Forum: General

Hi all:
This is what I believe is the 4th camouflage scheme of the second prototype, and no, this does not seem to be the Grey Ghost scheme also carried by this plane.
Can anyone provide additional information or colour photos of it.
Regards

F16VIPER

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Does that thing have two stations on the centerline, or landing gear doors?

Those are on the landing gear doors. Would anyone care to comment on the clearance of the drop tanks? Think of adding 2 more AIM-120's to a later block with AESA....

From what I have been able to come up with, that was actually the third camo scheme for the 2nd prototype. The first was blue and white, then the roll out red, white, and blue, then a two tone gray scheme. The colors were FS 36375 and FS 36320, the same as on the F-15. I posted a photo of 568 in this scheme about a week ago. It was from Vol 21 of World Air Power Journal. Earlier today I found a fuzzy copy of the instructions for the early Revell kit of the F-16 which shows the pattern. Very similar to the F-15's pattern, but apparently also done top and bottom of the aircraft. As far as the Detail and Scale picture in the original post goes, I believe it was retouched by GD to look like it was in the gray scheme. The presentation of the serial number was in black when painted gray and easily discernable, unlike the serial in the Detail and Scale picture.

Here is the un-doctored photo from F-16.net Photo Gallery.

And... the thread is now pointless.

I wouldn't say the thread is pointless. It just remains for drawings or clear photos of the actual pattern used with the two grays to come to light. I have attached the one photo I have been able to find of 72-1568 in the two gray scheme.

Hi ex276e8n2 and Johnwill, great visual memory and thank you for clarifying the mistery.
Your explanation makes sense and was surprising.
One comment I have about the YF-16 No2 painted in the grey ghost scheme.
I have the impression it ended up being used in the KF-16Cs of South Korea.

F16VIPER wrote:

One comment I have about the YF-16 No2 painted in the grey ghost scheme.
I have the impression it ended up being used in the KF-16Cs of South Korea.

Don't think so - those jets were all new builds.

I just took a quick look at the ROK F-16s and the pattern they use is similar, but different. If you go the the Flevo Decals website and do a search on the Revell kit of the early F-16s, kit H-222, there is a fuzzy picture of the painting diagram for the two tone gray scheme in the instruction sheet. Apparently from what I could tell from the picture is that the pattern was used on both the top AND bottom of the aircraft. The photo that I posted though seems to show the pattern on only the top sides like on the F-15. Hopefully somebody can come up with a clearer picture of the kit instructions and painting diagram.

Here is the fuzzy picture from the Flevo Decals website. From what I can make out, FS 36375 was used on the edges of the aircraft, but really do need a clearer picture.

Hi exfltsafety, I was refering to the third camouflage scheme of the second prototype.
ex276e8n2 are you trying to model that plane.

F16VIPER wrote:

Hi exfltsafety, I was refering to the third camouflage scheme of the second prototype.

Now I'm with you; sorry for the post.

Yes I am. I have the Hasegawa kit of the YF that came with Thunderbird markings. Not very accurate of course so I have been trying to find something that was appropriate. A earlier release of the Hasegawa kit is supposed to have the color pattern as well but I have not been able to find it. I had that Revell kit about 30 years ago but of course the instructions are long gone. I don't even remember how I finished it, but I do know it was not in the roll out scheme.
Later,
Dave

I think this is the scheme you are talking about. If I am not wrong, it is a scan from the old 1/48 scale Tamiya kit instructions.

This appears to be the same scheme:

Forum: General

YF-16: Camouflage scheme of the 2nd prototype