First, I agree with everything that Lenn said about getting into jets. I already know that you know that the F-18 isn't a beginners jet, and the 1/8th is an extremely high wing loaded jet.
I had the same model and built it from a kit, not an ARF. Mike at GJC installed the bulk heads. I was building it for TG, but never finished it to compete. There are a lot of TG pilots that can't fly this jet. Keeping all 8 gear doors working every flight is a pain in the butt. The nose gear is very delicate and the shear pin bends a lot if you run it off the runway. If you don't fly full scale jets and don't under stand that pitch controls airspeed and power control altitude, your jet will not last. The other issue I found after mine came apart in the air, was; there was only balsa in the stab. I turned up the gain too much on my new Demon and it just disintegrated in the air. Mike and Anton know about this issue. Not sure it was corrected in later models. I originally had a 120 in it, and for a beginner, the jet was behind the power curve. So, if you get into trouble, hard to get yourself out of it. It would peter out on the verticals for a humpty bump. Mine didn't come alive until I put the 160 in it and I wouldn't go any less. Also, a complex jet such as the F-18 is hard to trim with 8 flight controls that move. Change one, it changes them all. If you want a "show pony" that doesn't fly much, then buy it. They are cheap on the market, because they are hard to fly.
Here are some pictures and a video of mine. Everything is painted on the jet, including the emblem!! Used reverse stencils. Also notice there are no rudder servo doors. I put everything inside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrmTJRzN7KU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrmTJRzN7KU Link to watch it full screen.
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