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Hi All

Apparently being a moderator for a GB requires you to actually build something... so here is my thread. I'm mainly going to build F-16s, but I've got alot of other things going too, so I'll drop them all in here.... everything is in 1/72.

Why F-16s? Well the 1970s and 1980s fascinated me as a period... to the extent I studied it for part of a degree. Between the Brezhnev and Carter/Reagan buildups as well as the application of new tactical, operational and strategic doctrines, it was a period of immense fluctuations. It was also the synthesis of the lessons of Vietnam. To me the F-16 was one of the best representations of this period: the combinations of lessons learned in Vietnam that was honed into a sleek and deadly package. It became even more apparent when I read the professional autobiography of General Bill Creech, and his efforts to adapt the F-16s better to the Airland battle doctrine, including the addition of the Lantirn pod system for night attack. It also helped that as a kid one of the aircraft I fondly remember seeing was a block-40 at a local airshow.

Anywho.. my first production "batch" will be three F-16s, none of which are Block 40s.

Fujimi F-16D 480th TFS/Spangdahlem 85-572(Black Owls kit) These images are all courtesy of F-16.net.

Hasegawa F-16A Block 15 50th TFS/Hahn 81-757 (Thunderbird boxing with the Hahn Boxing decals). This is her in the early 1980s, without the gun smoke 1983 livery.

Hasegawa F-16C Block 30 512th TFS/Ramstein 85-412 (Block 50 CJ kit but I'll just use its block 30 parts., but with superscale 86th TFW decals) The photo is of her after going off the runway due to being caught in an F-111 jet wash in 1988.

So these are the boxes for the Hase kits.

4R7.jpg

I picked hase kits because they are cheap, really simple to build, and seem to be fairly accurate for early F-16s. For them I bought a Quickboost F-16D Seat set, well, because they were cheaper and they help to make the cockpit a bit more "busy."

4R2.jpg

I set about building the cockpits. The Fujimi one, as others have noted is pretty bad, but I dressed up the seat a bit with seat belts made from tape and dirtied it with oil stain from tamiya weathering box. The Hasegawa kits got their QB seats, which I painted using Vallejo, and more weathering. I used the kit decals for the control panels ect. This is how they turned out. ( I think the photo actually does not do it justice... it much more crisp and very flat when seen upclose.)

4R4.jpg

Next I prepped the fuselages:

4R3.jpg

Then assembled them altogether. The fujimi one lived up to her reputation of being not a great build; it required quite a bit of clamping and Tamiya Extra thin to fix its seams.

4R5.jpg

And that's where I am for today. In the next few days I hope to get the gear bays and intake sprayed, canopy tinted and one of the primary colors down.

Edited by -Neu-
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  • 3 weeks later...

Time for another update.

Work on the fujimi F-16D has slowed a bit, partly because its actually really a bear of a kit.

So here are the F-16A Block 15 and the C block 30. I painted the exhaust by priming with Mr Surfacer spray, then using Aluminum Alclad II over top. Then I finished with an brown/black oil wash, giving a burnt texture, and tamiya blue finishing wash to give the blue ring. I used black to undertake pre-shading.

4S1.jpg

Next I masked using Playdough and tape... This is the Block 15.

4U1.jpg

FInally here they are, all painted up, and after a future gloss coat.

4U3.jpg

4U4.jpg

Undersides of the Block 15.

4U13.jpg

I'll need to do a bit of touch up on the Block 30, but I should have them decaled by thursday or so.

Here is the Fujimi D... slowly getting there, but still a bit behind.

4U12.jpg

So I had a bit of time as stuff dried and started a Tamiya P-51, and a Sword P-80. I'll post the P-80 in a different thread, but for now this is the Mustang. I'm using Daco Decals post war occupational forces sheet, courtesy of a fellow member. I built up the cockpit oob, but used tape for the seatbelts.

4U2.jpg

and this is where it is now:

4U11.jpg

Thanks for looking.

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  • 1 month later...

Another update:

I've finished the F-16A, but I don't really have any good photos of it....

4w2.jpg

4w3.jpg

It wasn't the best of outcomes, but I think I learned a couple of things that I'll use on my other F-16s. I'll probably do less wash and more pre/postshading as well as fading. Oh and I won't forget the RWR on the next ones too.

I also primed the P-51, alcladed it, decalled. It needs a few final details (I need to finish the prop) but its nearly complete.

4V6.jpg

My gloss black system. Stick a hand drill down the intake, which is held by a box, and then put it into the washroom with a fan so it doesn't stink up the place.

4w1.jpg

4Y1.jpg

4Y2.jpg

4Y3.jpg

Finally, I've started on one of the other F-16s a C from Ramstein. Unfortunately my Superscale sheet did not have wing walk stencils, so I had to paint them on via masking.

4z1.jpg

4z2.jpg

I'll soon be starting my next F-16C, a block 40 555 FS bird from 1997.

Thanks for looking.

Edited by -Neu-
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  • 2 weeks later...

So time for another update.

I guess I'll start off with what is "done" I've basically finished the 512 CO's aircraft, a Block 30. The only thing that is missing is some armaments. I've got some B61s coming, so I'm going to arm this one with a Victor Loadout: Stations 1/9= AIM-9, Stations 2/8, Aim-9, Stations 3/7 B61, Stations 4/6 Gas, and station 5 ECM.

5A20.jpg

5A19.jpg

And with its Hahn Colleague:

5A17.jpg

5A15.jpg

Next up is the P-80 I've been working on. I believe its the 22nd Squadron from the 36th Fighter bomber group. I'll skip the construction parts.

5A2.jpg

Primed using Mr Surfacer and polished with a 3M pad

5A5.jpg

And with Alclad Stainless steel painted on

5A6.jpg

5A7.jpg

Hopefully I can get it decaled and glosscoated by the end of the week.

Afterwards I'm going to start on two more F-16s, a 526 TFS from the same time as the 512 Bird, and the aviano 555 squadron aircraft that was shot down during Allied Force.

Edited by -Neu-
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Thanks AX...

Funny you should say that... I already started on the next two:

5B1.jpg

The 555 aircraft Block 40 (on the right) uses the CMK exterior kit, the nicer stabs from the fujimi kit (with molded static dischargers) and a Quickboost seat, while the 526 aircraft is a block 30 (on the left) that will only use a quickboost seat. I'm trying to make the Block 40 the culmination of everything I've learned building the previous three aircraft. Hopefully it will come out well.

I painted the cockpits a few nights ago and intend to decal them up tonight. Photos to follow that.

Edited by -Neu-
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  • 2 months later...

Its a bit late of an update but I got about five aircraft done for this group build. I've just got to decal the 555 TFS F-16's weapons before I attach them. Unfortunately I have a 526 TFS F-16 incomplete... it just need to be decalled. I'll have more tomorrow when I have some better light.

5D2.jpg

5D3.jpg

5D4.jpg

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