Photos of real aircraft...
F/A-18C (the original Hornet) at top of the article. I see lots of panel lines:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F/A-18_Hornet
This F/A-18F Super Hornet looks to have panel lines, but they're a bit more muted:
https://airshow.acchamber.com/project/f-18-super-hornet/
Top of this article gave me a slide show (on my phone... Have discovered a PC might display images differently...) of 3 images. First 2, the aircraft look smooth. Last one, very faint lines:
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/fa18/?cf-view
Like most things in this hobby, it comes down to individual taste. Some people like the detail showing. Makes them feel like they got a good model. Others want "better scale," where panel lines in actual scale in 1/700 would be "micro-hairs." A line less than 1/4 inch wide in real life would practically need a microscope to see in scale in 1/700. Such a smooth model can seem "too plain," however.
Over on E-Bay Snowman Models is selling 1/700 modern USN aircraft. I am thinking those panel lines are too pronounced and even when painted will make the aircraft look like a flying Frankenstein. Thoughts?
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