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F-16A prototype 1/32?


mark31

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Mike Valdez can correct me on this, but I belive the only reasonably accurate kit of the YF-16 is the 1:72 Hasegawa kit, alter modified into the CCV type by adding canard wings to the air intakes.   Otaki made a good representation of the YF-16 in 1:48, but can be further improved with some crosskitting.  In 1:32, the nearest you will get is the Hasegawa F-16A that represented the Full-Scale Development aircraft rather than the prototype, although it was painted in a similar red white and blue scheme.  You can still find the kit on swap meets and second hand kit collectors.

 

Jens

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In 1:32, the nearest you will get is the Hasegawa F-16A that represented the Full-Scale Development aircraft rather than the prototype, although it was painted in a similar red white and blue scheme.  You can still find the kit on swap meets and second hand kit collectors.

 

Jens

 

There's one for sale right now in the trader board.

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Wouldn't seem so, but ends up a bit of an Endeavor to make a conversion from the Hasegawa kit. The canopy being one example.

I located drawings showing differences, but looked without success to find any YF-16 gear well photos. Anyone know of any?

Ironically, one of the originals is displayed hanging in Museum with gear up (who thought to do that?) :mental: :doh: 

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There's more than just the nose and nose wheel door to fix to make a YF-16 from the Hasegawa F-16A kit.  The differences in the canopy is that the YF had a more reclined angle on the arch between the forward and rear canopy, but the slimmer nose would probably influence the shape of the front canopy frame.  That's hard to fix, so may not be worth it if you're making the model with the canopy up.  The cockpit was different - the seat was an ESCAPAC (Stencel seat in the first FSD aircraft), and the rear bulkhead was sloping to follow the seat as opposed to vertical in FSD and production versions.  Add to the fact that the wing was slightly shorter in chord and span and the length of the fuselage was different - the FSD aircraft grew in almost every direction.  There is a sketch in the first Squadron Signal book on the F-16 that outlines the differences.  The fairing around the exhaust also changed between YF-16 and F-16, and the YF-16 main wheels were - apparently - B-58 main wheels.  I don't have the details, but according to Mike Valde, the wheel wells were different from the YF and F as well.

 

Jens

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There's more than just the nose and nose wheel door to fix to make a YF-16 from the Hasegawa F-16A kit.  The differences in the canopy is that the YF had a more reclined angle on the arch between the forward and rear canopy, but the slimmer nose would probably influence the shape of the front canopy frame.  That's hard to fix, so may not be worth it if you're making the model with the canopy up.  The cockpit was different - the seat was an ESCAPAC (Stencel seat in the first FSD aircraft), and the rear bulkhead was sloping to follow the seat as opposed to vertical in FSD and production versions.  Add to the fact that the wing was slightly shorter in chord and span and the length of the fuselage was different - the FSD aircraft grew in almost every direction.  There is a sketch in the first Squadron Signal book on the F-16 that outlines the differences.  The fairing around the exhaust also changed between YF-16 and F-16, and the YF-16 main wheels were - apparently - B-58 main wheels.  I don't have the details, but according to Mike Valde, the wheel wells were different from the YF and F as well.

 

Jens

The FWD portion of the YF canopy is not as bulged. Two 1/48 scale kits are close - Otaki and Tamiya, but are rough projects in themselves. Would rather spend the time in God scale were I to take it on. One help is the original Hasegawa kit comes with test seat.

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The FSD aircraft was the step between the prototype YF-16 and the Block 1 production version.  The FSD weren't fully representative of the production airfraft in that some of the panel lines on the spine were different (the upper fuel cell panels) and the lack or the RWR antenna fairings on the nose and tail.  I don't know if any of the FSD aircraft were originally fitted with ACES II seats, but the kit gives you the Stencel seat in plastic.  Hasegawa later included an ACES II in white metal when they released it as a production F-16A and F-16C.

 

Jens

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Rights Jens, as the closest prototype F-16 in kit form is the original issue Hasegawa 72nd F-16/YF-16/CCV kit. Otaki/ARII/Entex in 48th (w/cross kitting of course), but as far as 32nd, there really isn't one. Hasegawa's 32nd F-16A would be a good starting point for a YF-16, but it still requires a significant amount of mods to pull it off correctly. It already has the shortened MLG wheel well span though.

 

In regards to the FSD aircraft, they were quite representative of the initial production F-16s as they were the same airframe (they were made from the same dies) and general arrangement as the production jets. That also holds over for the panel lines, as they were the same on the FSDs as the F-16As; barring a few minor differences.  The main aspects that set them apart from the production F-16As was the instrumentation and mods; both avionics and structural.

 

All the FSD F-16s were configured with the STENCIL Seats, though most were later retrofitted with ACES II.

 

Simply making the radome pointed and splitting the NLG door is only part of the way to a YF-16. The wings, stabs, and strake areas need to be reduced by about 10%. The entire front fuselage is totally different, as is the cockpit and Ejection seat.

 

Good call on the canopy Erik. While the bubble is essentially the same, the frame is a little lower in profile and hinge extends a bit more as well.

 

Maybe one day we'll see one in 32nd. I need this one in the collection.

 

Mike V

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The YF-16 was so much prettier than the production birds.  It's too bad only two of them looked like that - the two prettiest F-16s ever.  It would be so cool to have a dedicated kit of them.  Not a money making proposition I understand, but cool none the less.

 

Agreed, although the Norwegian F-16 "686" in its special paint scheme was ALMOST as good looking!  Wish someone would have done some decals for this one.

 

7938857768_d4054d8d96_b.jpg

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Would be lovely to do the cloudy grey-blue YF-16

 

http://www.f-16.net/g3/f-16-photos/album11/album12/72-1568_001

 

and the slightly bizarre asymmetric laminar flow F-16XL

 

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/multimedia/imagegallery/F-16XL2/EC96-43831-2.html

 

Always wanting the unavailable!

 

Tony

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