Mystery Box 1/48 Hasegawa F-16C Block 52 - Update #2 21/2

[Mick Drover]

G'day folks.

While the Trumpeter Seahawk is waiting for a round in the paint booth, I've been working in the venerable 1/48 Hasegawa F-16. It will be a Block 52 jet but flown by neither the USAF, European or Middle Eastern operators.

I'm waiting for a few Eduard sets for it but in the mean time I've got some of the basics out of the way including that feral seam along the intake.

The cockpit will be closed up so I've opted for the kit plastic with a neat paint job. Gunze tyre black with details picked out in Vallejo paints and an AK wash thrown around for a bit of grime. I've added a few buttons on the control stick which I've yet to paint up. One I get a bit of dry brushing onto them they should pop out.

The Hasegawa block 52 kits don't have the NPRV panel moulded into the upper fuselage halves. The block 52 jets have a fuel panel shaped like an 'F' with the middle horizontal missing. I've filled the kit panel with sprue glue and I'll use the Tamiya kit panel to make a template to scribe the panel. I can use the template to scribe the panel on any other kits that don't have the panel. The NPRV itself is a small oval panel that sits on the underside of the 'F' panel.

I've opted to use the Aires Block 52 exhausts which unfortunately means some belt sanding is required around the tail end. I presented up the forward part of the exhaust and decided it best to remove material from the underside of the fuselage as it will be least visible. I've highlighted the amount needed to be removed with a black sharpie so I can gauge how much has been taken away. SUPER DAD needs to do his pushups, figuratively speaking...

I chose the underside as it won't be seen while the model is on its legs. Its also and easier shape to sand rather than around the reverse curve of the fin base. I'm close to the amount I need to take away here so I'll sway to the finer grades of sanding sticks to start and smooth out the plastic. Here I've hit it with a pretty coarse sanding stick.

Although it appears there's still a bit of material to remove the, exhaust panel is taped in position and sits slightly away from the kit plastic which gives the appearance of more plastic that needs to be removed.

The intake lip seam on the Hasegawa kits is shocking. I've spent about two hours getting it to this stage. First was to assemble the parts and then stick it in a vice to get a good glue bond around the seam. Next was to apply several rounds of sprue glue over a few evenings to build up the plastic. I made sure this had hardened after a few days. Then it was out with the files, sanding sticks and anything else that I could shove up its gullet. This is the result with some Alclad primer applied. There's still some work to do but it's a lot better than when I started.

I've concentrated on the lower seam is it will be most visible when the kits is on its wheels. The coarse finish is due to the Alclad filling primer. I'll smooth that all out one the final shaping is done.

Roll call!!! This may give some folks a hint to the operator...actually I probably wont.It's not Eurpopean, it's not USAF and it's not Middle Eastern. AIM-120 and AIM9 will also feature in the final load out as well as a CL tank.

I'll be along again over the weekend (hopefully) with some more progress, this time with some Eduard etch if it fronts up in time.

Thanks Mick.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Mick Drover

[Marcus.Q1000859]

Morocco?

[Mick Drover]

Morocco?

You'll have to wait and see Marcus

[Mick Drover]

Update #2

Well the Eduard sets only fronted up yesterday so not much work happened over the weekend. It was a bit of a stinker anyway and quite warm in the cave.

I did manage to get an hour or so in lat night and this is what I managed

As pointed out by Pappy in his build of his RTAF F-16, the reinforcing plates around the arrestor hook a softly moulded and not symmetrical in their shape. I used a bit of plain paper and pencil to get the shape of the panels which I'll use to create some new plates from 5 thou card.

The nose wheel well etch is comprised of three separate pieces of photo etch. I scraped out the kit detail with a flat blade. The first piece is blank which give a flat surface to attache the following pieces too. The second piece is the ribbing and the third piece is the piping that runs around the bay. Some extra thin CA and accelerator helped set it all in place.

I've decided on a closed cockpit for this model which means I'll only be using the etch that will be visible through the canopy glass. This is the top of the seat tube replaced with etch. The kit item was cut with a razor saw to aid the removal of the kit plastic. The etch part was shaped up using a Small Shop Hold and Fold and needle nose pliers.

That;s it for now.

Back with another update after these announcements...

Mick

Edited February 16, 2016 by Mick Drover

[Viper15]

Looking good so far, watching with interest.

[Mick Drover]

G'day folks.

I've managed a bit more on the F-16 this weekend in the way of the photo etch items. As the cockpit will be closed up I've opted to use the few items visible in the cockpit. In other areas there's quite a bit of etch to apply so time this weekend has been dedicated to snipping, folding, bending, CA fingers together and finally applying the etch.

The main undercarriage bay has quite a bit to apply. The battery frame holds a separately folded battery but it will be installed once painting is complete as it is red in colour. In reference photos that I have there's also what appears to be some kind of prominent hydraulic fluid cylinder. I might pilfer it from a Tamiya kit. This is the main gear well so far.

The underside of the nose also receives some loving. The forward panel will have two blade antennas attached once painting is complete.

The wing and centreline tanks also receive etch in the way of reinforcing straps. The centreline tanks had some very softly moulded sway braces so I pinged them of and replaced them with some 10 though plastic card items.

As mentioned in the first post, I removed and replaced the reinforcing plates around the arrestor gear.

The canopy was also tidied up. The item on the left is how it arrives in the box and on the right the cleaned up item. The standard process of scraping the seam with a scalpel blade followed by a 1500 grade dry sanding. Once the seam is visibly gone I then start with the 3200 grit Micro Mesh pads. I wet sand it with each pad until I get to the 12000 grit. A polish with a clean rag finishes off the job. No sign of the polishing compound stuff here. I might give it a dip in some Future but I'm happy with the result so far. The rear fixed section of the canopy received the same treatment. All up they were both done in about 20 minutes.

That's it for today.

Cheers,

Mick