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CD48160 - 1/48 F-16 "Viper" - The Early Years


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This sheet is nearing completion and I will try to make it available in January. Markings for both prototypes, rollout scheme and the blue camouflage if applicable. Also F-16/79 and F-16/101, and perhaps even the CCV and  AFTI F-16 if I can find the space. I will post profiles soon after Thanksgiving.

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Good news.

 

If you want to build a YF prototype or the CCV bird I would suggest starting with the old ARII / Otaki / Entex kit.

 

If you want to build an FSD or Block 01/05/10 bird I would start with the original Revell (not the Revell-reboxed Monogram) kit or backdate the Hasegawa.

 

The original Monogram, Esci/AMT and early Tamiya kits are all a mish-mash of YF/FSD details and best avoided or just used for parts.

 

I wish someone would do a resin AFTI spine and strake pods in 48th.  IPMS did one many years ago in 72nd, good luck finding one.

 

.

 

Edited by habu2
I have lysdexia....
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Many years ago I had a website with a series of pages dedicated to the F-16 including a compilation of available models and decals. I lost access to the web hosting server in probably 2007 and the purpose of my old site has been mostly replaced by the info on scalemates.com. The old website was captured by a wayback web archive so most of it can still be viewed. While there have been no updates in over a decade the info is still relevant for those wanting to build an “Early Viper”. In addition to the scale model pages there are also links to compilations of photos of YF-16 #2 in the “cloud” scheme, the AFTI F-16 and the CAS/BAI “Charcoal Lizard” jets. 

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20080102151609fw_/http://www.habu2.net/vipers/index.html

 

Hopefully all my old work is still helpful to modelers when this fantastic sheet is released. 

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Can anyone help with the markings on the CCV jet? I scoured the Internet and found a few good photos, but I certainly need better and larger photos I missed(as a general rule, if you can find it with a 2-minute Google search; I already have it).

 

A high-resolution scan of the Hasegawa 1/72 scale decal sheet with CCV markings would also be very helpful - please send it to the "info AT caracalmodels.com" address if you have one.

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The Aerograph book is great but it only has a few B&W pics of the CCV.  Look for a book called "On Falcon Wings" by Lindsay Peacock, it has a good color closeup of the inlet (port side) and another color port side pic of the jet in flight.

 

I have a 1/48 decal sheet for the CCV from an old Kiddyland kit, here is a lo-res scan from my Viper pages mentioned above.  I can get a better scan but not before this weekend.

 

HF-19decal.jpg

 

PS - the mailman just delivered my latest order while I was typing this !! 🙂

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Kursad

If you have not yet received a High Res scan of the 1/72 Hasegawa CCV decals, I can find my copy in my stash this weekend and send it to you. I REALLY appreciate you adding these markings to the early F-16 sheet especially if you eventually print it in 1/72!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

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On 12/5/2019 at 7:53 AM, Mike J. Idacavage said:

Kursad

If you have not yet received a High Res scan of the 1/72 Hasegawa CCV decals, I can find my copy in my stash this weekend and send it to you. I REALLY appreciate you adding these markings to the early F-16 sheet especially if you eventually print it in 1/72!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

 

Hi Mike - thanks for your offer. I am still waiting for a high resolution scan of this sheet - so if you can spare yours and lend it to me for a short time, or send me a scan, it will be great. Thanks!

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6 hours ago, KursadA said:

 

Hi Mike - thanks for your offer. I am still waiting for a high resolution scan of this sheet - so if you can spare yours and lend it to me for a short time, or send me a scan, it will be great. Thanks!

 

I just pulled a bunch of pics from reference books and was about to upload them.  I didn't get decal images because I assumed you already had them.  Let me see what I can do.

 

edit: email sent to info@caracal....

 

.

 

Edited by habu2
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17 hours ago, habu2 said:

 

I just pulled a bunch of pics from reference books and was about to upload them.  I didn't get decal images because I assumed you already had them.  Let me see what I can do.

 

I got the photos, and they will be very useful for clearing up quite a few questions I had - much appreciated. 

 

I will include the RF-4 marking on the sheet as a bonus - what does the rest of this RF-4 look like? Are there any other specific markings on it?

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Sorry there was only that one pic of the port side nose. It was an RF-4C and most likely taken at Florennes in Belgium in June 1975.  The photo is credited to JL Beghin, most likely this guy:

 

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/beghin_jl.htm

 

There may be pics from the 1975 Paris Air Show where it might show up in the background. 

 

In another book I found a pic of YF#1 in formation with an RF-4 taken at Wright Pat in 1975. I don’t know if it is the same Phantom (taken from stbd side, b&w and blurry) but there are no tail codes and only a partial serno visible, 464 most likely RF-4C 67-0464. Sorry that’s all I have. 
 

.edit: check your email

 

Edited by habu2
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Thanks - it looks like there was a lot of video footage from the 1975 European demo that has been posted to YouTube and such, so I am going through those videos to find out the details of the RF-4.

 

Lots of interesting early F-16 info out there - this video showing the AIM-7 installation on the YF-16 is very interesting, and provides the best view of the super-weird landing gear door mounted Sparrow setup that was tested for a short time (watch the video at 2:40; turn volume down to protect yourself from the 1970s soundtrack).

 

 

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I caught a glimpse of the Edwards RF-4C accompanying the F-16 CCV in another video on YouTube, and the serial seems to be 67-0465 : I wonder if this is the aircraft that flew alongside the YF-16 in the 1975 European demo tour.

 

A few more gems :

 

F-16 Radar Missile Development (check out the Sparrow landing gear door Sparrow setup, and the dual GBU-10 + targeting pod on YF-16! )

 

 

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9 hours ago, KursadA said:

I caught a glimpse of the Edwards RF-4C accompanying the F-16 CCV in another video on YouTube, and the serial seems to be 67-0465 : I wonder if this is the aircraft that flew alongside the YF-16 in the 1975 European demo tour.

 

A few more gems :

 

F-16 Radar Missile Development (check out the Sparrow landing gear door Sparrow setup, and the dual GBU-10 + targeting pod on YF-16! )

 

 

 

That is a great video. A pretty clever idea to use the gear doors that way. Thanks for sharing!

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On 12/9/2019 at 2:14 PM, KursadA said:

 

Hi Mike - thanks for your offer. I am still waiting for a high resolution scan of this sheet - so if you can spare yours and lend it to me for a short time, or send me a scan, it will be great. Thanks!

Hi Kursad, will do! I had to take a business trip the last few days so I just read your post. I'll dig up the kit after work tonight and either take a high res scan or send you the decal.

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

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6 hours ago, cag_200 said:

That Marietta-laser designator pod was already a fixed position for later future.

 

The pod used during the YF-16 weapons testing was the ATLIS II.  The chin (inlet) mounts for sensor pods were not on the early production blocks (FSD  01 05 10).  The earliest production block with inlet mounting positions (STA 5L & 5R) was Block 15 as part of the first MSIP program. 

 

The door-mounted Sparrows were unique but all launches were unguided, neither YF-16 had a radar.  In fact AIM-7 was not an option on production F-16s until the ADF mod when the APG-66 was modified for CW illumination the AIM-7 required for guidance.

 

.

Edited by habu2
clarification
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