Spang Viper

[bar side]

Last year I picked up a group builds worth of F-16s on ebay.  I first got an ESCI Viper just to get the ground crew set with it.  Then a mixed bag of 2 more ESCI and one Monogram kit followed, so on with build.  The first three became Dutch, Belgian and Norwegian Vipers earlier this year.   Here with my previous Dutch F-16 and Academy Bentwaters Aggressor.  But the fourth stayed in the box.

 

 

My plan for the last one was to build a Weasel.  Then I found that the decals I have are for a Spangdahlem F-16C, not the later Wild Weasel.  I have a Spang F-4G Weasel to build in Euro One camo so the F-16 will sit nicely with her.

 

So the plan is to convert the ESCI A model to a C, rescribe the panels and add the shark mouth decals.  To my mind the shape is pretty good.  So the aim is something like this

 

 

 

When I built the others I tidied up the cockpit so this is what is in the box

 

 

 

The rear stabilisers are coming off to be replaced by the scratch built Everdrenn sheets ones.  They can then be angled upwards rather than the moulded on early A model ones.  The tanks are from an Academy kit but I think I have ESCI ones too.

 

 

And now toying with the idea of cutting off the slats.  Flaps are already separate.  And maybe the airbrakes too

 

So let’s see what this one turns out like.  Thanks for looking in

Edited June 25, 2021 by bar side

[bar side]

I feel sure that front wing slat could come away and be positioned pointing slightly down like this

 

 

And I am sure those airbrakes could come off & with a scratch plate inside it would loo’ the part.  I have seen pe parts to do it but I would like to have a go at building them

 

 

So angled horizontal stabilisers, angled slat & flaps and open canopy.  Anything else for a flight line jet?  Don’t really want to do open panels or radar dome

[bar side]

 Some progress on the Viper.  I have been rescribing and sanding back the surface detail.  The underside was first in and the airbrakes came off

 

 

And the top half.  Slats are off the leading edges and airbrakes off the back end

 

 

The slots for the rear horizontal stabilisers are cut and the bits are gathering. Might be time to close up the fuselage soon.

 

 

The slats need hinge points as do the airbrakes, plus the detail needs to be made inside the airbrakes.  If I get the time on it this could come together quite quickly

[bar side]

Body halves together today and base of the tail (short version) is attached. Tail is scribed & sanded back & intake is going together.  For the last one I did I left the intake fit until almost last.  The top of the casing has the darker grey applied so that is a lot easier to do with the intake section off the jet.  Then fit it later when the light grey underside has been painted.

 

 

When the fuselage join is dry I will run some green stuff around any gaps - especially at the tail base - and then think about adding the hinge points for the slats to the front of the wings.  The airbrake hinges are going back on too

 

 

[Lord Riot]

Looking good! I like how you’ve sanded off all the raised panel lines. Rescribing looks amazing, how do you get the lines so neat and straight? 

[bar side]

Cheers @Lord RiotI used the edge of an old photo etch sheet & pushed it on to the curved body so that I would get a nice line.  I must get one of those brass scribing sheets with various sized boxes & circles.  Rescribing the SR-71 will be a much bigger job!  To my mind the ESCI F-16 has a good shape making it a good base to work from.

[bar side]

Pegs holding the fuselage while it dried are off, so test fit of tail, horizontal stabilisers slats & flaps, plus top airbrake halves.  All looking good

 

 

Ad the underside view with the intakes blu tacked on 

 

[bar side]

Found the resin seat I painted up when I did the rest of the cockpit.  Looks better than the kit one.  Although I have seen much worse seats I. A kit this age

 

 

Green stuff on the seams & putting some detail in to the open airbrakes.  Just a bit of plasticard but when painted I think that will look ok.  Bottom halves still to do

 

 

The intake has been painted white as has the wheel well.  Academy could learn something from this nice easy intake

 

 

Other airbrake halves next or the hinges for the slats

[billn53]

That resin seat is a vast improvement. And, it won't be hidden under the F-16's bubble canopy.

[bar side]

2 minutes ago, billn53 said:

That resin seat is a vast improvement. And, it won't be hidden under the F-16's bubble canopy.

Cheers & the canopy will be open so you can see even more of it

[bar side]

The block that will be the hinges of the slats are on.  These will be filed back to little triangles, about 1mm out at the top going down to nothing at the base.  Then when the slats go on they will push them slightly down.  Also added the fin base antenna and drilled out & improved the lights either side of the  fin.

 

 

Need to put on the fin itself soon and do the bottom halves of the airbrakes.  Not masses to do before getting some paint on

[phildagreek]

Looks good!

[bar side]

Cheers @phildagreek bit more done tonight.  The new hinges are dry so I have cut them & sanded them back.  The slats need three small slots filed in to them to close up the gap a bit but otherwise that looks alright

 

 

and while I was messing about with it I stuck the fin on

 

[bar side]

Nose lumps & side antenna added while watching the footie.  The antenna are too long but I usually put in stretched sprue & promptly snap them off.  So this time I used telephone wire & superglue.  These will get cut back when dry and won’t snap off

 

 

I need these lumps in the right place as the form the eyes over the shark mouth.

[Lord Riot]

Coming along very nicely, the work you’re doing on the slats and flaps looks similar to what I’m doing on my Jag. I wish more manufacturers made kits where you didn’t need to scratch build things to hang down!

[bar side]

3 minutes ago, Lord Riot said:

Coming along very nicely, the work you’re doing on the slats and flaps looks similar to what I’m doing on my Jag. I wish more manufacturers made kits where you didn’t need to scratch build things to hang down!

Indeed!  The Airfix Hawk kit as really nice flaps on it. If the fit was better the Revell Tornado too.  But it’s quite fun doing your own as the kit makers don’t always get it right

[bar side]

The bottom halves of the airbrakes got their inner detail tonight.  Coming along ok I think

 

 

And with the horizontal stabilisers in the tilted up position.

 

 

Still need to add anti static tags to the trailing edges of the stabilisers, and to the rudder.  I think I will paint the stabilisers, slats and flaps before putting them in place, plus the rear lower fins

[bar side]

I was thinking of remaining jobs before I think about paint and I realised that I haven’t done anything with the wheel bays.  So this is how they look out of the box 

 

 

And if I got the resin they look like this 

 

 

So out with the stretched sprue, wire & plasticard.  I am not in to perfect as I can’t remember the last time I looked closely at a wheel bay on a kit I have built.  But this is how they now look 

 

 

Not a lot new in the front bay

 

 

 Up quite a bit added to the main bay 

 

 

I also started looking at the loadout.  Now many will tell you that the F-16 tanks are wrong with the ESCI kit x the strange pointy at both ends early tanks.  But there is a version of this kit that does include the later tanks and I have them. The next pylons will carry AGM-45 Shrike.  Now the Shrike and Sparrow use the same body and I have spare Sparrow missiles.  Externally I think I only really need to crop the winglets.  I think I will fit but leave empty the outer underwing pylon, and put Aim 9s on the wing top.  This will be an early Spang F-16 so pre AIM-120s.  Quick test fit 

 

 

Need to now figure out the lower blade antenna fit locations.  I think that slot in front of the front wheel bay is wrong for later models, with a shorter fitting behind the nose

 

[bar side]

Always looks better it’s a spot of paint to bring it together

 

[stevehnz]

Good work on the gear bays, plenty detail to my mind.    Its coming along nicely.

Steve.

[bar side]

A little colour on the wheel bays.  A light wash over to pick out detail once it’s dry & I think the bays are ready for covering up to spray the underside with primer

 

[bar side]

So load out.  I am thinking as I said above.  Tanks on the inner pylons, then AGM-45s, empty outer pylons & rails plus wing tip AIM-9s.  Now the centreline. I was thinking ALQ pod.  So 184, 119 or another variety?

[bar side]

And googling this very question I found these.  I have an F-4G waiting too although I was going for Euro One camo on that

 

 

And even more helpful

 

 

Looks very ALQ 131 to me

[Flyingdutchman]

I’d say it’s a ALQ-131 👍🏻.

 

 

[bar side]

On 7/7/2021 at 8:38 PM, Flyingdutchman said:

I’d say it’s a ALQ-131 👍🏻.

 

 

Good - sure I have one somewhere!

 

I found a brass ladder kit for an F-16 that I picked up for my last batch and never built.  It’s an Eduard kit.  I feel I should be getting the soldering iron out in true model rail brass kits style.  But I went down the always less successful superglue route instead

 

 

This is the whole thing.  Main sides together and a couple of treads to get the spacing

 

 

And a check to see how it sits

 

 

Might have a slight twist but I think getting the remaining treads in will help