1:48 F-16 options

[snapper_city]

Hi guys

 

I am looking into viper options as I fancy building a couple in the future. Weirdly I have never built a F-16 in all my years of glue sniffing. I'm looking for best kits and ones to avoid for the following variants. I'm still not sure which schemes I have nailed it down to but here are my options. What ever happened to just A,B,C & D. I have no idea after that, block this and block that.

F-16A

F-16B

F-16C

F-16C Block 50

F-16D Block 50

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Parabat]

For an F-16C, look no further than Tamiya. Simply the best.

[Boman]

The list is quite simple, but to answer your question here it is: 

 

F-16A: 

Best: Hasegawa hands down. 

Alternative: Kinetic, however only for MLU updated A-versions. Revell depending on release give you either early F-16A block 5/10 or later block 15 ADF version. The ADF version is the only kit with this special tail configuration without going for aftermarket. 

Stay away: Academy, Italieri - and Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16B: 

Best: Hasegawa hands down. However rear cockpit represent early block 5/10 IP. Needs aftermarket IP to correct to block 15/OCU version. 

Alternative: Kinetic, however only for MLU updated B-versions. 

Stay away: Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16C: 

Best: Tamiya hands down.

Second best: Hasegawa. Actually upgraded F-16A, hence some panel lines on rear of upper body represent A rather than C-version

Alternative: Kinetic, however due have nose issues depending on release. Revell upgraded their F-16A with C-specific parts to provide the later blocks.  

Stay away: Academy - poor copy of Hasegawa, and Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16D: 

Best: Tamiya with conversion set. Tamiya never released any F-16D, so conversion is needed. 

Second best: Hasegawa. Actually upgraded F-16A, hence some panel lines on rear of upper body represent B rather than D-version. Also needs aftermarket to correctly represent F-16D IP panel

Alternative: Kinetic, however due have nose issues depending on release  

Stay away: Kinetic, both due to shape issues and fit issues - but really a personnal taste. 

 

The various blocks of F-16 Viper can be read up on here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions.html

 

The above is my personal recommendation having built the F-16 Viper as as personal favourite since agoe 12

 

Edited March 5, 2017 by Boman

[snapper_city]

Wow, thanks Boman.  That is a comprehensive list. So the Tamiya is the stand out. Who does the F-16D conversion?

[Creepy Pete]

Wingman Models does a D conversion set. I'm sure someone will now warn you that it doesn't fit because of resin shrinkage, but they fixed that after the first batch.

[snapper_city]

16 minutes ago, Creepy Pete said:

Wingman Models does a D conversion set. I'm sure someone will now warn you that it doesn't fit because of resin shrinkage, but they fixed that after the first batch.

 

On their website it says to mate their resin upgrade with the nose and fuselage of the Tamiya to the Kinetic body. Sounds like a waste using two kits plus resin to make one aircraft.

[Creepy Pete]

Their wording is not very clear on this. You use the Tamiya kit, with their resin parts, which are based on the Kinetic kit, including a clear canopy from Kinetic (in the set), to make a D. You don't need two kits.

[hovis]

Where would the likes of Monogram/Revell and Italeri stand in that list?

[snapper_city]

5 hours ago, hovis said:

Where would the likes of Monogram/Revell and Italeri stand in that list?

 

According to Scalemates some of the Italeri and Revellogram ones are the same molds. Later Italeri ones are based on the Kinetic offering. There seem to be a few pure Italeri ones but you have to get the right boxing. Monogram had a few pure kits of their own that never made it to Revell back in the 70's - 90's.

[Boman]

8 hours ago, hovis said:

Where would the likes of Monogram/Revell and Italeri stand in that list?

 

Personally, I don't like the original Revell F-16; raised panel lines, and depending on release depict an early block 5/10 with small stabilisers, though later details the ADF-version.  

Italiery is a very simple kit which mix'n'match between the various blocks without being true to any. The Italieri kit has been released by Revell so check you boxing. 

 

I'd stay away, though I have seen people making great models out of both of these. 

[scotthldr]

The only Kinetic kit that had serious nose droop issues was the early F-16 NATO Viper kit 48002 and only the early batches, the problem was rectified although some people still aren't happy.  I've built the Kinetic Blk52 kit and sitting next to the seemingly fantastic Tamiya Blk50 the nose droop is not noticeable with the back of the pitot being 1mm lower on the Kinetic version.

[Boman]

Kinetic had problems with more than just the initial F-16AM release, but as already stated this is down to personal taste in many instances. 

[Fernando]

On 5/3/2017 at 0:06 PM, scotthldr said:

The only Kinetic kit that had serious nose droop issues was the early F-16 NATO Viper kit 48002 and only the early batches, the problem was rectified although some people still aren't happy.  I've built the Kinetic Blk52 kit and sitting next to the seemingly fantastic Tamiya Blk50 the nose droop is not noticeable with the back of the pitot being 1mm lower on the Kinetic version.

Hi, everyone,

 

That's true. Regardless of other complains about the Kinetic's F-16s, fact seems to be that any AMs in a main vendor store would have the "corrected" nose, due to the stock flow. The same with the DJ/DGs. I asked specifically about the AMs and Aggressor boxing issued by Eduard, and was told that they had the "corrected" sprues. That said, when speaking about the new F-18s with Raymond Chung at the Spielwarenmesse last year, he also said "the problem with the F-16s was that basically nothing fits".

 

As a final remark, I seriously wondered if even the original drooping nose cannot be corrected by some judicious action. But, anyway, there shouldn't be need of it.

 

Fernando

Edited March 10, 2017 by Fernando

[João]

On 04/03/2017 at 23:44, Boman said:

The list is quite simple, but to answer your question here it is: 

 

F-16A: 

Best: Hasegawa hands down. 

Alternative: Kinetic, however only for MLU updated A-versions. Revell depending on release give you either early F-16A block 5/10 or later block 15 ADF version. The ADF version is the only kit with this special tail configuration without going for aftermarket. 

Stay away: Academy, Italieri - and Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16B: 

Best: Hasegawa hands down. However rear cockpit represent early block 5/10 IP. Needs aftermarket IP to correct to block 15/OCU version. 

Alternative: Kinetic, however only for MLU updated B-versions. 

Stay away: Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16C: 

Best: Tamiya hands down.

Second best: Hasegawa. Actually upgraded F-16A, hence some panel lines on rear of upper body represent A rather than C-version

Alternative: Kinetic, however due have nose issues depending on release. Revell upgraded their F-16A with C-specific parts to provide the later blocks.  

Stay away: Academy - poor copy of Hasegawa, and Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16D: 

Best: Tamiya with conversion set. Tamiya never released any F-16D, so conversion is needed. 

Second best: Hasegawa. Actually upgraded F-16A, hence some panel lines on rear of upper body represent B rather than D-version. Also needs aftermarket to correctly represent F-16D IP panel

Alternative: Kinetic, however due have nose issues depending on release  

Stay away: Kinetic, both due to shape issues and fit issues - but really a personnal taste. 

 

The various blocks of F-16 Viper can be read up on here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions.html

 

The above is my personal recommendation having built the F-16 Viper as as personal favourite since agoe 12

 

Regarding Hasegawa F-16B/D and the upper body panels, aparently, to me, the kits represent a D model, not a B.

[Jens]

As for the new Kinetic F-16AM, please note that the tail fin base in incorrectly shaped (way too much box shape) for an A/B and AM/BM model.

 

Jens

[Pappy]

On 3/5/2017 at 10:44 AM, Boman said:

The list is quite simple, but to answer your question here it is: 

 

F-16A: 

Best: Hasegawa hands down. 

Alternative: Kinetic, however only for MLU updated A-versions. Revell depending on release give you either early F-16A block 5/10 or later block 15 ADF version. The ADF version is the only kit with this special tail configuration without going for aftermarket. 

Stay away: Academy, Italieri - and Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16B: 

Best: Hasegawa hands down. However rear cockpit represent early block 5/10 IP. Needs aftermarket IP to correct to block 15/OCU version. 

Alternative: Kinetic, however only for MLU updated B-versions. 

Stay away: Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16C: 

Best: Tamiya hands down.

Second best: Hasegawa. Actually upgraded F-16A, hence some panel lines on rear of upper body represent A rather than C-version

Alternative: Kinetic, however due have nose issues depending on release. Revell upgraded their F-16A with C-specific parts to provide the later blocks.  

Stay away: Academy - poor copy of Hasegawa, and Kinetic due to shape issues around the nose portion. 

 

F-16D: 

Best: Tamiya with conversion set. Tamiya never released any F-16D, so conversion is needed. 

Second best: Hasegawa. Actually upgraded F-16A, hence some panel lines on rear of upper body represent B rather than D-version. Also needs aftermarket to correctly represent F-16D IP panel

Alternative: Kinetic, however due have nose issues depending on release  

Stay away: Kinetic, both due to shape issues and fit issues - but really a personnal taste. 

 

The various blocks of F-16 Viper can be read up on here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions.html

 

The above is my personal recommendation having built the F-16 Viper as as personal favourite since agoe 12

 

 

I agree with this list but will add:

 

• A lot of the once abundant AM stuff for the Has kits is getting harder to find as most of the available stuff is optimised for use with the Tamiya/Kinetic kits (except weapons)
• The Has kits don't really offer much in the way of stores, typically some external pylons, the three gasbags, sometimes the MXU-648 luggage pod and a pair of very average AIM-9L/Ms and AIM-120Bs
• The Has wing drop tanks have incorrectly shaped fins (small pointed ones instead of the truncated type) and very large castellated attaching blocks which make for a very strong join but inaccurate and ugly
• Has kits typically had two canopy sprues, one clear and one smoke tinted. This allowed the modeller to tint their own canopy if desired (or use the already tinted version)  but additionally, gave the option for a mix of tinted and clear canopy combinations. Sometimes you will see a pic of an F-16 with a tinted main canopy and clear rear portion, which is a nice option. additionally, you will need to polish out the mould seam (Tam/Kinetic as well), two canopies means you may have the option of a spare if things go sideways
• The Hasegawa F-16F (block 60) is not too bad either although you could probably graft the extra bits onto a Kinetic D for max accuracy
• If you don't know the differences between the various blocks and upgrades,  will you be worried about the small errors or omissions in the kit?

 

The Has F-16s can be had cheaply secondhand and build up very easily and quickly. They generally fit very well but suffer in a direct comparison with the Tammy kits as far as detail goes., the u/c bays are almost devoid of any detail and the intake and exhaust is truncated  and obviously too short.

 

The Tamiya kits are superbly engineered and fit as you would expect but you pay a premium for that. If you were to add a resin seat/PE details and some aftermarket weapons, the Has kits start to look like good value if you can get them cheap. In oz, secondhand, they typically go for $10-$15, vice the $80-$90(new) for the Tam kit or the $75 for the Kinetic kits. if you spend about $39-$40 for a seat/exhaust and the differences in detail level start to narrow. Weapons are a personal choice, many people buy the Tamiya kits and still  end up buying PE and resin to replace the cockpit/weapons and exhaust with 'better' details

 

I like the Kinetic kits for the two seat variants (B/D late block), to my eye the parts bear more than a passing resemblance to the Tamiya kit, maybe they were just 'inspired'...

 

Pappy

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Pappy