Belgian F-16A MRP questions

[ReccePhreak]

I recently got the DACO 1/40 Modular Reconnaissance Pod (MRP) and the Syhart decals 48-905.

I want to do one of the Belgian F-16As that carried the MRP. I don't want to do one of the Carapace Upgrade Falcons with the extended tail, as the kits for that are impossible to locate. I have a Hasegawa 1/48 F-16A Block 15 (Kit V001) that I hope I can use, without too many mods. Does anybody have any photos of an early F-16A (with short tail) carrying the MRP?

 

Also, has anybody used Syhart decals before? How are they to work with? Which setting solutions work the best with them?

 

Larry

[guillaume320]

I can’t really answer your question, but beware:

 

Belgian F-16A’s only flew a short time without the parachute housing in place. As far as I’m aware, the retrofit came very early in service life and was not linked to the Carapace upgrade, meaning most (if not all) already had the long tail well before that particular upgrade took place.

 

I think the MRP wasn’t used in those first years of operation you were looking at, but would love to be proved wrong.

 

As a side note, the Belgian two-seaters never received the parachute housing...

 

Regards,

 

G

[ReccePhreak]

Thanks for the informative reply. i have given up on using a Hasegawa 1/48 F-16 kit as my basis. I discovered the Kinetic F-16AM NATO Viper Block 15 kit, so I ordered one off of ebay. It looks like that will be the perfect starting point.

 

Now I still need to find out what special procedures are needed using Syhart decals.

 

Larry

Edited August 3, 2018 by ReccePhreak

[beppe]

Hi,

 

Not sure that the terma pod was in use before the MLU.  Before that my beloved Air Force used the orpheus one.

 

Cheers,

joseph

[ReccePhreak]

1 hour ago, beppe said:

Hi,

 

Not sure that the terma pod was in use before the MLU.  Before that my beloved Air Force used the orpheus one.

 

Cheers,

joseph

Fortunately, I have an MLU F-16A kit, so I can use the TERMA Pod.

I will save my Orpheus pod for my RF-104G kit.

 

Larry

[Phantom726]

Mind you there are (at least) four different versions of the MRP with different sensors.

 

Useful links:

 

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article2.html

 

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions_article24.html

 

https://www.terma.com/surveillance-mission-systems/mission-solutions/airborne-tactical-reconnaissance/

[ivand]

The extended tail base housing was introduced very early (early eighties) in anticipation of the purchase of the Loral Rapport III ECM system. This system was never acquired, however, so our F-16s had empty tail housings for years. Apparently, they were used as luggage space for the pilots. In the end, the Electronique Dassault Carapace system was chosen and the tail housings were finally put to their intended use, but this only came about with the MLU program. The use of recce pods on the Belgian F-16s was introduced after the retirement of the Mirage 5BR, which was a dedicated recce plane with a camera nose. As was said above, at first the Dutch Orpheus pod was used. When the MARS pod was introduced, at first they used the Vinten cameras that were 'recycled' from the Mirage. All Belgian F-16 squadrons are supposed to be multirole, but the 1st Squadron at Florennes AB became the dedicated recce squadron after the dissolution of 42 squadron with the retirement of the Mirage 5BR.

Edited October 28, 2018 by ivand
correction