ESCI 1/12 F-16 Cockpit converted to F-16AM

[fernwood79]

Hi All,

Just coming back to modelling after a 10 year break and I'm posting a few of the things I had just finished before my absence from the fold.

This is a conversion I did of the old ESCI 1/12 scale F-16A cockpit to F-16AM standard. My day job is a simulation software engineer and at the time I was working on a sim of this aircraft for the Dutch and Norwegian AF. So I was lucky enough to have access to the appropriate TOs which hopefully means it's accurate! Although I'm sure some eagle-eyed Viper experts will spot something!

As those who know F-16s will be aware, the F-16AM cockpit is very different from the old F-16A so I started by removing all the panels in the wrong place (most of them). From these I salvaged as many knobs and switches as possible. Then I assembled these in the correct place or scratch built from plasticard/rod any missing parts. The side stick I adapted from the kit version, but the throttle I whittled from a block of plastic as the shape is completely different. The AcesII seat is different too, primarly the headbox which has flip-out arms and the restraints which have some sort of immersion detection system attached. Oh and the HUD lens is made from a blister from a sheet of tablets

There are excellent builds of the original version here on Britmodeller for those who want to compare and contrast.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234930073-esciitaleri-112th-f-16-cockpit/

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234957959-112-esci-f-16-cockpit/

Chris

[Val]

Very cool

[Habu12]

Ya know, I thought about doing this eons ago, but never followed through. Thanks for letting me live vicariously!

[Arie]

Beautiful work--looks spot on! One of the most convincing build-ups of this kit I've seen & awesome paint work...you've got me beat by miles!

If I'm going to be a pedantic crewchief (and we crewchiefs have to be), I'd say you still need safety-pins in the seat & canopy ejection handle

(Basically, just a 'remove before flight streamer at the base of the yellow handle on the left console, and 2. another running from the base of the yellow tab on the left forward part of the seat, to the back of the parachute manual release handle (see photo below.)

Otherwise, she looks fully operational!

Cheers!

A. Church

Edited August 14, 2015 by Arie

[HOUSTON]

BEAUTIFUL build.

I think it is quite lovely.

[fernwood79]

Beautiful work--looks spot on! One of the most convincing build-ups of this kit I've seen & awesome paint work...you've got me beat by miles!

If I'm going to be a pedantic crewchief (and we crewchiefs have to be), I'd say you still need safety-pins in the seat & canopy ejection handle

(Basically, just a 'remove before flight streamer at the base of the yellow handle on the left console, and 2. another running from the base of the yellow tab on the left forward part of the seat, to the back of the parachute manual release handle (see photo below.)

Otherwise, she looks fully operational!

Cheers!

A. Church

Thanks!

The seat pins! I think I have some suitable RBF tags knocking around... In my defence the aircraft we had access to only had a four-ply mockup seat in the cockpit, known by the Dutch and Norwegian Air Force guys as Aces-II Wood

Edited August 20, 2015 by fernwood79