MickE Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 Here is my contribution to the group build. I have finally got around to building aircraft that I have worked on during my RAF career. During my tour out in Germany, at RAF Gutersloh, I worked in the Radar/Comms/Recce Bay and part of my duties was to download and replenish the camera systems of several NATO aircraft types, including Dutch F-16s that visited Gutersloh. This was known as Exercise Ample Gain, which was an ongoing training exercise in the 80's to train for the possibility of the Russian horde decided to invade Europe - Gutersloh was one of the nearest NATO air bases to the East German border and so would be the place where aircraft would refuel and rearm etc. Every year I would go to the RNLAF air base at Volkel (306 Sqn) to be retrained which was great fun! I picked the Italeri NATO Fighter boxing as it contains decals for a 306 Sqn aircraft, which was the sqn I trained with, and luckily, DACO Products make a 1/48 Orpheus pod (they actually supply two in the pack so if anyone else is after one I am sure we could come to some arrangement) so I can reproduce one of the aircraft that I possibly worked on (I didn't keep tail numbers! 😊. I normally replace the seat with a resin one and use Eduard's Cockpit Zoom set but this is the first time I have bought a resin exhaust. Looking forward to starting this very soon. Mick 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 welcome along Mick with I think our first Italeri F-16. It's great that you're able to build a model of an actual aircraft you have worked , I did that with an RF-111C a few years back....it brought back lots of memories, Great to see you have a nice selection of AM stuff to go with the model beside the obligatory Orpheus pod. Good luck with the build, look forward to following the progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Great choice of subject @MickE and great to read your tale of working with the Dutch F-16s - not at all envious - honest! One thing I did notice in your photo is that the exhaust you have is a for block 30 etc. I think that makes it, and it does look like it, a General Electric FW110 that was not used on the F-16As of the Dutch AF. The A models had the original Pratt & Whitney F100 engines and the GE was introduced on USAF C model Falcons from around 86/7. The difference that you see is the different shape of the exhaust petals. There's a photo of each about halfway down this thread on ARC. Just thought I'd mention that so you know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 Hi Filler Good spot. Do you know if there is a resin exhaust for the F-16As? Just to make you more envious I also worked on UK Jaguars, USAF RF4Cs and Belgian Mirage 5 BRs. I have the Jaguar and RF4C but can't get hold of the Wingman Models 5BR in this country or for a reasonable price. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Brilliant. The absolute heyday of military aviation and I'm guessing that you were working as a part of the 2ATAF which just had the most amazing collection of types. Envious doesn't begin to cut it! Aires do a P&W resin exhaust that is designed for the Hasegawa kit (AIRE4133), but doesn't fit the Hasegawa kit too well I found. So that is an option. I think that Mk.1 and Reskit also do them, but they are a bit pricier I think. The BAF 5's were fantastic looking aircraft weren't they?! Given the scarcity and price of the Wingman kit, and I'm not 100% sure on this, probably 50% at best, but the Kinetic IIIR kit might just do as a Belgian 5BR and Daco do a decal sheet for it. I know it doesn't work for BA because it doesn't have the right nose cone. There could still be some other issues for a BR though, but someone on here will know for sure - and that's for sure. Anyway, good luck with your F-16A. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 Thanks I shall look out for the Aires one, or I might just live with the one in the kit. The Mirage was a nice aircraft and used British Vinten F95 Mk5 cameras. Like the RF-4c, all the cameras were in the nose which meant you didn't have to lie down under a pod, usually in a puddle when it was raining. 🙂 My fingers are crossed for Kinetic to release a kit of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 Well I finally made a start, in the cockpit obviously as per the instructions. I am using the Eduard cockpit Zoom set - it is designed for the Hasegawa kit but, hey, they should be similar, shouldn't they? The side consoles were about half a mm too wide so I sanded them down to fit. I hadn't noticed the scratches until I took the photo - I'll fill those in. Not too bad a fit. However, when I went to dry fit the instrument panel I found that the eduard panel is a good 2mm larger than the plastic one and sanding it down to fit will result in a lot of detail being lost. Not a good start! Whilst deciding what to do I had a go at dry fitting the cockpit to the upper fuselage and this is the result. How crap is that! Looks like I will have to cut down the IP to get it to fit making it even smaller. Not sure if I want to carry on with this. Has anyone else built an Italeri F-16 before? How did you get on? I know some are ex Kinetic kits but the F-16a isn't. Mick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Eeek!! That fit is very ordinary to say the least! You might be able to thin down the IP cowling a bit, but don't know if that'll be enough for what you need to get it to fit??? Hopefully someone else will have a suggestion. That F-16 is all Italeri's work...or lack there of! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 10 hours ago, MickE said: Well I finally made a start, in the cockpit obviously as per the instructions. I am using the Eduard cockpit Zoom set - it is designed for the Hasegawa kit but, hey, they should be similar, shouldn't they? The side consoles were about half a mm too wide so I sanded them down to fit. I hadn't noticed the scratches until I took the photo - I'll fill those in. Not too bad a fit. However, when I went to dry fit the instrument panel I found that the eduard panel is a good 2mm larger than the plastic one and sanding it down to fit will result in a lot of detail being lost. Not a good start! Whilst deciding what to do I had a go at dry fitting the cockpit to the upper fuselage and this is the result. How crap is that! Looks like I will have to cut down the IP to get it to fit making it even smaller. Not sure if I want to carry on with this. Has anyone else built an Italeri F-16 before? How did you get on? I know some are ex Kinetic kits but the F-16a isn't. Mick G'day Mick, Very ordinary fit I agree. Ref the PE instrument panel, can you cut it into sections so that you have a right half that will replace the analogue dials but keep the kit CRT. Same goes for the UFCs (the bit beneath the HUD) and the small pedestal beneath the IP. If you can find some sharp scissors and have a steady hand this is easier than using a scalpel or sanding. That is all after you sand down the kit IP to get it to fit under the shroud of course 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted July 24, 2021 Author Share Posted July 24, 2021 I've done a bit more to the cockpit and now it looks a lot better, I ended up filing the etch instrument panel down and also the inside of the shroud until you could see daylight through it. The test fit shows that I am just about there and only need a bit of filing the side consoles and in it goes! I have noticed from the close up shot that the pedals are slightly squiffy. I will see if this is noticeable with the seat fitted and the cockpit glued into the fuselage. Cheers Mick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 glad to see you got the IP sorted, you probably won't be able to see the peddles quite so easy once everything is all together. Quite a few of my builds have ended up with skew peddles....... one of the joys of working with PE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 Finally got back to work on this after stopping to finish my Siebel Si 204D plus losing my mojo a bit due to work pressures. The cockpit tub is finished except for adding a scratch throttle. I have left off the two sensor arms on the seat as I can see them getting knocked off. Fitting the fuselage and wings should be easy!!! 😄 The kit comes with the static diverter wicks moulded on. Italeri even thought to use the sprue to protect them during the build. Shame they didn't bother with the horizontal stabilisers. 😢 After I took this all I have left now are the two end ones! Building continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 that cockpit looks really nice, well done! Its very rare for all those static wicks to survive a build! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted August 25, 2021 Author Share Posted August 25, 2021 Thanks Rich Hopefully I can replace them with some carbon fibre rod that I have knocking around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 that would work nicely, on another build of mine I just ended up using fine wire. Found it bent rather than snap if knocked..... which did happen a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted August 31, 2021 Author Share Posted August 31, 2021 Surprisingly, the two halves fitted together pretty well> However, when I painted the undercarriage bays I found that the central wall in the main bay was short one end by just over a mm which required filling. Just hope this doesn't make the undercarriage sit low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 gee that cockpit looks really nice, well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 Thanks Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted September 3, 2021 Author Share Posted September 3, 2021 A bit more progress. The tailfin is on and the fuselage has been painted. Cheers Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 she looks great with some colour on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted September 5, 2021 Author Share Posted September 5, 2021 Thanks, Rich it's getting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted September 19, 2021 Author Share Posted September 19, 2021 Work stopped for a week while I went on holiday so I have been beavering away to get it finished in time. Finally finished off except for an intake blank and a pair of Aquisition Sidewinders on the wingtips - the Italeri AIM-9Ls are rubbish so I will invest in some Eduard one,s but I am calling it done for the group build. Whilst not as accurate or as easy to build as the Hasagawa kit, it turned out ok in the end. The decals went on ok except that the blue in the RNLAF roundels is a bit lighter than it should be. I will post this and the rest of the photos in the completed area. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 WOW she looks amazing!!!! Well done on completing her, I love the scheme and what a nice finish you have on her as well. Thank you for joining us here, I hope you enjoyed the build, and again well done of completing her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 Nice build Mick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted September 29, 2021 Author Share Posted September 29, 2021 Thannks Oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now