Question for resident F-16 experts - ESCI kit v. Revell

[Hook]

On 11/6/2019 at 12:21 AM, Phantome said:

Surface detail

1) Tamiya

2) Academy

3 ) Revell (no rivets, very far behind the other two but still decent)

It's a matter of taste of course, but I can't see any rivets on a real F-16 when looking at one from a distance comparable with 1/72nd scale.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Silverkite]

21 hours ago, Winnie said:

So why no mention of Kinetic's F-16s in 2nd? they seem OK to me, not being a professional fighter pilot OR model builder, but I have built  the Tamiya 72nd C, and will build an Israeli C as well from it, and I do have the Israeli I boxing from Kinetic that I also intend to build.

 

Cheers

H.

Trenches

 

Luigi

[SouthViper]

Hi,

I do believe the best 1-72 kit of the F-16 for any version is the Tamiya.

Backdating to an earlier version is like doing the same as GD or LM made but

in reverse... if you allow me to say that.

Different modellers have unique observations on an airframe and at same time they

left others detais forgotten. I remember seeing the Prototype 568 with an Y Pitot tube

(like the one on the SR71] while at same time no other guy had saw it ! The same for

wheels, tires, lights, intake trunking, canopies, etc...

Internet search is ok, pics also, books and magazines are fantastic, but the best source is

talking about to friendly experienced modellers.

Cheers

SV

 

[Phantome]

On 12/15/2019 at 3:52 PM, SouthViper said:

Hi,

I do believe the best 1-72 kit of the F-16 for any version is the Tamiya.

Backdating to an earlier version is like doing the same as GD or LM made but

in reverse... if you allow me to say that.

Different modellers have unique observations on an airframe and at same time they

left others detais forgotten. I remember seeing the Prototype 568 with an Y Pitot tube

(like the one on the SR71] while at same time no other guy had saw it ! The same for

wheels, tires, lights, intake trunking, canopies, etc...

Internet search is ok, pics also, books and magazines are fantastic, but the best source is

talking about to friendly experienced modellers.

Cheers

SV

 

I'm sorry but this is just patently false.

 

You cannot backdate the Tamiya F-16C Block 50 to all earlier versions. The intake pieces are different and so it's impossible (or really hard) to fit a narrow intake so that leaves out half of all possible C's. It is questionable whether other kits' engine pieces will fit on the Tamiya as well. You'll also need to source A fins and A instrument panels, non-bulged gear covers, different landing gear (which will not necessarily fit Tamiya's wheel well), different wheels, different landing lights, different wingtip missile rails for earlier versions, holographic HUDs, etc to make any other non-Block 50 aircraft.

 

Good luck doing all that.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Phantome

[mirageiv]

15 hours ago, Phantome said:

I'm sorry but this is just patently false.

 

You cannot backdate the Tamiya F-16C Block 50 to all earlier versions. The intake pieces are different and so it's impossible (or really hard) to fit a narrow intake so that leaves out half of all possible C's. It is questionable whether other kits' engine pieces will fit on the Tamiya as well. You'll also need to source A fins and A instrument panels, non-bulged gear covers, different landing gear (which will not necessarily fit Tamiya's wheel well), different wheels, different landing lights, different wingtip missile rails for earlier versions, holographic HUDs, etc to make any other non-Block 50 aircraft.

 

Good luck doing all that.

 

See post 22 of this thread. Again I will repeat it in short here to prevent any confusion. 

 

It is entirely possible to backdate the Tamiya Block 50 kit to any version you want, A to D (and all the rest) but you must use the Revell kit for parts as the dimensions between Tamiya and Revell are very close indeed. The only reason I attempted these was due to the similarity of the kits. 

 

Tamiya Block 50 kit backdated to Block 10 A using Revell parts below (which is the same as 1, the earliest operation variant), still to be finished.

 

 

Tamiya Block 50 kit backdated and converted to Block 15 F-16B using Revell parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are alluding to whether it is worth it or not after doing it, imho, no. Revell's kits are 80% as good as Tamiya so I wouldn't bother to do it again, it was a lot of work. 

 

David

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by mirageiv

[SouthViper]

On 16/12/2019 at 20:56, Phantome said:

I'm sorry but this is just patently false.

 

You cannot backdate the Tamiya F-16C Block 50 to all earlier versions. The intake pieces are different and so it's impossible (or really hard) to fit a narrow intake so that leaves out half of all possible C's. It is questionable whether other kits' engine pieces will fit on the Tamiya as well. You'll also need to source A fins and A instrument panels, non-bulged gear covers, different landing gear (which will not necessarily fit Tamiya's wheel well), different wheels, different landing lights, different wingtip missile rails for earlier versions, holographic HUDs, etc to make any other non-Block 50 aircraft.

 

Good luck doing all that.

Hi

For sure Phantome 

Plasticmodelism demands hard work IF you want to go for conversions, scratch building and prototypes,

for some it is easy to buy and build what is in a box, fine, this is an Hobby.

But not  "just patently false"

The F-16 series remains the same basic frame design from the beginning FSD F-16s.

So, what is the problem to "doing all that" ?

Cheers

SV

 

 

[alt-92]

Let's get back to the original question:

On 9/11/2019 at 10:06 PM, Wm Blecky said:

I wanted to get a [...] F-16A kit

 

So for a F-16 A/AM/MLu that leaves either the Revell with minimal fuzz, or the Tamiya with major surgery.

 

Edited December 25, 2019 by alt-92
oops