I had started on this kit a long time ago and then put it aside after 80% of the construction was done and then picked it up again this past winter. I actually fished this kit right away as it only took a week or two to complete what was left, and it was fun and easy.

    It is typical of 1980s Monogram kits, quality details, raised panel lines and simple parts break downs. I like banging out these kits after an intense Hasegawa build as I don't have to worry about 100+ parts rattling around in the box and all the seam work  that ensues. The downside is the poor surface detail (their A-10 kit excluded) and the rescribing that will be needed. This kit though was an easy rescribe since the real jet has few panel lines anyways. 

    I started with the cockpit and kept it simple using the kit pit (I know Black Box has a great set) but I wish I had known that the Radar display in the back seat does not belong, oh well. The rest of the build was cake, I do remember the wing/ fuselage joint on the the bottom of the wing needed some filling but other than that easy. I put the kit away around this point (lost interest).

I found two photos of this plane (the kit decals that is) in an old book I had since I was a kid called "Top Gun" one was a wider shot in Black and white (no help on the colors of the camo but showed the tiger nose) and a tight shot of the pilot and rio in the cockpit, this was in color. It was from that photo that I came up with the colors for the camo, especially the green (helo drab) which was much darker than the medium green the kit instructions call for. I used Model Master paints and sealed with Future for decal prep and Testors flat coat for final seal. I put on a blue inert AIM-9 and a range data pod on the wings and an empty center line pylon.

   It's nice to have a colorful aggressor on my shelf and it was a fun build.

    I also want to include a few pics of my other projects sitting on my shelf that I have yet to write an article about. First are my two 1/48th Hasegawa F-16s of the Colorado Air National Guard (I live in Denver where they are based) and my super detailed but  frustrating Italeri 1/48th F/A-18F that is 95% complete but taking a break before I mash it into a million pieces. I will give full write ups of these in the future along with my 1/48th Hasegawa AV-8B+ (painting now) 1/72nd Has F-15J (painted- waiting for a new canopy) my 1/32nd Academy F-18 (just started) and my 1/48th Has F-4E in IAF colors. Keeping busy!
Everett

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