So whatever happened to Academy/AFV F-16 two-seaters?

[VADM Fangschleister]

Seems I'm (very) late to the party and after realizing that Academy did a 1/32 F-16I SUFA, then learning that AFV Club sold the two-seaters as B's and D's....I'm hard-pressed to find them anywhere for sale.

I read about shape issues, etc....but it didn't cause me all that much distress to force being disinterested.

So...did they just pop one squirt of hot plastic through the molds and then realize the errors and didn't do any more cycles on the molds?

Seems a shame that the ONLY 1/32 F-16 two-seater isn't being produced in greater quantities, shape issues or not.

Anyone have the answer? I searched the forums and didn't find much.

UF

Edited October 22, 2016 by VADM Fangschleister

[phantomdriver]

A couple of months ago , I saw one on Hannants, it was going for loony money £157.00..

[DonSS3]

I'm surprised they didn't do any in 1/48.

[fulcrum1]

I think you'll see some form of their two seater again. You can always grab the Sufa or AFV version on Ebay or try here.

[Dave Roof]

www.freetimehobbies.com

 

They're in Blue Ridge, GA about an hour north of me. I was at the store two weeks ago and they had 2 in stock. I didn't look at the price though, so I have no idea how much they are.

 

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by Dave Roof

[phantomdriver]

If the Hannants price is anything to go by... almost double the original Academy kit...

[VADM Fangschleister]

Thanks, Dave. I scoped out their website---$216 + shipping.

I guess their rarity is causing them to go up in price. I suppose if I had the cash to waste, I'd go and do that...but it seems a bit ridiculous.

Deep in my heart of hearts, I am imagining that they are re-tooling the fuselage parts to correct the shape issues and are waiting until the original moldings are sold out so as to protect the investments of the retailers who bought them when they first came out. So, attached to that thought process it may be prudent to just wait and see if they re-release them with "new IMPROVED cleaning power" like they do with soaps of all kinds every so often.

I just thought it'd be fun to do a B or D with minimal aftermarket and park it next to the Tamiya Block 25 "C" that I have yet to build, adorned with the squadron I was in at Luke AFB in the late 80's.

Or.....not.

I just think it's cool to have two-seaters available at all.

[phantomdriver]

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/AR32S02

 

 

[VADM Fangschleister]

Yeah, that's just stupid money for it.

I can wait.

[VADM Fangschleister]

How about that?

Thanks, KEi, Interestingly, just searching 1/32 F-16 doesn't provide those listings.

I snagged one for $110 w/free shipping and also bought one of Chris's superb intake sets. Will have to retro it (the kit) some to make it a block 25 for when I was @ Luke that's what the 314th had. I can resin-copy Tamiya's closed PW F100 nozzle, I think.

I really appreciate the link assist. Much more reasonably priced than the over $200 bit.

Now I anxiously wait the mail so I can fondle plastic and put it in the stash. (Yes...the stash...for when I'm much older and retired and have little to do but glue bits together and get paint all over my clothes.)

Edited October 23, 2016 by VADM Fangschleister

[habu2]

A couple of years ago Academy announced an F-16F Block 60, kit 12119, but I don't think they ever released it.

[VADM Fangschleister]

Just got Chris Wilson's (Zactoman) replacement intake for the 1/32 Academy F-16 kit.

This piece of resin, like all of Chris's work is simply extraordinary. Absolutely professionally done, packaged and with a set of instructions that rival anything put out by anyone else.

I can't praise Chris enough. His work is the kind that modelers really want to make their models something to really be proud of. The amount of careful, analytical thought that goes into his stuff is remarkable.

Now...if we could just get him to make a 1/48 closed P&W F100 nozzle. :-)