Best basis for a 1/48 YF-16?

[Jay Chladek]

Well, since Habu2's Viper listing seems to be up in smoke I can't just go there for the answer and my memory is a bit fuzzy on this issue. Anyway I've been wondering what the best kit to start with for a YF-16 might be in 1/48? I am aware of three that might be good candidates. They are the old Monogram offering, The Otaki mold (reissued by Arii) and the old Tamiya kit with the left and right split fuselage (I think Otaki's was split the same way). I have heard that the Monogram kit might be the best, but I wanted to get some other opinions first. How good are we talking overall in terms of fit and detailing? What about the ejection seats (Escapac, Stencil)?

Reason I ask is I've been thinking about doing the prototype Falcon YF-16 and maybe an FSD bird (or the AFTI F-16, which used the #5 FSD bird as a basis for it). The AFTI and maybe the CCV bird (converted from the YF-16) might also make good companions to the VISTA F-16D that Two Bobs does some excellent markings for.

[fulcrum]

How's about the Academy kit? it's cheap and nice enough for this project.

Cheers.

:)

[TXCajun]

I posed this same question a while back, since I was given a Monogram kit by a friend. The response I got was to use the Otaki kit with some elements of the Monogram kit (maybe the instrument panel?)

[sv51macross]

There are still google archives of the pages (just some of his photo galleries are closed off because the pages are non-scroll and this the links inaccessible)

http://web.archive.org/web/20080115091736/.../www.habu2.net/

[Jennings]

I looked at it (love the sleek lines of the YF), and gave up. The Otaki kit is as close as you can get, but it's pretty horrible. I'm sure somebody with more talent than I have could do a credible job, but it'd be a big job.

J

[Fuji]

What about this?

I'm sure it will take lots of work, but ..

http://cgi.ebay.com/1976-Monogram-F-16-Air...id=p3286.c0.m14

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-48-TAMIYA-US-AIR-FOR...id=p3286.c0.m14

Edited August 1, 2009 by Fuji

[Spruemeister]

I built the Monogram kit as a kid. Maybe I'll have to include it in a nostalgia build.

Rick L.

[William G]

Hope this helps

Pulled from the Waybackmachine

1:48 scale YF-16 kits by Entex, Otaki, ARII

The Entex, Otaki and ARII kits all share the same molds. The basic kit is of the YF-16 prototype even though several of the releases feature markings of production aircraft. The slender nose, smaller ventral fins, split nose gear door, strake mold lines, ESCAPAC ejection seat, vents below the left side of the canopy, and small scoops behind the main gear doors reflect the prototype aircraft. The two-piece canopy can be built open or closed but cockpit detail is minimal at best. The engine exhaust is blanked off about 1/8" from the end of the nozzle, and the intake is blanked off about 1/2" back from the lip. These kits are unique in that the fuselage is split into left/right halves, where most other F-16 kit splits the fuselage into top/bottom halves, regardless of scale. Stores includes two AIM-9s, four MERs and 24 basic Mk-82s, and an early-style centerline external fuel tank. All these kits have recessed panel lines. Most of the kits I have seen have the trees in separate plastic bags.

1:48 scale F-16 kits by Tamiya, Hobbycraft, Kiddyland

The Tamiya kit is a curious mix of YF-16 prototype and F-16A production features. The kit has the ESCAPAC ejection seat, split nose gear door, and prominent strake mold lines of the YF-16 protoype, but also has the nose/radome shape, ventral strakes and various lumps, bumps and scoops of the F-16A early production airframes. The Tamiya kit is like the Entex/Otaki/ARII kits in that the fuselage is split into left/right halves, where most other F-16 kit splits the fuselage into top/bottom halves, regardless of scale. The intake interior has no ducting and the nose gear well and the inside of the fuselage are visible through the intake. One-piece canopy without frame can only be built in the closed position. All of these kits have raised panel lines.

1:48 scale F-16 kits by Monogram, ESCI, AMT/ERTL

Like the Tamiya kits, the Monogram kits are a curious mix of YF-16 prototype and F-16A production features. The ventral fins, strake mold lines and nose gear door reflect the prototype, but the nose profile and fairings at the base of the vertical fin are representative of the FSD airframes. The two-piece canopy can be built open or closed but cockpit detail is minimal at best. The seat represents a Stencel SIIIS found in the FSD airframes. The wings are molded with the upper fuselage, eliminating wing root gaps and alignment problems, but the lower wing inserts leave gaps that must be filled. The intake has a 'floor' to cover the nose gear bay but the interior of the model is still visible through the intake. At least the engine nozzle has some depth. Stores include two AIM-9s and two early-style external wing fuel tanks. The Monogram kits have raised panel lines.

William G

[Jay Chladek]

Thanks for the help guys. I at least know what paths I can take now to do Falcon #1. I just have to start gathering the resources now. <_<

[Jennings]

Vaya con dios amigo...

J

[Jay Chladek]

Vaya con dios amigo...

J

Or I could try turning an Airfix Nimrod into a Comet airliner.

[theemodelstarter]

Don't feel too bad Jay, I'm backdating the Tamiya 1/32 F-16C to the YF! It's been a bear and I'm in stall mod presently but most of the structural stuff has been finished. Lots of dimensional changes all around. I've done done both the Monogram and Tamiya 1/48 kits too but as shelfers without too much attention to detail except for prominent contour and dimensional fixes. The seat is what I'm wrestling with right now, not sure if I want to use the Stencil or Escapepac, since this may wind up as the CCV demonstrator.

[Jay Chladek]

Don't feel too bad Jay, I'm backdating the Tamiya 1/32 F-16C to the YF! It's been a bear and I'm in stall mod presently but most of the structural stuff has been finished. Lots of dimensional changes all around. I've done done both the Monogram and Tamiya 1/48 kits too but as shelfers without too much attention to detail except for prominent contour and dimensional fixes. The seat is what I'm wrestling with right now, not sure if I want to use the Stencil or Escapepac, since this may wind up as the CCV demonstrator.

I don't feel bad at all as pretty much what I am after is a shelf sitter, or maybe something that can probably do well at a local or perhaps a regional show while probably getting slaughtered at a national level event. I figure if I can at least get close, then I should be fine.

Speaking of the CCV, do you happen to have the 1/48 dimensions for the intake fins? Reason being is I found an old 1980 vintage Revell F-16 in my stash. Since it pretty much represents an FSD bird with a Stencel SIIIS seat I've been toying with the idea to do it up as the F-16 AFTI, circa 1984 (before it got the FLIR pods). As such, I'll need some intake fins for it as supposedly these came from the CCV after it got retired from use. I've done some research on it (even checking out some of the old ARC threads on it) and I think I can do a decent job of it.

[theemodelstarter]

Jay,

I actually cheated on those. I needed to enlarge the Hasegawa decals to 1/32 so I just included the CCV canards in the scan. I eye balled the pivot point on them and the intake surface till I got it to look right.

I do have a set of 1/48 drawings of the YF that were extremely helpful in getting everything moved around to the right places. The whole nose end is shorter except for the strakes and cannon location. I had to move the cockpit , nose well and in take back about 5/16 and the cannon location back forward. shortening the intake to still match up was a real witch with a "B". I'm not going to reduce the wing chord because it's not really noticeable, but the span, horizontal stabs and ventral fins all got chopped to the right shapes. I pirated the vertical mounting base from an old Hasegawa kit then grafted the Tamiya fin back on to it. It's not going to be totally accurate but close enough for my shelf and most contest rooms.

[SouthViper]

I recommend You to use the ARII-OTAKI kit, old but good, recessed panes, right shape.

I think You will need to change the canopy for a bulbous one, add some aftermarket goodies,

Escapac seat (Stencels were for FSDs), also use the old Monogrem 1/48 kit for MLG/NLG.

The two YFs were about 9% smaller dimensionaly , which, in my oppinion, turns any kit of the

F-16 FSD/-A/-C impossible for such conversion !

IF You want an YF-16 the ARII-OTAKI is Your ONLY way by now .

Good Luck !

SouthViper

[Jay Chladek]

I recommend You to use the ARII-OTAKI kit, old but good, recessed panes, right shape.

I think You will need to change the canopy for a bulbous one, add some aftermarket goodies,

Escapac seat (Stencels were for FSDs), also use the old Monogrem 1/48 kit for MLG/NLG.

The two YFs were about 9% smaller dimensionaly , which, in my oppinion, turns any kit of the

F-16 FSD/-A/-C impossible for such conversion !

IF You want an YF-16 the ARII-OTAKI is Your ONLY way by now . :wub:

Good Luck !

SouthViper

Thank you again guys. Time to do some horse trading I guess. :)

JMC

[William G]

Thank you again guys. Time to do some horse trading I guess.

JMC

Jay I will check to see if anyone here in my area has that Arii kit.

besides I still need one of my own for the dust collector known as my model stash...

William G

[Netz]

The one guy who could best answer your questions and help you out on the YF-16 does not post here anymore. Drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch.

Curt

[Rocky]

If someone could just produce a conversion nose for the YF-16, that would be helpful. The Monogram F-16 kit has the YF-16 ridge below the cockpit, and the split YF-16 nose gear doors. The F-16 bump behind the gun port was easy to grind off, and the lower tail fins can be easily clipped to the correct shape. The nose is the hard part. Those fixes won't make an exact YF-16, but its almost there, and the kit came with YF-16 decals.

[Jennings]

What we need is a kit of the YF-16. Trying to convert the old Monogram monster would be (IMHO) more trouble than it's worth. A really nice full resin kit of the YF with decals and parts for all the variations (CCV, etc) would sell enough to make a profit I think. The YF is just too different from any subsequent F-16 to make a conversion worth the work. It really was a totally different airplane.

[LanceB]

If someone could just produce a conversion nose for the YF-16, that would be helpful.

That would require a whole new kit, not a conversion. An F-16 is not just a YF-16 with a bigger nose and some other small details different. The entire airframe was different. The fuselage was longer, the wing larger. If you want a passably accurate YF-16 in your collection the easiest way to get one is to use the 1/72 Hasegawa YF-16 or YF-16/CCV kit. Throw in some better-detailed bits (like landing gear and cockpit tub, but beware of the IP!) from an F-16 kit of your choice, and an Escapac seat from the spares box or aftermarket and you're there. The kit by itself is basically accurate in shape for a YF, it's just "old" and "not up to modern standards" of detail.

In 1/48 use Otaki/Arii for the main airframe, Tamiya for the intake, nozzle, vertical stab, and NLG doors plus a Hasegawa F-16A for cockpit tub and (modded) IP, canopy rails, aft deck & IP coaming section of the upper fuselage, internal exhaust can parts, wingtip launch rails, MLG bay section, landing gear, cannon muzzle port (modded) and canopy (modded). Plus an aftermarket or spares box Escapac seat. You'll have a Frankenstein YF-16 for sure, but that is the only way right now to make a halfway decent model of one in 1/48.

[Rocky]

That would require a whole new kit, not a conversion. An F-16 is not just a YF-16 with a bigger nose and some other small details different. The entire airframe was different. The fuselage was longer, the wing larger.

I know.

Those fixes won't make an exact YF-16...

But I have a Monogram F-16 that I am doing as a nostalgia build. The question I asked myself was, "What do I do with it?". It was produced with YF-16 markings, its half YF-16, and, of course, I built as a YF-16 when I was a kid in the 1970's. My old kit is gone, and I have a new Monogram kit that I wanted to do with the better skills that I have today. So its going to be a YF-16, as best I can make it. It won't be right, but the point is that it will be better than it was. I was pretty much resigned to leave the nose in its F-16 shape, but now I'm wondering if I can replace it with an Arii nose. Does that have the YF-16 shape?

[LanceB]

I was pretty much resigned to leave the nose in its F-16 shape, but now I'm wondering if I can replace it with an Arii nose.

Yes, the Arii has the correct nose shape, so I guess if you were committed to the Monogram kit you could use the Arii nose and perhaps the wings as well? The fuselage would still be a bit long, but a using the nose and wings would make it a lot more YF-16-ish.

[Rocky]

Yes, the Arii has the correct nose shape, so I guess if you were committed to the Monogram kit you could use the Arii nose and perhaps the wings as well? The fuselage would still be a bit long, but a using the nose and wings would make it a lot more YF-16-ish.

I think you just convinced me to leave the old nose on. If I replace the nose, and then the wings, and... What happened to the nostalgia build? It would be half another kit. If I get the Arii kit, I'll use that as a the basis for a correct YF-16, and let my Monogram kit be a Monogram kit.

I loved that Monogram kit. I didn't know what was wrong with it when I built it, and it was the only F-16 kit there was. But what an awesome jet! In 1976, it was very futuristic looking, and the red, white and blue paint looked great. Today, so many F-16s have been built, and it flies with so many air forces, that I see people write that the F-16 is boring. It wasn't when that Monogram kit was released.

[TXCajun]

Good , bad, or ugly - I am pulling together bits to build the Yf out of the Monogram kit. I will probably fill the nose with milliput or resin and shape it down to the proper - or close to proper profile. The intake is not a big deal as the Monogram release I have has the intake plug/cover included. Will probably go with the Model Technologies "Light" landing gear and after-market wheels. I have the old Microscale YF-16 sheet, and an early "A" instrument panel and side consoles from Eduard. These will be modified to work. Will also go with a one-piece vacu-formed canopy pulled over the original Monogram canopy.

What is bugging me to no end, though, is I can't find good pictures of the cockpit, especially the ejection seat and the area behind the seat. No after-market resin seats are available for this particular seat. Any GD/Lockheed Martin folks here that might be able to help me out?