Old Academy F-16C kit #12259

[ElectroSoldier]

On 8/15/2022 at 8:44 PM, habu2 said:

 

While the kit lacks many of the Block 40/42 "Night Falcon" features it can be built OOB as a LANTIRN carrying Block 25/30/32 C model with the CUPID upgrade, you would need aftermarket decals/markings. 

 

12 hours ago, Niels said:

DACO sheets were designed for the Hasegawa F-16 kit series as this was the best available at the time. Academy is a blunt copy of the Hasegawa kit, so answer is yes. 

I was thinking more aboubt HABU2's post above

[ElectroSoldier]

13 hours ago, Niels said:

DACO sheets were designed for the Hasegawa F-16 kit series as this was the best available at the time. Academy is a blunt copy of the Hasegawa kit, so answer is yes. 

Ive just had both sets of parts for each kit spread out on the desk and Im not sure if we are talking about the same kits or not but there are some very significant differences between the kits...

Its not a copy in any way at all, other than the fact they are both of an F-16.

 

 

[Niels]

Well, copy it is, the only things changed are to stay out of the copy infringement rules, this has been established years ago. Any aftermarket accessories you find for Hasegawa suits the Academy kit aswell. But this is a different discussion.  

 

As for making this into a block 40/42, you are missing the WAR HUD which is perticular to the block 40/42. But you can make it into an A-model block 15 using parts A1/A2, or block 25/32 using part D39/D40. But without the proper WAR HUD it will never be a block 40/42. As you're missing the GE engine exhaust you will not be able to make it into a block 30/40 or 50.

[ElectroSoldier]

3 hours ago, Niels said:

Well, copy it is, the only things changed are to stay out of the copy infringement rules, this has been established years ago. Any aftermarket accessories you find for Hasegawa suits the Academy kit aswell. But this is a different discussion.  

 

As for making this into a block 40/42, you are missing the WAR HUD which is perticular to the block 40/42. But you can make it into an A-model block 15 using parts A1/A2, or block 25/32 using part D39/D40. But without the proper WAR HUD it will never be a block 40/42. As you're missing the GE engine exhaust you will not be able to make it into a block 30/40 or 50.

Regarding the Academy kit I would like to build it as an F-16C Block 30A which as far as I know has the small mouth with the F110 engine.
Which brings me on to this

 

Aires Aircraft exhausts - AIRE4431 | Hannants

[Niels]

If you swap the exhaust to a GE one, you're good to go. 

[habu2]

The Academy kit is heavily based on the Hasegawa kit with the following differences:

- lower wing parts molded with lower fuselage (separate on Hasegawa)

- sides of aft fuselage are straight, lack the correct canted/sloped angle of the vertical face (Hasegawa got it right)

- canopy lacks the convex bubble shape of Hasegawa canopy

- inlet opening is poorly done on Academy (compared to Hasegawa)

- armament and decal obviously

 

The molds are so similar it's easy to swap parts between kits. The scribing, panel lines, landing gear and gear well details are identical. Also compare the inside of the fuselage halves you will see the same mold artifacts. 

[ElectroSoldier]

15 minutes ago, habu2 said:

The Academy kit is heavily based on the Hasegawa kit with the following differences:

- lower wing parts molded with lower fuselage (separate on Hasegawa)

- sides of aft fuselage are straight, lack the correct canted/sloped angle of the vertical face (Hasegawa got it right)

- canopy lacks the convex bubble shape of Hasegawa canopy

- inlet opening is poorly done on Academy (compared to Hasegawa)

- armament and decal obviously

 

The molds are so similar it's easy to swap parts between kits. The scribing, panel lines, landing gear and gear well details are identical. Also compare the inside of the fuselage halves you will see the same mold artifacts. 

I noticed that the upper fuselage parts are also different.

The Hasegawa kit has the flat sides of the fuselage as part of the lower while academy puts that on both.

[habu2]

3 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

I noticed that the upper fuselage parts are also different.

The Hasegawa kit has the flat sides of the fuselage as part of the lower while academy puts that on both.

 

That's an example of how Academy simplified the molds when they copied them from Hasegawa.  Same reason the Academy canopy isn't convex, the molds were cheaper.