Forum: Scale Models - F-16, F-35, F/A-22, F-2

Hi everyone! I'm a longtime lurker in this forum...and a big beneficiary of a lot of your helpful tips and info...thanks! My question has to do with a project I recently started here. I am building two F-16s side by side. I have a very old Hasegawa 1/32 F-16A kit (model of the year 1978!) and the new Academy kit in 1/32. (I know the Tamiya kit is better...but I am too poor!) My goal is to (somehow) transform the Hasegawa kit into the best Block 42 C model and the Academy into a recent Block 50 example. I know there are a ton of mods required to make this happen...I am prepared for some scratchbuilding! My question: Do the Block 50/52 models have the bulged gear doors and bigger tires or are they more comparable to the original A model? Does anyone know where to find a template to help me scratch build the fuselage reinforcements for the Block 40 (I don't think these come in the Academy kit.) Also, the M61 setup in the Block 40/50 series...is it comparable to the A model or is it setup differently...I know the muzzle is different on the A. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
Very Happy

Z

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Block 50s have the bulged main gear doors and larger wheels/gear. Everything you need to do a block 50 is included in the Academy kit.

For the block 42's plating, you'll need to make those yourself. I use thin scrap plastic to good effect.

The gun is the same for all blocks, but, as you mentioned, the vent is different from A to C.

Jake

Thanks for the quick reply! Have any of you hardcore folks out there ever modified a set of landing gear from A to Block 40/50 standard? An ambitious project I'm sure. I'm also interested in some of the reference photos or other materials that you may have used to super-detail your wheel wells. I have the means and ability to do this...but I'm not interested in making it look busy if it's not accurate! Any help is appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Z

The Hasegawa light weight gear is wrong to begin with. The thickness is there (a little to mauch), as it's over scaled in the first place. As far as modifying to block 40/50 gear, it's going to be fairly involved.

The main difference is the hinge structure, where the shock strut links to the tension strut. The brake housing is quite different. I would suggest copying the Academy parts, if they were'nt so inaccurate themselves. The Academy MLG brake housing is not only wrong in structure profile, but way too shallow as it does not project out from the inside of the wheel at all, being flush!

This is where so some good references would be more beneficial than trying to go off the Academy kit as a guide.

About the gun muzzles. Not all the A models came production with the 8 slotted muzzle. The late lot of the Block 15's came production with the 2 slotted muzzle, which is also common to all F-16C/D models. Also, other FMS upgraded F-16A/B's have since been retrofitted with the 2 slotted gun muzzle, like IAF & Scandinavian MLU jets.

You want detail shots, get the DACO F-16 book. It's the single best reference on the jet and has just about all the detail shots you'd need for your project.

Mike V

Thanks for the info Mike. Sounds like I'm in for a project....that's good I guess. Here's another question for all you Viper afficionados. My Academy instructions (which are actually pretty nice!) are telling my to paint the aircraft internal structure around the gun gloss white...I thought is was a green zinc chromate kind of colour? Does anybody know for sure? Thanks in advance guys!

Z

Everything internal on the viper other than the eng bay and hyd bays is painted gloss white.

Cool, Thanks for the quick reply. I'm glad they got it right.

Z

Taco44 wrote:

Everything internal on the viper other than the eng bay and hyd bays is painted gloss white.

Fuel bays are not white either. Pretty muich every bay (upper fuselage) past the Gun bay is not white. Then you have the ECS bays primer on the port side, while the opposite LOX bay is white.

Not really bays, but the flight control parts tend to have the flange areas painted whitle, while the corresponding airframe flanges (where the flight controls mount) are primer.

Mike V

Forum: Scale Models - F-16, F-35, F/A-22, F-2

Block 40/50 question.