Bernd A.

I do have Tamiya X-1, but I was expecting it to be too glossy for the nose. On closer inspection I do have XF-24 Dark grey as well as possible nose color. So many different nose cones, so much choice!

Thanks for the replies @Phantom726 & @Hook, I am still a little indecisive about the nose. The pictures are great for reference, but they tend to differ as has been said before. Would Tamiya XF-1 be too dark? The most dark gray I currently have on the bench is XF-54 (not counting glossy gun metal) which I'll be using for the darker gray parts of the F-16 "camo" scheme.

@Phantom726 thanks a lot for the insights, that should really help! I was kind of hoping for a cool load-out at first when I got the kit. Oh well, luckily I have that BAF MLU on the bench So, the black radome/nose section on the F-16B is something I need some more information on. As I understand it was discontinued after block 1 due to it being quite an eye-catcher. Do you by any chance know what colour that nose is? The FS code should suffice.

Pardon my ignorance. Considering its load-out for air-to-air training. So two AIM-9Ls on the outer wing stations would be the most logical course of action, right? I'd assume it wouldn't make really sense training-wise to have more missiles attached to pylons, say station 3 & 7 for example (this kit doesn't ship with 2 & 8). And considering the centerline station, since I have no fuel tank for said station, could I just sand the holes with putty or would it still need a part to resemble an empty pylon? Considering the AIM-9s in dogfight simulation, I have read about AIM-9 training or dummy rounds (blue) and @CT7567 mentioned creating captive-carry acquisition rounds out of AIM-9ls by cutting off the forward fins. Would it make sense in the context of a RDAF F-16B in the 80s to be fitted with inert or training rounds rather than live missiles?

Thank you for the detailed info Phantom, so the most logical loadout would either be a dumb bomb load-out on station 3 and 7, or SUU-20 dispensers and a pair of AIM-9Ls on the wing tips. Judging by your post, I should ditch the ALQ-119 jammer on the centerline station? It would make sense if the Danish mainly use their twin-seats for training purposes. I guess I'll settle with AIM-9Ls on the wing tip stations, either some dumb bombs on the middle stations, inner wing stations 3 & 5 with the fuel tanks and centerline station will be ommitted all together, since the kit doesn't come with a centerline fuel tank as an option. I have a Belgian F-16AM MLU on the bench too, I guess the neat weapon systems will go on that one

Thanks for the reply, peacetime load-out makes sense considering the context of the cold war, I'm pretty sure I have a few of those SUU-20 dispensers in one of those Hasegawa weapon sets. I'm going for the twin-seat Danish block 1, so I am contemplating a logical load-out for that plane in the 80s. I do have a spare pair of Mk 82 from a Hobby Boss kit somewhere, but arming that plane with just two mk.82s seems silly to me 😛

I can't find any info quickly on different types of wing fuel tanks on f-16.net, but I do have a Revell Belgian F-16 MLU (03905) for comparison, and Heller's fuel tanks are of equal size. So that either means both kits got the fuel tanks wrong, or they're the right ones. Heller's kit doesn't come with a centerline tank, but instead is supplied with an ECM pod, likely the ALQ-119 jammer. Thanks for the clarification, I am not too famliar with different types of Sidewinders in use in Europe during the Cold War, so this helps. I could try and see if a local hobby shop has Weapons Set 9 available, but considering your reply I may as well get away with just the one's from the kit. So, what you're essentially saying is that unmoddified F-16Bs Block 1 could carry and use LGBs straight without any extra provisions? The kit so far isn't supplied with a laser designator or comparable equipment, so they'd need someone else to designate the target I'd assume. So that leaves station/hard point 2 and 6 with Paveway options. Would it be far-fetched to load it with six GBU-12 Paveway IIs with triple ejector racks on those stations? I can't find the exact model and make of the TER right now, but it is the one supplied with Hasegawa weapon sets VI I have in my stash. So just for clarification, each wing has three weapon stations/hard points on this make, including a wing tip pylon for AIM-9s, and one fuselage centerline hard point. Thanks in advance!

Cheers, that seem to have helped quite a lot. I checked the tail number for the Belgian F-16A first, and according to both your post and f-16.net it is a block 10A variant. Looking up the serial on the Danish F-16B comes up with block 1 upon delivery and remained a block 1 fighter up until the block 20 MLU upgrade in 1996. Since the Danish decals are for Esk. 727, should mean that it can be either outfitted either for the period 1984 to 1989 or 1992 to 1996. That gives some room to play with. Now, that leaves us with possible load-out options. Judging by f-16.net's story on F-16 versions the ability/capability to fire AGM-65s came with block 15 OCU and onwards. So, that wouldn't be possible on just a block 1 version I guess? Anyway, thanks to all for the useful comments so far. Really helpful!

Fellow modellers, Recently I got my hands on an older Heller F16 A/B kit (80337) from 1989 from a hobby shop. Judging by the information on Scalemates it seems to be a reboxed '80s Airfix kit. The kit in itself is fine, it isn't as detailed as a modern Revell kit, but it isn't cutting corners like Academy's M-21 Fishbed [sic] either. The kit allows for two versions to be built, either a Belgian F-16A model or a Danish F-16B, and I'm heading for the latter. However, I could use some help identifying what model it actually is. Scalemates says the F-16B is a block 1 Fighting Falcon, but the Heller kit contains no info whatsoever or contains dubious stuff (according to the booklet's specifications the F-16 is a twin-engined fighter!). The kit is supplied with some weaponry, like AGM-65 Mavericks on a two TERs, and wing fuel tanks can be swapped with something that resembles 1000 lbs Paveway II. Wing tip hard points come with AIM-9s, likely AIM-9Js but I am not sure about that. It also has an option for the centerline hardpoint that appears to be an ECM pod, likely the ALQ-119 jammer. I am comparing the kit supplied weapons with one's I have from Hasegawa's Aircraft Weapons sets, as I have not really any point of reference at this point. Heller instructions for reference My plan is to make a period-correct project, so not really fantasy load outs but something that is either realistic or semi-realistic. I am considering dropping the guided bombs in favour of fuel tanks, and stick the Mavericks and AIM-9s on, but I was mainly wondering what exact model this F-16B would resemble andif that F-16B would need any provisions to be able to fire such ATGMs, like special pods or something. Or that such loadout for that plane would be unrealistic. Please let me know! From left to right: (1) AIM-9s supplied with the kit (left and AIM-9s from Hasegawa's Aircraft Weapons III, (2) the ECM pod supplied by the kit, (3) the closest match I could find from Hasegawa, (4) the guided bombs included in the kits (light sprue) and Hasegawa's Paveway II (dark).