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

And in about 3 weeks you'll have a BUNCH of ANG stickers to slap on 'er! Don't let Mike hold out on you either, I'm sending him enough for both of you, LOL!

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ViperEnforcer wrote:

Well, before I trucked off to work yesterday, mince showed up at my door step.

Dam, this is as sweet as the Block 50 kit. There are a few area I was not totally satisfied with, but that comes with any kit.

The kit comes with the late style block 1-30 wheels, but this time the brakes are molded with the wheel hub. Really wish they would have molded these separate.

The exhaust nozzle exterior looks great and is quite accurate, but unfortunately, the interior divergent/convergent Flap/Flap seal detail is blank and short. It's still a lot better than any other Pratt nozzle in kit form. Just wish they could have went the extra detailing effort, like they did when they over engineered the vertical tail! The exhaust/augmenter duct is as plain-Jane as the CJ kit, with a basic 1 piece Flame holder/mixing duct/turbine assembly.

The GBU-12 is well done and the LITENING Pod even better than Hasegawa’s version. I really liked the TER, but could use dome more fine detailing. Tamiya also included the 210 launchers, sh*t-Hot! These were missing from the Test Shots I saw a few months ago.

The NSI intake is spot on as are the smaller MLG door retract actuator and bracket assembly. And finally, the most accurate light weight gear in 48th scale! This was one of my peeves with the Hasegawa kit, as they just didn’t get them right.

I’ll have more later on.

Mike V

Well, I got it also, lately when a friend of mine (callsign Scrat) gave it to me as his birthday gift and photograph the sprues that are not present in the F-16CJ Blk 50 kit.

Viper Enforcer got the words out of my review and here's all I can say about this new kit. It has basically more parts than the F-16C Blk 50 CJ. This includes both the old (part Q5) and new rail launchers for stations 2 and 8, LITENING Pods (sprue Z), four GBU-12s (sprue Y x 2), small mouth intake and a Pratt and Whitney exhaust (sprue Q) and the earlier landing gear (sprue R)

For me at least, it's a very good kit. Here's a couple of pics of the concerned sprues.

sprues Q and R

another view of sprues Q and R

sprue Y and Z

Hope you guys like it. Beer

The black tail is March ARB right now too! But looks likethe markings are well covered, so no need to get more pics.

Two TERs and four GBU-12s - that sounds good - at least for the basics. But why Tamiya not include at least a single GBU-31 JDAM and at least decals for a combat-deployed OIF Viper? I hate it that world-wide leading manufacturers of plastic kits still ignore very interesting combat deployments (like OEF and OIF) and that we must pay again for related decal sheets from aftermarked. Question: Are there already any aftermarket 1/48 GBU-38 JDAMs and the BRU-57/A Smart Rack?

Shull24 makes a resin GBU-38:

And for the rack, just use one from a Hase F-18.

J.J. wrote:

Two TERs and four GBU-12s - that sounds good - at least for the basics. But why Tamiya not include at least a single GBU-31 JDAM and at least decals for a combat-deployed OIF Viper? I hate it that world-wide leading manufacturers of plastic kits still ignore very interesting combat deployments (like OEF and OIF) and that we must pay again for related decal sheets from aftermarked. Question: Are there already any aftermarket 1/48 GBU-38 JDAMs and the BRU-57/A Smart Rack?

uuuum, if they didn't, what would I do, LOL?!

AfterburnerDecalsScott wrote:

J.J. wrote:

Two TERs and four GBU-12s - that sounds good - at least for the basics. But why Tamiya not include at least a single GBU-31 JDAM and at least decals for a combat-deployed OIF Viper? I hate it that world-wide leading manufacturers of plastic kits still ignore very interesting combat deployments (like OEF and OIF) and that we must pay again for related decal sheets from aftermarked. Question: Are there already any aftermarket 1/48 GBU-38 JDAMs and the BRU-57/A Smart Rack?

uuuum, if they didn't, what would I do, LOL?!

I'll second that mate hahaha Crazy Pilot

Habu wrote:

The black tail is March ARB right now too! But looks likethe markings are well covered, so no need to get more pics.

Crewed that jet one of my last days TDY out to Fresno, pretty cool looking in person.

AfterburnerDecalsScott wrote:

And in about 3 weeks you'll have a BUNCH of ANG stickers to slap on 'er! Don't let Mike hold out on you either, I'm sending him enough for both of you, LOL!

I think I need to change my pants. Not to be too picky, but how hard would it be to get the BLACKSNAKES in gray over black for the other tails?

Oh man that's a tall order. Scott spent a lot of time doing this sheet!

Just makes it hard when only 2 of the 17 have black letters. I eventually wanted to do my jet from the desert.

Well for the CA bird, there's only one with a black tail and gray griffin. But there's others out there,including the decals in the Tamiya kit, and TwoBobs.

I'll be starting my kit here soon,converting it into a NSI Block 30(cross kitting with the Block 50),have to take of a few things that were left over from the Block 50 release thats on the Block 25/32 kit.Definitly miles over the Hasegawa kit but still can detailed more for more "umpf"(cockpit,wheel wells,and exhuast),testing out a few resin parts to see if they work and so far they look like they will.Besides a few minor mods to the kits I can finally do a good out-of-the-box F-16C without buying tons of resin or PE. Very Happy

Habu wrote:

Well for the CA bird, there's only one with a black tail and gray griffin. But there's others out there,including the decals in the Tamiya kit, and TwoBobs.

I meant of the 17 we have here in Fort Wayne, the 144th jet is the only one with the black tail, very unique. Kinda makes me wonder how they're gonna keep that look once the panels have to come off!

ANG Vipers have attractive tail arts but colored tails plus tail art it's very inspiring to model. Beyond the black tail 144FW and the red tail 188th FW Wing Kings, are there any more unique Viper (Block 25/32) tails? Drool

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

Tamiya's new 1/48 F-1C Block 25/32!