Deleted air scoop on the leading edge of vertical tail base

[lawndarter]

Gentlemen,

While compiling loads of references for an upcoming "Quick Recognition Guide to the F-16C/D" for scale modelers,
I stumbled across a tiny detail I had found on post-2012 Block 30/40/42/50/52 F-16s:
I found several pictures of CCIP/CUPID F-16C/Ds having the small air scoop on the leading edge of the vertical tail root fairing deleted around/during 2012. The pictures are also depicting the addition of a distinctive access(?) panel aft of the UHF antenna.

Does anybody have further information on this feature and to which update/upgrade it's related to?

Thanks in advance!
Erik

[Boman]

Jake Melampy gave a simple but great explanation to this here:
http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/ind ... try2611675:

Yes, the BLOSS is an upgraded radio system installed beginning around 2008 or so. It was a result of circumstances experienced in mountainous terrain such as Afghanistan. It is a raised plate on the base of the vertical stab, with the removal of the upper ASPJ inlet. In early installations, the new panel was a much lighter shade of gray, but most have now been repainted to match the surrounding paint on the jet.

Jake

[Boman]

One more thing;
Before you spend too much time on Your book Project, please note that Jake Melampy has released several Reference books on the Viper, in addition to similar from Daco. All these books are great References, whether modeller or just Viper afficianados.

So I would recommend that you check these out before you venture too far. Would be a shame if you put a lot of effort into something that doesn't sell because the market is already covered?

• Daco: http://ultra.glo.be/daco/KDCB001.html
• Reid Air Publications: http://www.reidairpublishing.com/book.html

[lawndarter]

Thanks, Niels. That's just what I've been looking for.

Rendering it more precisely, it's an online project I'm working on - without any profit motivation.
As already stated in my previous post, it's mainly targeting scale modelers in order to provide them with
a comprehensive, yet dense and rather picture-heavy resource when dealing with the subject.
Sort of a checklist/pictorial, if you will.

Stuff like this:
"What are the distinguishing features between the various Blocks numbers? How do they differ externally?
What modifications did they go through during their service life and what were the effects on the external appearance?
How comes that a Block 30 F-16C with the light main landing gear has its taxi lights mounted on the front landing gear door? TAMIYA's painting instructions are suggesting a three-tone scheme, pics of the real thing are displaying only two. How comes?!"

So far, both the DACO book and Jake Melampy's Modern Viper Guide, as well as f-16.net, have been among the most invaluable assets while compiling F-16C/D-related information. So you can infer from stating these books that these are already part of my personal book shelf.
And I'm not getting tired to warmly recommend these sources to fellow modelers: "an essential read/a website well worth visiting".

Just in order to give you an impression of the preliminary graphic presentation of Block-related "ab initio" recognition features:



Thanks again.

Erik