with flap hydraulic power removed", etc
Good thing: the nosegear door is more detailed, they painted the grill on the outer side of the door (in reality, the superbug's nosegear door is not solid, there is a row of grilled "windows"). the exhaust cone is two-tone, the diamond-shaped windows near the exhaust are also "grilled".

If they decided to get rid of all ordnance, it was maybe because they did finally listen to our complaints about the outdated white pigmentation?!?! You decide, I passed!

[David Hingtgen]

B-huj----please see my response 2 posts ago. That is why it has no weapons, no pylons, and likely few warning/no-step markings.

[forcerecon85]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

Actually, since they are doing "AA", no missiles is correct. You'll notice it doesn't even have any pylons under the wings. That is also correct. Jolly Rogers Super Hornets never deployed with an AA tailcode. If you want a "loaded" JR Shornet, it needs to have an AG tailcode.

Long story short: "AA" JR Shornets aren't really JR Shornets---they're merely painted in their colors, usually flown/owned by VFA-106, The Gladiators. When they're actually used/flown by the Jolly Rogers, they got the AG tailcode. It's just that "AA 103" was so photographed, EVERY model maker keeps making that exact one, despite the fact that it was short-lived, not really a JR plane, and is long gone.

Even shorter version: This model is an airshow demo plane (and thus usually seen stripped of armament and even its underwing pylons) that looks like a Jolly Rogers plane, even saying VFA-103 on the side. But it wasn't used by the Jolly Rogers like that.

It was later delivered to the Jolly Rogers as their CAG plane, and it still is----but it was repainted with AG markings (and a few other tiny tweaks) when they actually got it. This situation happens a LOT with Super Hornets-----the CAG plane is owned by VFA-106 during the transition and used by them at airshows in a stripped-down configuration, then it gets cleaned up and repainted and delivered to the squadron when the pilots finish their training. This is why there's a "sky blue" and "dark blue" VFA-213 Super Hornet----same plane, but one scheme is when VFA-106 was using it for airshows, and one scheme is when the Black Lions actually owned it and used it on deployment.

Thanks for the info. Originally I was going to buy it but I picked up the Dragon warbird one since it had weapons but after this tid-bit I was wrong to. I'll keep it anyways and hope for AG tail code VFA-103, but won't hold my breath

[b-huj]

Originally Posted by David Hingtgen

B-huj----please see my response 2 posts ago. That is why it has no weapons, no pylons, and likely few warning/no-step markings.

It seems I missed your previous post but I actually did read it a while ago and remembered the controversy surrounding the accuracy of this model.
I am looking at this issue more from the point of view of a common consumer, why pay the same for less?! They did save a lot of handywork and materials on this, and the mould itself was never meant to be used completely unloaded, so if they wanted to do the AA bird fully stripped off everything, at least they should have got rid of the wingtip tabs and the underwing holes for glueing the model pylons, then we'd have an accurate short lived AA tailcoded showbird, for those who'd like to have it instead of the real JR Superbug that could've been fully armed.

Talking about arming Superhornets, the Witty ones never had an option, say: having six AIM120s instead of two double launchers completely empty...or 5 droptanks...well, all of this is only wishful thinking.

[David Hingtgen]

If Dragon had come out with a dual-AMRAAM launcher, it'd change everything.... (and if they designed it so the shoulder pylons came off of it, it could be a dual-Sidewinder and single-Sparrow launcher as well---it's a multi-purpose launcher on the Hornet, it can carry any air-to-air missile depending on how its configured---the F-20 uses the same one)