1/48 - G.D./L.M. F-16 Fighting Falcon/Viper family by Kinetic - F-16A/AM, KF-16U & F-16C/D block 25/30/42/52 released - next: RoCAF F-16A/B & F-16V; Polish F-16C; Thaï F-16AM

[SleeperService]

4 minutes ago, Christer A said:

Well, the tank was shown yesterday as the last teaser, so there should be something later on today. But I guess they're timing the announcement for the american time zones?

I think you're right @jenko 's link shows 23:01 when I'm logged in to UK FB. So 5.75 hours to go.....should make 10 pages by then

[SharkOwl]

Kinetic's marketing logic in recent years with the choice of subjects allowing numerous reboxing of a combat jet produced

in various versions, supports the thesis of a family of A-4B/C/E/F/G/H/ K/L/M/N Skyhawks, with in addition, the two-seater

TA-4J and OA-4M and as a bonus the A-4 Skyhawks of the Blue Angels patrol and even the paramilitary A-4N Skyhawks

of ''Top Aces' ' based in Wittmund, Germany.

 

This marketing logic can also apply for a family of Mirage F-1.

🙂

SharkOwl

[Filler]

7 minutes ago, SleeperService said:

should make 10 pages by then

Nah, there’s nothing really to say is there?

 

But in which time zone do Kinetic live?

 

Ooh the excitement!!

[Tokyo Raider]

11 minutes ago, SleeperService said:

I think you're right @jenko 's link shows 23:01 when I'm logged in to UK FB. So 5.75 hours to go.....should make 10 pages by then

Im done waiting.  All of USA will be deep into their BBQ by then, or taking a Memorial Day nap.  Mine starts after the 3pm prayer...

[Tokyo Raider]

3 minutes ago, Filler said:

 

Ooh the excitement!!

I feel played for a fool.  Not buying it, whatever it is.  Unless its an A-5!

[Kagemusha]

F-16A..?

Edited May 30, 2022 by Kagemusha

[Filler]

For all my anticipation and excitement, I strongly expect to be disappointed - largely due to my own narrow interests. The Mirage F.1 is what I’m hoping for (and a few highly unlikely other subjects), but I just get the feeling it’s gonna be the Skyhawk. That will please an awful lot of people though, and will be a great seller for sure.

[drake122]

[luis pacheco]

Hope to see ADF tail,

[Richard123]

Is that the best they could do?

[Homebee]

1/48th - ref. K48100 - General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon - MLU NATO Viper - *** COMPLETELY NEW TOOL***

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Kineticmodel/posts/pfbid02VdPDpNXGnxiRzF89F9MWDmkrSks9BdthRK4fEwqHKkUwFAYWPskHc8MaCe1uDN1fl

 

Quote

Message from CEO – Raymond Chung

We started the modeling adventure back in 2008 – the first kit 1/48 F-84F, but most people know us when we launched the 48002 – 1/48 F-16A in 2009. It has been 13 years since we started this journey.

Unlike most modelling makers whose founder is a professional modeler, I didn’t have a clue how to make a model kit at that time. Not to mention all the unknowns ahead of me, I took over the Kinetic from the original founder when the company was proceeding the F-16 project.

We faced a lot of technical, financial and sales challenges, just like many modelling startups experienced. When we released the first F-16 (K48002) out of the assembly floor, we finally could take a break from those “difficulties”.

Of course, for those of you have our F-16 kit, you might be surprised with the content. A very detailed kit with tons of options, a lot of missiles and bombs - one of the iconic features of Kinetic. However, the F-16 nose became a real disappointment to many of our first time customers. I could not understand how the customers see the differences of F-16 kit. For me, the customer critics are like a crime scene investigation (CSI). We listened, we learnt from our customers – we retooled and corrected the nose mistake. We failed and we got it right. So, that is where Kinetic started from.

Our scale model market have many new startups in the last decade. Some still here, some gone. As such, it is not an easy job to maintain the company afloat as well as to gather more resources to improve. We invested to make better models, refining designs, using new knowledge and technologies to present the best solutions and quality in products.

For years, I have a wish to revisit our first iconic subject – F-16 series. We need to explore until we gain sufficient experiences and technical resources to achieve the standard of what customers really expected.

Now, after 6 years of hard working, with the help of our global team of contributors and supporters. We are proud to present our new generation tooling of 1/48 F-16 kit (Gold Series).

Kinetic Model 48100 - 1/48 scale - F-16A MLU NATO VIPER - *** COMPLETELY NEW TOOL***

The new F-16 aims to provide:

- Gold Series engineering

- Snap fit modelling experience – (no more sanding to fit)

- Accurate shape (with material from GD)

- MagFire (p) – the new standard in magnet interchangeable payload

- Decals by FCM Decals and printed by Cartograf for Belgium, Danish, Norwegian and Dutch Air Forces.

- BoxArt by Antonis Karydis

For details of the new F-16A kit (K48100), we will publish materials online.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all customers who support us throughout the years, bear our imperfect products, and yet expect us to do better for each new release. We will continue to offer more exciting products, just as this time, Kinetic Gold F-16 series to the market in return for your kind support for Kinetic.

For distribution, customers in North America may notice that we have our dedicated warehouses and offices in USA and Canada - Kinetic Model North America LLC and Kinetic Model Canada Inc. We now work with the wholesalers and retailers; improving our product accessibilities. You can now see more Kinetic products in your local stores.

By August 2022, customers in Australia will be supported by Kinetic Model Australia PTY Ltd. We aim to provide more stocking and services support there. Kinetic Model Latin America is still in process for some paperwork, hopefully we can start to serve the distribution in Latin America market next year.

We would like to express our gratitude to all partners, contributors and customers that along of these years helping Kinetic Model reach this point. Our new era become possible because we have you on our side.

May, 2022

Raymond Chung

Kinetic Model

 

 

V.P.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Homebee

[janneman36]

WOW an F-16…..didn’t saw that coming…..at least an MLU for the Dutch fans..and a very correct one I may hope😄

Little bit disappointed by their newest technology they incorporated…Just some magnet’s, a club member allready did that to switch loadouts on his Thunderstreak.

Nevertheless very interested how it builds and maybe that could be my first 1/48 F-16!
 

cheers, Jan

[hopkp]

I’ll be having a few of these!

 

I’ve been wanting a really good, ‘out of the box’ European F-16 for literally most of my adult life. The Tamiya kit is lovely, but they only ever did a couple of F-16C versions (despite the tooling obviously being set up to cater for multiple variants, but then again that's just what Tamiya does); the Hasegawa kit dates from the late 1980s and never properly represented the later European A+/MLU versions at all. You could admittedly get there using a whole raft of ‘aftermarket’ (or scratchbuilding if you had the skills, I don't), but if this is as good as Kinetic's F/A-18 ‘legacy Hornets’ and F-104s and then I'll be a happy man. I’m sure they’ll do an F-16B kit too.....and knowing Kinetic, probably an ADF, C and D also, but the A+/MLU is the one I really want. I have decals already for about 25 or so.....I wonder if they'd do a discount if I buy them by the crate?

Edited May 30, 2022 by hopkp

[Filler]

From an entirely personal perspective, I’m not sure what to say. I love the F-16, and 10 Hasegawa kits in the stash prove that. Hopefully, presumably, Kinetic will release numerous boxings covering Bs, Cs and Ds of various blocks over time. But I’m not sure whether I’ll buy any given all the Hasegawa kits I’ve collected (which won’t be even close to the new kit admittedly).

 

Definitely hats off to Kinetic though. Tamiya have refused to add As and two seaters and never will, and Hasegawa’s are nice but very dated and you have to admire Kinetic’s desire to improve their kits. I’m sure they will sell very well.

 

Just reading @hopkp ‘s post, it’s funny how two people can love the F-16A, but for one the MLU kit is the dream and for another it’s a pity it isn’t block 15 with Rapport sensor fit. So many small but significant differences with so many of the ‘one’ aircraft type.

[Corky]

Yawn is about all I can do.........

[Jon Bryon]

This has been a gap amongst modern, well produced kits for a long time. 👏 

 

Jon

[Stephen]

This is a seriously sound commercial decision.  It's an incredibly popular modelling subject used by numerous countries both in regular and special schemes, It's a licence to print money.

[SharkOwl]

This is a very good news indeed.

 

Concerning the reboxing options, the possibilities of squadron markings, special anniversary liveries and solo display aircrafts

are quite interesting.

 

And some F-16A MLU of these four European nations (Belgium, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands) have also been sold and

transferred to other countries like :

 

Chile (from The Netherlands) ;

Jordan (from Belgium and from The Netherlands) ;   

 

And in a few months :

 

Romania (from Norway) ;

🙂

SharkOwl

[Steve McArthur]

I'm disappointed. Even if it is a awesome kit, and given Kinetic's history with the F-16 call me skeptical, it's another F-16 in a market that already has quite a few decent and readily available kits.  This variant wasn't on my wish list, and I already have several Hasegawa F-16A/B's in the stash to get to first. Maybe one of their future releases will be more interesting.

 

How expensive will this one be? If this is priced like Kinetic's other Gold kits (~$70 locally) and less like a Tamiya F-16s (~$55) it better blow Tamiya out of the water.

[hopkp]

1 hour ago, Filler said:

I love the F-16, and 10 Hasegawa kits in the stash prove that.

 

Just reading @hopkp ‘s post, it’s funny how two people can love the F-16A, but for one the MLU kit is the dream and for another it’s a pity it isn’t block 15 with Rapport sensor fit. So many small but significant differences with so many of the ‘one’ aircraft type.

Ditto re. the Hasegawa kits, don't know what I'll do with them all now!

 

As for the variant, yes, I guess everyone wants something different. For me it's mostly about the colour schemes, the European operators - particularly Belgium and the Netherlands - have done so many attractive 'specials' over the years; the fact that I've seen a lot of them 'in the metal' at air shows and open days is probably another reason that I like them so much.

[Tokyo Raider]

Well...  maybe it will be far better than what we have now.  I will give it a chance.  Like all of you, i have alot of f16s in my stash. 

[Ranger626]

I'm quite happy with the Tamiya C versions.  Eager to see the sprues of this Kinetic A.    If it is as good as their delightful F-104, I'll probably get a couple.   Hoping they include parts for a Block 10 in this or following versions.

[Jon Bryon]

1 hour ago, Steve McArthur said:

....it's another F-16 in a market that already has quite a few decent and readily available kits.  This variant wasn't on my wish list, and I already have several Hasegawa F-16A/B's in the stash to get to first. 

 

This was the reaction I was expecting from a lot of people, but I don't think it's really fair. The Hasegawa kit is from 1983 and suffers from lots of flash and very basic detailing. It's just not up to the standard of what one of the most popular modern jets should be moulded to these days. Tamiya never did an A. Kinetic's original tooling is awful (yes I have built one). All the other contenders (Academy, Italeri, Revell, etc.) are widely regarded as sub-standard.

 

I'm not going to buy this kit - between Kinetic and Hasegawa the early F-16 slots in my collection have been filled. But the lack of a modern tooling for this aircraft has been a gaping hole for years. I'm just surprised GWH didn't get there first.

 

Jon

[Adam Poultney]

A resounding meh from me. Not my sort of subject. Hope everyone else enjoys it though

[Homebee]

Already pre-ordable at LM: https://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=KI-K48100

 

 

V.P.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Homebee