Revell 85-5871 Top Gun Maverick's F/A-18E Super Hornet Fighter Jet Kit 1:48 Scale 161-Piece Skill Level 5 Plastic Model Airplane Building Kit, Gray, Medium

Just got this today, so I haven't started on it, but I did go through the box, instructions, and visual inspection of the parts. Washed and dried it, then reboxed. I've never been a real big fan of Revell, but the last couple of kits I've purchased have been very good quality, and this one is no exception. I just finished the level 4 F-14 Tomcat from "Top Gun". This one is a level 5, but I usually do profi-packs and other more challenging level kits, so this should be pretty straight forward. The level says it should take 7 hours to assemble without painting, but as any model hobbyist will tell you, it will take much longer if you want it to be realistic and exceptional.I did read a few reviews that stated it was too hard to assemble, with many small parts. Really? It is, I think the highest level of model that Revell offers, so maybe those persons should stick to level 3 or snap-tight kits.Will update my review after completion.

The Revell 85-5871 Top Gun Maverick F/A-18E Super Hornet kit is a must-have for model builders and Top Gun fans alike. The 1:48 scale captures stunning detail, with crisp panel lines and a well-designed build that fits together smoothly. The decals and paint scheme bring Maverick’s jet to life, making it a standout display piece. Whether you're a seasoned modeler or a Top Gun enthusiast, this kit is pure joy from start to finish.

My nephew loved this plane for birthday.

Quality model, But too bad that not all the parts were in the box. The manufacturer(Revell)agreed to send the parts for free.

To make realistic, painting is necessary.Need a lot of patience, especially with the decals. But overall great model, especially for a retired person like myself.

First thing I noticed is the instructions have been improved and there’s extra ordinances included. I’ve already built this same kit with a different decal set. Not too bad, but it does need work for best results. The fuselage and the landing components were the most challenging for me. I had to fill and reshape the nose because the plastic was not molded very well and the lading components have a lot of very small fragile parts. These small parts can get easily lost or broken. I pretty much sanded and smoothed out almost every part for best results. Laying the blue pinstripe decals was also a bit challenging because the reference pictures don’t line up correctly. The reference pictures have a smooth rounded tip instead of a point. The blue tip actually goes further up front on the this model. Once I did that, all the pinstripe decals lines up correctly. I painted it mostly with Vallejo and Testor’s model master acrylic paints. I did use my airbrush kit to paint the exterior. Overall I’m very happy with my final results on this one. Note: it comes with NO PILOT!

This is VERY DIFFICULT to assemble- almost impossible for average person.Nothing is said about level of difficulty being like this!! Not something most can do.

Happy nephew equals happy uncle