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

I am working on a Tamiya Thunderbird for my brother-in-law in the Air Force (currently in Iraq). What if any changes/modifactions/additions/deletions need to be made to the kit to make it accurate?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
RG Cool

F-16.net Sponsor

Are you making it into a TBird? If so, no mods are required, built it OOB.

Habu, yes building a Tbird OOB. Just curious. I've seen a Black Box cockpit and wondered if it was worth getting. How about scab plates? I see some are included in the kit.

Any other aftermarket stuff I should look at? Burner can, etc.?
Thanks

Well if you want to spice it up a bit, then yeah you can add all those things. But then it wouldn't be OOB now would it? It's all in how you want it to look. The resin adds nominal detail to an already spectacular kit in my opinion. But that's just me. My CJ only required some wire for the wheel bays and some small scratched details to the cockpit, and it got me to Japan. So it's really up to you how you want to trim it out. But as far as mods, none are required. Same with the scab plates, for which you only need two for the Tbird. Only the lawnmover blades near the tailbase are required. You can use the kit plates, or the ones from Afterburner Decals. Or, just do what I did and scratch them too. EIther way, enjoy!

The Thunderbirds kit is great, but does need some work to do an accurate Block 32. Tamiya re-used most of the Block 50 parts and tried to pass them off for a Block 32. They got it close, but missed several items.

1) Block 25/30/32 jets have a more rounded nose gear fork than does the later Blocks. Take a file to the metal kit part and you're in business.

2) Block 40-up have different leading edge flap seals/fingers than the earlier jets. Early jets have 2 fingers, while the later jets have 3.

3) Add another gear pin box to the LH main gear well.

4) Remove the "nowhere duct" on the LH side of the fuselage beneath the cockpit, under the strake. It is being removed as jets go through depot. While I was at Nellis a few weeks ago, I noticed that some of the Tbird jets still had this scoop, while others did not. Check your references for the jet you wish to build.

5) Add the lawnmower blades in front of the vertical stab, and the 2 plates at the wingroot on top of the wings. You can cut out the ones supplied with the kit, but they are really too thin for 1/32. These plates are really pretty beefy in 1/1.

6) Add the stopwach to the instrument panel coaming, to the left of the HUD.

There are a few other things to fix, but the above will get you started.

Jake

To add to the NLG strut, the torque links need to be thinned down and the joining hinge be modified to that of the light weight nose strut.

Ditto the LEF seals, specifically number one rotary actuators, inboard on both LEFs.

There are a couple of small bulges on the wing root panels that need to be removed. The instructions mention this, as well.

Also, IIRC; the JFS Doors (inlet & Exhaust) are usually removed from Thunderbird F-16s.

If you really what to get picky, add both of the bolt tabs to the ends of the Pratt turkey feathers, which are missing.

Mike V

What are those bulges for, Mike? The instructions correctly tell us to remove them, but I think it'd be easy to miss for those that don't know.

Jake

There's structual lines from the beef up mod, in between the finger braces.

I agree, it can be an easy oversight despite the instructions noting it.

Mike V

This is the exact information I'm looking for. I am building mine "gear up" utilizing an acrylic rod not the base that comes with the kit. Thanks again.

Well, here is my first post, makes me a newbie as well. Off to see the Thunderbirds at Wings Over Pittsburgh this weekend. Jonesing for this Tamiya 1:32 F-16 Tbird kit for Father's Day!

I'll be following the thread, but a few quick questions:

1. Are the kit decals OK? When I was younger, I used MicroScale when I could, along with their setting solutions and clear finishes. Came out spectacular. For this kit, I don't want to see decal borders!

2. Where do you get these aftermarket mods people are talking about?

3. Is there any chance that someone has made a retractable gear mod for this kit? Is it even feasible?

4. I know the vertical stabilzers operate, has anyone ever tried making any other control surfaces operate, hinge the canoopy, etc.?

Point is, I'll be durn lucky to get this kit, much less get it built. I'd like to be able to display it in as many configurations as possible.

Thanks to any who contribute!

Tom

irst of all Tom, welcome! Here's what I got for ya:

1) Decals are just fine. I've built Tamiya models for decades and never had problems with their decals. Some people have said that they're a pain, or they're not opaque enough, or they're too thick..blah blah blah. If like you said, you've used the Microscale system before, you will have problems with these decals. The thing you do have to be careful with, is the fact that they're large decals, and cover almost the entire airframe.
2) www.afterburnerdecals.com
www.spruebrothers.com
www.greatmodels.com
3) Retracts? You mean like an r/c kit, where you can deploy and retract them? No. No kits have been made. The gear is made of metal in this kit, and it wouldn't be feasible.
4) The flaperons can be posed opened or closed, and the rudder is movable. The canopy can also be positioned open or closed, and the radome is movable as well.

Habu wrote:

4) The flaperons can be posed opened or closed

Maybe you mean up or down, or moveable? Flaperons don't open or close. The speedbrakes do, but there is no option to make them moveable in the kit. Only opened or closed.

Jake

This kit has smoke and clear canopies. Which is correct to use?

Gervais8 wrote:

This kit has smoke and clear canopies. Which is correct to use?

Depends on which jet and which timeframe you're modeling. The F-16 has had a pretty wide variety of tints over the years, ranging from a distinctive golden appearance to smoky grey. They are now going to an almost clear canopy to be more compatible with NVGs.

Jake

Thanks, Habu!

Re: decals - Yeah, I was immediately intimidated by the size of those decals, I knew they'd be problematic on that basis alone. Do you use setting solutions with them? I haven't built in 30 years...

Re: Flaperons- I'll admit to complete ignorance. Is this a combination flap/airleron, or a word invented to cover both surfaces?

Re: Retracts: If I knew how they worked, I know some machine shop folks... I don't mean solenoid powered, but I'd like to be able to at least position them both ways, if not actually operate them. Anybody remember Revell's 1:72 F-111, or their 1:72 HU-16 Albatross? They were cool list, both had full working retracts!

But if I could remove the metal and close the doors, that would be one way; the ultimate, of course, would be to actually poition the gear. You could display your model in virtually any stage of flight, then, as the mood hits you. Same for all teh control surfaces ad canopy!

And, just to be a little knutz, if I ever did build a second T-bird, I'd build #5 and make a custom stand to display him upside down!

Regards,

Tom

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

Tamiya Thunderbird 1/32 any modifications needed