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F-16CJ (Tamiya, 1/72)


alex

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great work Alex! The cockpit and seat are looking great. I almost prefer the way the intake goes together on the 1/72nd model than the 1/48th version, I reckon you'll get a much better join!

 

Don't worry about a magnifying glass for painting,  I have to use one pretty much all the time now for building models......curse you old age!!!  :rant:

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The inside of the intake needs a black stripe. No problem, as the fitting is good.

 

19-intake_zpsikzy9mvt.jpg

 

And after completition:

 

23-intake2_zpsoq0fyi8a.jpg

 

Cockpit tub painted with some revell aquas. I like the colours toned down a bit, not the shiny yellow and red ones you sometimes see.

 

20-cockpit_zpsipawakuk.jpg

 

The HTS as supplied in the hasegawa Viper CJ boxing (below), and the weapon kit (top). The Viper kit looks a bit small, and is supposed to be attached on the starboard side, whereas the weapon kit one is on the port side, and a bit larger.

 

Edit: just checked: http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104602/high-speed-anti-radiation-missile-targeting-system.aspx  

the length of the weapons kit is quite correct (should be 1.95cm, it is 1.9cm); the Viper kit HTS is about 2mm short.

 

21-hts_zpsbweerk7t.jpg

 

The sniper pod is from the same kit, and will be attached on the starboard side.

 

22-sniper_zpsq0narftv.jpg

 

Seat ready! The part which broke off will be remodelled later, maybe...

 

24-seat2_zpsg2vx4l06.jpg

 

Dryfitting looks nice. Sidestick, thrust lever and HUD still missing, but you get the impression. Some drybrushing will be applied too.

 

25-cockpit_zpsjgdhj5fs.jpg

 

Thanks for attention!

 

Alex

Edited by alex
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As I wrote, I bought the first kit without weapons, so I have to use some stuff from the Hasegawa kit. The aircraft is the same, of course, but the location pins are missing or have to be redone. I will use the tamiya inner wings pylons, so the tanks need some new holes, and the wings need attachment points as wel (see green circles).

 

26-pylon_zpstclscbrc.jpg

 

The wings with the dryfitted pylons. Both wings look the same, good job! ;)

 

27-ordnance_zps2rrnemfg.jpg

 

Alex

 

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On 1/9/2017 at 4:05 PM, alex said:

Good afternoon,

yesterday, I have started to build the Tamiya-F-16. Wow, that's an amazing kit! Must have one of the best surface details I ever saw on a 1/72-kit! It will be a wild weasel Viper as used in Libya 2011 in operation Odyssey dawn. The real thing should look something like this: http://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album38/album70/91-0343_001 As no weapons or tanks are included in this kit (I bought the first boxing...), I also got a cheap Hasegawa F-16, from which I will use the ordnance. Decals are from Astra Decals, and the seat is from Quickboost.

 

Alex

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Alex,

 

Just looked at the pic, can see the AIM120C, AGM88, fuel tank,is that an AIM9X on the Stbd wing? Hard to see the fins. Also the jammer pod on the centreline, with the Sniper and HTS pods forward.

 

Ref the port stores, hard to see but there appears to be an olive drab weapon with a yellow ring? Or is that just a trick of the light? Can see the AIM120C , looks like the olive drab weapon ?

 

Any ideas - looks like a GBU31 JDAM?

 

another image here (91 0342) but has 2 x AIM120C - and what looks like a GBU31

F-16CM_91-0342_4.jpg

 

Looks like a blue ringed version here? 

 

2724582915_4d2a7fa078.jpg

Edited by Tim Moff
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Agree on your assumptions, it looks more like my pic has 3 AMRAAM and one 9X, and with a GBU-31 on the port wing (and I hope the ring is yellow, it stands for live weapons!). I will do it however with 2 AIM-9X and AIM-120 each, and with two AGM-88. AN/ALQ-31, HTS and Sniper pod are from the Hase weapon kits. So, the final aircraft will be the Tamiya kit, upgraded with the Hasegawa-Viper HARM, tanks and pylons, and ordnance from two Hasegawa weapon sets. A bit of a frankensteins monster, but as long as the result is ok...

 

Alex

 

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@Tim Moff Here's the picture of the Harm pylons. It shows that the laucher rail goes too far forward, where it should be behind the point of the wing pylon. Not sure yet how to correct it, maybe I'll place the laucher a bit back.

 

28-harm_zpskk967hj4.jpg

 

@Knetterik thanks for the hint, never noticed that!

 

This week I need to paint the intake before glueing it to the fuselage. From what I know, the underside is FS36270 Medium grey. You think that Tamiya XF-53 is a good match?

 

Alex

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Before you glue the intake to the fuselage, it's better to paint it first. I did it with Tamiya XF-53, neutral grey.

 

29-colour_zpsblhsgzml.jpg

 

Cockpit is now finished, only the HUD is missing. Joystick was attached after the seat.

 

30-cockpit_zps7gjnb6mg.jpg

 

The intake has a dark grey-black lip around it. Here too, paint it before you glue the intake, otherwise it's almost impossible to reach this region!

 

31-intake_zpstey8lspj.jpg

 

Alex

 

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Looking great - great tips too - thanks.

 

your seat is great - I'm just using the seat in the box so will be inferior! There will be a pilot and the canopy will be closed and built in flight.

 

probably gonna nick your exhaust idea though if that's ok!

 

need t decide on an airframe so I can research the tail vent.

 

i plan the bid my interior totlally black as per my ref pic for NVGs...is there any expert advice here? Not that it really matters when it's soaring on the garage ceiling !

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Nice progress Alex, that is a good idea to paint underside (?) of the intake before hand, it woulll be a lot hard to do with an airbrush otherwise in 1/72 scale.

 

That cockpit looks so good, well done!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Small update, before painting the pylons, I removed some (i suppose) heat protecting shield, and replaced them with some thinner sprue.

 

32-pylon_zpsxyosjf3a.jpg

 

And the preshading has been applied as well, I used some gunze tire black.

 

33-pershading_zps5ay5jxvx.jpg

 

This week, hopefully, I can spray the lower colour, which is tamiya neutral gray.

 

Alex

 

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Hey Alex, looking good, trying to catch up!

 

Quick Q - whats your plan decals wise. The Astra/DACO set only gives the flashes for 22 FS and 23 FS - the era we are dealing with was 480 FS? They have a re flash, some with Warhawks written on, others blank. The sets give us serials for any aircraft, I was thinking of just spraying the ref fl;ash on and finding an example without the Warhawks written on it (yours 91-0343 is one such as this!).

 

May look at Inherent Resolve at Incirlik or Enduring Freedom at Kandahar.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, a few days ago, I airbrushed the first grey of the underside. I took Tamiya XF-53 neutral grey.

 

36-xf53_zps34azee1a.jpg

 

But the look is rather dull, and I wanted it to make a bit more shiny, as most F-16 got a bit of a metallic look. I got a silver colour pencil from my daugher (caran d'ache 1284), and got the pigments by sanding it. Then, I applied the pigments with a Q-tip. The right wing got this treatment, you can see a light, metallic shine, which the left wing still lacks.

 

37-silver_zpsy1a43nnb.jpg

 

After a while, I used some water. The caran d'aches are water soluble, so I took a brush and soaked the underside with this colour, and removed it rather quickly again. Honestly, I'm rather proud of myself! ;)

 

38-silver2_zpsqcuoli1y.jpg

 

This weekend, hopefully, the gunship grey topside can be airbrushed too. And again some metallic pigments, but most probably a darker tone.

 

Alex

 

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Thanks for the positive feedback. It's always difficoult to photograph such effects, as it only shows well under a "moving" light source. It's not as silver or alu, it is really a "grey with a metallic shine". I hope to get better picture after the model is finished.

 

Alex

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21 minutes ago, alex said:

It's not as silver or alu, it is really a "grey with a metallic shine". 

 

A very good summary and/or description there mate of how I also think the have glass type paint looks 👍🏿

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Yesterday, I airbrushed the topside. FS36118 gunship grey, for which I use Revell 74. Looks ok, and the preshading still shines through. Not always the case with me! One of the tanks has a two-colour-scheme, as shown on the original picture. The tank is already treated with graphite, as explained below.

 

39-grey1_zpsrmwj7enl.jpg

 

And now the same trick as on the bottom side; I sanded a pencil lead (HB), and rubbed the graphite dust with a Q-tip onto the surface, and in the end, I polished it with a paper cloth. 

 

40-grey2_zpsv8g5iyb0.jpg

 

It lowered a bit the contrast of the preshading, but now it has a clear metallic shine, without being too glossy. I like it! :) Not sure if I should apply a gloss cote for the decals, as the surface is already quite even. Anyone some experience with Astra decals, do they need a perfect surface, or are they forgiving when treated with some microsol?

 

41-grey3_zpsoh2qtne2.jpg

 

Alex

 

 

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