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Hi i'm trying to build an accurate f 16xle from the attic conversion set, but i dont quite understand what is ment by a seamless intake, what does this exactly mean, i know the xle use's the small mouth intake with the pratt and whtny exhaust. Could i use the small mouth intake from the donor kit wich is the tamiya f16 or is it totally different somehow.

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Typically, a jet model's intake is built by assembling at least two parts to form the intake's tube. This causes part seams to be formed on the inside of the tube that may be difficult to eliminate. Some aftermarket vendors sell a seamless intake tube that replaces the kit's tube. HTH.

Cheers,

Terry

Edited by loftycomfort
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Sometimes you have to do some work to the inside of the kit to put a seamless intake in. It's like a resin detail set, in that you have to make it fit a certain way.

A couple examples of a seamless intake and the end result:

01-150.jpg

A-7%20throat.jpg

Many kits have left/right or top/bottom intakes, if at all, and the confined space means that many times seams are impossible to eradicate. Your model may look great until somebody looks down the mouth and sees these plastic lines. I got around this once with a self-levelling glue and let it "fill" a horrible seam on my F101B once, but have not been able to replicate that effect since. Beginner's luck, perhaps.

The other alternative involves sanding sticks, rolled up sandpaper, pushing squares of sandpaper with the tips of iron files, etc... It's not easy or fun.

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Another option that works really good, is working the seams as best as possible, and then coating the intake w/ white latex house paint. Seal one end of the intake, and pour the paint into it. Let the paint sit for a few minutes, and then remove the seal from the end of the intake, and let the paint drain out. If it comes out right, you end up w/ an almost perfectly smooth intake w/ no flaws or imperfections. Unfortunately its very easy to screw it up. I tried it 4 or 5 times for the intakes on an F-15 I was working on, and never did get it to come out quite right.

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A seamless intake is the least of your worries!

Haha....Jennings is right. But hey, sometimes that's part of the journey. Mine has been stalled for a while:

893887978_FZszg-M.jpg

Anyway, I can't speak for the newer offering. I have a few of their previous versions in the stash. The ones for the Hasegawa kit. I tried to put a Seamless Sucker big mouth intake in there for my build (which is a What-If Block 50 thingy). After some work, the intake fit. But when I went to assemble the fuselage halves I found that the tube for the Seamless Sucker would not fit. The resin on the fuselage halves was too thick and would not fit with the tube in place. I took out my Dremel and went to work, but I still couldn't get the halves thin enough without grinding a hole in the fuselage.

Unfortunately I found out too late and my intake was already in place :monkeydance: Others may have found a way around this, but I just wanted to caution you on that issue. Good luck!

--Will

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Haha....Jennings is right. But hey, sometimes that's part of the journey. Mine has been stalled for a while:

893887978_FZszg-M.jpg

Anyway, I can't speak for the newer offering. I have a few of their previous versions in the stash. The ones for the Hasegawa kit. I tried to put a Seamless Sucker big mouth intake in there for my build (which is a What-If Block 50 thingy). After some work, the intake fit. But when I went to assemble the fuselage halves I found that the tube for the Seamless Sucker would not fit. The resin on the fuselage halves was too thick and would not fit with the tube in place. I took out my Dremel and went to work, but I still couldn't get the halves thin enough without grinding a hole in the fuselage.

Unfortunately I found out too late and my intake was already in place :bandhead2: Others may have found a way around this, but I just wanted to caution you on that issue. Good luck!

--Will

Hi its kia here your f 16xlf looks cool is that the ATTIc set, i didn't know you got the nose cone and how come you've used the kit rear part of the fuselage. yours looks like it all fits really well and i hope mine looks half as good as yours. i've also got the kangam 32 scale xle but it's the totally wrong shape as well as a couple of 1/44 kits. have you got any finnished pic of your xlf, or and any advice on building a f 16xl. Thank you sorry for spelling i'm off back to college now, on my dinner break.

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Am I the only one who thinks a really accurate, really well done 1/48 XL conversion for the Tamiya kit would sell like crazy? Heck even in 1/32 I bet it would. I may have to talk to somebody I know...

:bandhead2:

J

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Hi Kia,

Yes, that is the older ATTIC conversion set. With that version you needed to cut the rear fuselage from the Hasegawa donor kit and mate it with the conversion set. As I was building a "What-If" F-16XL flying in Afghanistan to support OEF, I used the Royal Resin F-16 set (which is where the nose came from). Unfortunately I still have yet to complete the build. It pretty much looks like the picture I showed earlier. I have the fuselage completed, with the Black Box cockpit wedged in there. But I still have not attached the wings yet, which will be interesting. They are pretty heavy and I am a little worried about getting them aligned properly.

When I saw the new ATTIC conversion set, I thought it might be better since they molded the wings and fuselage together as one piece. This definitely would make it easier to assemble the wings, but after I got my hands on one and took a look, I felt I preferred the previous version more.

I'll pass you a link to my build once I get some updates to it. I've also contemplated getting the Kangam kit but haven't had the chance yet. I've read it isn't the most accurate kit, but it has to be a much easier route to getting an XL on the display shelf.

Jennings, I would definitely be interested in picking up a few sets if they ever came out. Besides the "What-If" build, I'll be doing Ship 1 and Ship 2 as well. But my tastes definitely "seem" to be in the minority. I'm still waiting for more 1/48 SR-71 decals and B-1B burner cans to come out and am baffled at how they haven't made it to market yet. I've heard the rumors....but I won't believe it until I actually get my hands on them.

--Will

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Hi Kia,

Yes, that is the older ATTIC conversion set. With that version you needed to cut the rear fuselage from the Hasegawa donor kit and mate it with the conversion set. As I was building a "What-If" F-16XL flying in Afghanistan to support OEF, I used the Royal Resin F-16 set (which is where the nose came from). Unfortunately I still have yet to complete the build. It pretty much looks like the picture I showed earlier. I have the fuselage completed, with the Black Box cockpit wedged in there. But I still have not attached the wings yet, which will be interesting. They are pretty heavy and I am a little worried about getting them aligned properly.

When I saw the new ATTIC conversion set, I thought it might be better since they molded the wings and fuselage together as one piece. This definitely would make it easier to assemble the wings, but after I got my hands on one and took a look, I felt I preferred the previous version more.

I'll pass you a link to my build once I get some updates to it. I've also contemplated getting the Kangam kit but haven't had the chance yet. I've read it isn't the most accurate kit, but it has to be a much easier route to getting an XL on the display shelf.

Jennings, I would definitely be interested in picking up a few sets if they ever came out. Besides the "What-If" build, I'll be doing Ship 1 and Ship 2 as well. But my tastes definitely "seem" to be in the minority. I'm still waiting for more 1/48 SR-71 decals and B-1B burner cans to come out and am baffled at how they haven't made it to market yet. I've heard the rumors....but I won't believe it until I actually get my hands on them.

--Will

Thanks for all youe advice and the link to your build when done. The kangam/revel 32 kit is totally wrong it doesn't have the tilt of the reaf fuselage, and is only the same lengh as a normal f 16a so this also means the wings are also the wrong shape and size. It would be to much work to correct all this but who know's anything about the 72 scale monagram kit whats it like in reguards to shape? Thanks again.

:cheers: Jennings i would also pay my full college fee for a F 16xle/f correct conversion or even one of a good kit. COME ON HASEGAWA/ TAMIYA pull it together.

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