September 11, 2024

Adding details to model kit ejection seats



I just started building a 1:72 scale F/A-18F Hornet from Hasegawa. The kit's detail overall is pretty nice, but the cockpit is very plain. This isn't a big deal to me since I want to build this kit with the canopy closed. Still, the orignal seats are a bit too simple. 

What I did was really minor yet I believe adds interest. After an hour of effort, I made harnesses from Tamiya tape and sliced up a few stryene bits to suggest mechanical shapes missing from the original part. I just used scrap styrene and stretched sprue heated over a candle. 

I painted the seats in the same style I would use for game miniatures; high contrast and edge highlights. No need for washes or drybrushing. Simple painting techniques are yet another way to add details.