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Tamiya’s 1/32 F-16CJ Converted to an Israeli Barak


Spaced Marine

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I am terrified of cutting kit parts like you must do to fit the Avionix resin cockpit.  Did I mention I'm terrified of cutting major kit parts?  All joking aside, I'd rather slice up a $30 resin cockpit than the fuselage of a $220 model kit (that's the current MSRP-YIKES!).  So last night I began to slice and dice the cockpit consoles, to fit their more detailed tops to the kit cockpit tub. 

I wound up with this:

36041750902_cdef1b6823_k.jpg

I've found the kit sidewalls work better in this little endeavor, so I will detail those parts rather than use the resin ones.  The instrument combing fits well, and I will add the missing details to the floor and the wiring to the decking behind the bang seat, which will be the resin one.

All-in-all it is not a perfect solution, but it is one I am comfortable with doing.   

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Nice work and I so wish I would have followed your strategy, that would have saved me a ton of work!

 

BTW will you be using the Aires wheel wells? I am struggling with them and wish I would not have chosen them. One of them is significantly too short (yes, this is the same set used on the same kit but one is about 2mm shorter than the other).

 

Cheers,

Marcel

Edited by Marcel111
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On to some actual airframe construction. I'm using the main gear bay from Aires, and the nose wheel bay from CMK on this kit.

Why?

The Aires nose gear bay from too short by about 1/8 of an inch. The CMK set was picked up on sale from Squadron, and will do just fine. I made a little bit of a mess for myself by not removing the full casting block from the end of the nose wheel bay. It sat a fraction above where it needed to be, but a little apoxy-sculpt epoxy putty solved the problem to my satisfaction.

The moral of the story: don't get in a hurry and think “I don't have to do that…â€

36207896121_6370b6b362_k.jpg

Also, I created a small problem with the intake lip. I was a little over zealous on removing the mold line on the part, and created a small step to deal with. A little Tamiya basic silver putty thinned with extra-thin cement did the trick.

36300079476_2e3b95cea5_k.jpg

A quick test fit shows that everything is going to look good together.

36344787575_8d9645113b_k.jpg

Also, there is NO intake on this build. Call me lazy, call me what you will, but I hate sanding those seams. So, here's the raw white plastic blank for the intake plug. There's a bit of sculpting to do to get it where I want, but I'm not breaking the epoxy putty out tonight. 35535866863_3f2e3c38f3_k.jpg

Thanks for looking and all the kind words. I hope to get the lower airframe assembled next.

Thanks guys.

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Guest Peterpools

Enjoying following your terrific progress and have no fears ... I'm right with you when it comes to slicing and dicing an expensive kit

Keep 'em coming

Peter

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