Jump to content

Recommended Posts

You'll have to wish me luck for this build. I haven't completed a jet in ages. I started two Phantoms for the STGB and failed miserably. They are not dead, just sat forlornly on my Shelf of Shame. So lets hope this Sufa gets me started on jets again.

It will be the 1/72 Kinetic kit, built pretty much OOB with the exception of the Aires nozzle set. I have decided not to throw PE at the cockpit because it is usually that which causes me problems in this small scale. Instead I will use the kit parts as supplied, although I reserve the right to chuck in a couple of resin seats later on if all goes well. :)

001.jpg

Now, I know this kit has its detractors, but I think it is a lovely kit. It has been sat in my stash for a while and, as you can see from the sprue photos, has been well fondled. :D

Main airframe components. The port CFT isn't missing. I just forgot to reposition it for the photo.

002.jpg

Various small components. There are two of these sprues.

004.jpg

More small components. There is one of these in the kit.

005.jpg

The spine assembly and intake sides.

006.jpg

The transparencies.

007.jpg

And finally, the stores sprue. Or sprues, as there two of them.

For ayone used to Hasegawa kits, this array of weapons and stores will come as a pleasant surprise. There are two types of AAM, two types of ASM (Popeye and Gabriel) and an LGB (Spice) together with its datalink pod. There are also a couple of targeting pods.

I just need to decide on a suitable load.

003.jpg

And here is the Aires nozzle set. This should look excellent if I can paint it up properly.

008.jpg

Edited by Enzo Matrix
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Finally getting somewhere with this one. Here are the cockpit, main landing gear well and intake parts painted up ready for assembly, together with the fuselage halves which have had their interiors painted.

011.jpg

A close up of the two assemblies. The white of the intake and gear bay parts is Alclad2 white primer.

012.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cockpit and main gear bays installed. The intake assembly is complete.

013.jpg

The instructions don't seem to mention the need for any nose ballast, but I'm not taking any chances - especially as I'll be adding a bit of resin at the aft end. This shot also shows the ejection pin recesses on the undersurface of the wings which will have to be filled - although to be honest I could probably ignore them as they'll be difficult to see when the stores are fitted.

014.jpg

The fuselage top and bottom cemented together, with the resin rear fuselage added. This will need some careful filling and sanding to get rid of the step between it and the fuselage.

015.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Main assembly complete with all the lumps and bumps added. And there are an awful lot of lumps and bumps on this jet!

Next step is to mask the cockpit and gear bays ready for priming. Hopefully next weekend I can have a veritable orgy of paint sprayage!

016.jpg

017.jpg

018.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Looks very good, I have recently developed a thing for these advanced F-16s, especially Sufas. I have a Hasegawa and Kinetic F-16I in 1/48 and I might do one for my second build. I would love to know what is in that spine, but I have a feeling that we will never know..... From what I have read on F-16.net, not even Lockheed-Martin know, they are empty before delivery.... :ninja:

Joel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have sprayed the green areas using Gunze H74. This is supposed to be a match for Sky Type S, but it is subtly darker.

The tan areas are masked off with wiggly worms made from blutak, with the intermediate bits painted over with Copydex glue. Copydex is a perfect masking medium but it is an awful lot cheaper that masking media intended for modellers. Good job too, 'cos I use it in quantity!

023.jpg

024.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I haven't updated this thread for a while, so there's a bit of a backlog.

The final camouflage colour was Xtracrylix XA1102 FS10219 Vietnam Tan.

025.jpg

Masking removed. Undersides sprayed Xtracrylix XA1136 FS16375 Light Compas Grey

026.jpg

Some detail painting done. The radomes were painted with Xtracrylix XA1133 FS16270 Neutral Grey.

027.jpg

Stickers ;) applied. She's now up on her gear with a number of greeblies added.

028.jpg

029.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Finished! :yahoo:

This is the first 1/72 jet that I've managed to complete in a couple of years and I'm quite pleased with it. I know it's silly to anthropomorphise a jet fighter, but I reckon this one looks like a total thug! :fight:

030.jpg

031.jpg

032.jpg

033.jpg

034.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...