F-16A Plus canopies

[RickyBob]

I'm getting back to modeling after a long layoff. I'm starting with and F-16A Plus with Wolfpack markings. Were the "A" canopies tinted? There's a pad on the back seat labelled Khaki Green. What would be the best color to use for this?

[achterkirch]

The one pic that I have from that unit when the flew F-16A plus. It looks like the canopy isn’t tinted and the seat cousin is olive drab. 

[RickyBob]

Thanks,

 

I did some research on the web and came up with OD also. I figures the later models had the tinted canopy. Thanks for the response. It verified what I found out.

 

[Mstor]

1 hour ago, achterkirch said:

and the seat cousin is olive drab

 

Oh man, I was so tempted to make some sort of witty comment about relations.  Probably auto-correct going crazy, yes?

[RickyBob]

I never noticed the typo. I ordered the ejection seat and decal sheet. They should be here in about a week. It'll give me time to get the paints together. Thanks again for the help.

 

[habu2]

“Tinted” canopies were actually standard canopies with a thin “tinted” film applied to the inner surface. This was done for reasons best not discussed in public forums. 

 

No matter the reason, canopies were often interchanged between airframes, and the coating was easily scratched. This not only reduced it’s effectiveness but was a maintenance nightmare. The coating also played havoc with internal reflections. 

 

As a result, there was a narrow chronological window when F-16s had “tinted” canopies. They were later replaced with a better solution to the problem. 

 

Your best modeling option is to find photos of the specific airframe you want to model.  Also note that the main canopy and rear perspex were seperate pieces, sometimes both, neither, or only one was tinted. 

 

.

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by habu2
typos

[Slartibartfast]

F-16 ADF 82-1001 (Courtesy of 147th FIW/111th FIS historian)

 

 

If there's a gold film, it's very thin on these early aircraft.

[RickyBob]

I'd like to thank everyone who sent me info. Much appreciated.

[achterkirch]

On 3/11/2019 at 8:49 PM, Mstor said:

 

Oh man, I was so tempted to make some sort of witty comment about relations.  Probably auto-correct going crazy, yes?

Oh ya auto correct is good for some zingers. Ha Ha. 

[BillS]

    I was on 16s as a maintenance officer in 4 units on and off between 1981-2004. The “gold” tinted canopies were around in the late 80s and early 90s or thereabouts. F-16 canopies are kind of an esoteric thing. At one time I understood the rational behind all the varieties but canopies with a smokey solar tint and what appeared to be very lightly tinted coexisted. The “clearish” ones had a very faint tint when you compared it to the Aft Transparency (correct nomenclature) or what crew chiefs called the “opera glass”. These were truly clear. My best recollection of gold tinted canopies was a jet we had with an improperly staticly bonded canopy. In certain weather conditions, static would build up and when the pilot touched the inside of the canopy it would discharge with a loud bang knocking that gold material off like small fragments of glitter.

   Other aircraft have similar coatings, The E-2C is one. An E-2 pilot told me it was to refelct radar enrgy from the rotodome away from the cockpit.