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Hasegawa 1/48 F-16 - how was it received when it was first released?


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I see on Scalemates the first Hasegawa F-16 was released in 1983, so it is 40 years old.  I understand it was the first accurate kit of a production F-16A, as the other kits on the market at the time depicted the YF-16.  Was this kit eagerly anticipated back in 83? Was it expensive?  Was Hasegawa widely available in the US at that time?  

 

  In 1983 I was in 2nd grade, and had not yet been exposed to model magazines, I was building snap tites, and my Dad was building kits like the Monogram F-86 , and  F-100.  By the time I was old enough to buy my own stuff, I seem to remember not even looking at Hasegawa at the hobby store since they were really expensive.  

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Since there was no internet back then, there was no forum like this for posting one way or another if the kit was good or bad or what was wrong with it.  For magazine choices you had Finescale and Scale Modeller (I think that is it).  I don't remember anything like critical reviews back then.  That would have been biting the hand that feeds you.  You had to figure out for yourself if a kit was good or bad.  I also don't remember getting advanced notice that a kit was being released.  It just showed up at the hobby shop.  I remember building kits back then that I wouldn't touch now a days.  I guess I'm a modelling snob.  The internet and forums like this have given everyone a chance to express their opinion on anything.

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Back in the day Hasegawa was considered a premier manufacturer, the kits featured nice crisp detail and were generally accurate.  IIRC I paid a very pricey $25 Cdn at the LHS (later F-14 at $80 or F-18 $60).  Fast forward 40 years and while they are still decent and good beginner kits, they are somewhat lacking accuracy and detail.  To answer your questions, it was a sought after, if pricey kit that you had to order through your LHS or mail in to places like Squadron.

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The Verlinden Lock-On book was first printed in 1983 and they gushed over the kit in their review.  IIRC they were around USD$12-$15 back then (equals $36-$45 today).

 

The 1/32 kit was released five years earlier and was named "Model of the Year" by Scale Modeler magazine.

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Back in the day Hasegawa was considered the "king". All my models in my stash are Hasegawa except until recent years. The kit was known to go together very well and, the seams kinda disappeared if you did it right. After getting back into the hobby in the early nineties, a Hasegawa 1/48th F-16C was my first build with a airbrush and, I enjoyed it.

Everything Goeff said above is accurate and brings back great memories of going to your local hobby shop and checking out what was new.

Steve

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The Hasegawa F-16s were "King of the Hill" until the Tamiya kits came out. If a newbie wanted a good simple jet a Hase F-16 was my recommendation. Really it hasn't been until other companies started releasing modern tooled kits in the last decade that Hasegawa slipped from the #1 spot for any of the 1:48 Jets they tooled.

 

It was around 1988 when I first saw Hasegawa kits in a hobby shop in the Kansas City area and the 1/48 F-16B was the first I bought. It was also a novelty to see a dedicated two seater kit of what was normally only available as a single seat fighter. Back then I'd have to spend a day driving into KC and stopping by several shops to see what was "new" to me. Only a couple carried any aftermarket. Only one of those shops is still open and it's primarily an RC shop now with the plastic off in one corner. I haven't been by in probably 5 years.

 

My local (now gone) wouldn't stock Hasegawa until the mid-90s as they were too expensive to sell according to the owner. From what I recall their basic F-16s were a relatively affordable $20 back then compared the F-14 ($60) and F-15 ($45) kits. I recall seeing the F/A-18 being around $75 on store shelves when it came out.

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Thanks for the context. I do remember sometimes in magazines they would mention kit announcements from manufacturers, and when I saw something I wanted, I would have to check out the hobby store to see if it was out yet.  

 

It was fun to go to the hobby store and see what was new. And like Crash Test Dummy said above, to go to several hobby stores, different stores seemed to favor different stuff, so you really had to go to them all to see what was new.

 

Thanks for also confirming my theory that Hasegawa was the king before Tamiya really started to step up. Hasegawa is focusing on cars now, and their car kits are awesome. But I do miss the days when they were actively releasing new aircraft kits. 

 

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Oh, I recall the Hasegawa 1/48 Viper kits having been Heaven sent after having built that awful Monogram hybrid and devoid of detail kit. :doh:

Now the noob question every then and now: why does the F-16 have an arrestor hook for if it's not a carrier-borne/naval aircraft? :hmmm:

Please be gentle.

Cheers,

 

Gwen

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43 minutes ago, Gwen Phoenix said:

Oh, I recall the Hasegawa 1/48 Viper kits having been Heaven sent after having built that awful Monogram hybrid and devoid of detail kit. :doh:

Now the noob question every then and now: why does the F-16 have an arrestor hook for if it's not a carrier-borne/naval aircraft? :hmmm:

Please be gentle.

Cheers,

 

Gwen


Almost all USAF fighters have had a hook since the 60’s at least, maybe earlier.  They are for landing on runways and having problems like no flaps or brake failure, or an aborted takeoff.  They are meant for runways that have an arrestor cable system to prevent running off the end of the runway in case of an emergency.  Unlike on carrier aircraft, the hook, gear, and airframe aren’t rated for the stress of a carrier landing.  It’s just meant for an aircraft already on the ground and I believe the deceleration is a lot more gentle than the carrier arrestor system.

 

Of course, aircraft originally designed for the Navy like the F-4 and A-7D could survive a carrier landing.

Edited by Dave Williams
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The 1/48 Hasegawa F-16 kit was my very first 1/48 kit ( me being more focused on 1/72).  I only bought the kit because I happened to wander into a bargain shop and saw that it was only going for about $10-15. So, out of boredom and curiosity, I bought it and fixed it.

 

As A-10 Loader mentioned, "the kit was known to go together very well and the seams kinda disappeared if you did it right".  I agree with this.  And easy build and it looks great when built. No complex multi-parts and a fun build. It captures the F-16's sleek lines very well.

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14 hours ago, Crash Test Dummy said:

My local (now gone) wouldn't stock Hasegawa until the mid-90s as they were too expensive to sell according to the owner. From what I recall their basic F-16s were a relatively affordable $20 back then compared the F-14 ($60) and F-15 ($45) kits. I recall seeing the F/A-18 being around $75 on store shelves when it came out.

 

I got my first F-16C kit around 1991.  Due to the currency exchange rates, and the ripoff Marco Polo importer, they were crazy expensive for the time.  It was around $30 USD for the block 40 night falcon version back then.  The F-14 kit was crazy expensive back then as well.  My entire Christmas that year was composed of the F-16, F-14, and the Academy F-111F.  Plus all the Verlinden super detail sets for those kits.

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On 2/26/2023 at 3:57 PM, Gwen Phoenix said:

Oh, I recall the Hasegawa 1/48 Viper kits having been Heaven sent after having built that awful Monogram hybrid and devoid of detail kit. :doh:

Now the noob question every then and now: why does the F-16 have an arrestor hook for if it's not a carrier-borne/naval aircraft? :hmmm:

Please be gentle.

Cheers,

 

Gwen

Air Force runways do have arresting systems at both ends, for hydraulic/brake failures. The arresting hook is also a good way to hold the aircraft down on the pad for maintenance runs in afterburner. Cool on nightshift!

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Concerning arresting systems, we have to do a real world engagement each year to certify the system each year.  Here's what it looks like in real life.  All Air Force fighters have tail hooks to keep them on the runway during emergencies.

DSC_0038.JPG

DSC_0036.JPG

Edited by PA28Ace
bad spelling
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13 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Scalemates show the F-111F as a 1999 release but I dont remember seeing it in the UK until 2000...

 

Amerang was the sole UK importer, it was a rare kit in the UK, and as was common for all Hasegawa kits of the time regardless of how good it actually was it was sought after and well regarded.

Original release was 1988.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/academy-minicraft-1675-general-dynamics-f-111f--1093151

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13 hours ago, sigtau said:

Yeah I think thats another scalemates cockup that people believe because they dont know any better.

 

Looking at that they released the F-111A, FB-111A, F-111C, F-111F and EF-111A all in the same year!

 

Scalemates isnt always right.

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 I bought my first Hasegawa 1/48 F-16A in 1983 here in Norway and was blown away! It was lightyears ahead of all other kits, when it came to panel lines, fit and accuracy. I was in high school at the time and our air force was getting state of the art fighters - the brand new "electric jet". The only trouble was that the kit came without the parapack in 1983, so I have to scratch-build it. The centreline drop-tank was also not included. But guess what? Hasegawa listened to modellers wish, and they even did a RNoAF F-16A! The decals was not entirely correct, but heaven for anyone who would go for a Norwegian Viper! I think I have built 15 + Hase F-16.  Look at all the different versions Hase has put out - some here said 67! I would be surprised if any other kitmaker can match that!  So there you have your answer Kurt H. I wonder how many 1/48 F-16 Hase has sold.

 

Today it`s Tamiya F-16C I build - converted to A, B and MLU. I have 23 of those babies unbuilt. I am urgently awaiting Minibase F-16 MLU!

 

I do not like the Kinetic(thats just me), but am impressed with all the versions they continue to push out!

 

I am of course one of them who wish for a Tamiya family model. It seems a bit distant now..😔

 

In 1983 I had set my sights on becoming a pilot, so 5 years later it was my turn to enter the 1/1 "model" 😍.

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1 hour ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Scalemates isnt always right.

Scalemates is like wikipedia, its only as good as the data put into it all the content is created by other modelers. Anyone can register and make edits.  Get involved, if you know it's wrong and have better data, fix it.  I've done a few edits over the years. 

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2 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:

Yeah I think thats another scalemates cockup that people believe because they dont know any better.

 

Looking at that they released the F-111A, FB-111A, F-111C, F-111F and EF-111A all in the same year!

 

Scalemates isnt always right.

Scalemates is correct.  I built the Academy kit when I was a Junior in high school....Spring 1992.  There's also the fact that the copyright date is 1990 on another copy of the kit I have in my stash.

 

 

20230228_103138.thumb.jpg.5ba469312dccb2bce8515fb854c23680.jpg

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1 hour ago, WouldbeIceman said:

  Look at all the different versions Hase has put out - some here said 67! I would be surprised if any other kitmaker can match that!  So there you have your answer Kurt H. I wonder how many 1/48 F-16 Hase has sold.

 

 

67 issues seems like a staggering number ... but that is Hasegawa's thing. I am really not surprised.  And there F-16 is in service of many nations, with many different special schemes, and with different variants, it adds up quick.  I wonder how many are in a limited edition run.  Then I also wonder how many are in an "evergreen" run like the "F-16CJ  Misawa Japan" 

 

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