F-16A & F-16C Aggressor Double Build - The Double is Done!

[Joel_W]

Marcel,

  That's one of, if not the best modeled exhaust can I've ever seen. Just sensational.   

Joel

[Starfighter Jock]

Marcel, 

 

Fantastic work on the exhaust cans, some of the best I have seen.  I agree with you on the KASL P&W exhaust, it is a gorgeous rendering.

 

Cheers

 

KJ 

[Starfighter Jock]

 

 

Anybody out there have any ideas on how to to the NO PUSH marking on the exhaust petals? The Academy kit has some pretty good-looking decals but I am pretty anxious about applying decals over that metal finish. Wish there were some dry-erase things available.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Marcel

 

Marcel,

 

I have seen the Academy "No Push" decals used on the tail feathers before, if you trim off excess clear portions you can lay them right down over the Alclad finish without using any sealers.  But if you want to weather them down some, then try over coating the exhaust with Alclad Aqua-Clear.  Typically does not alter the finish once dry but I do recommend doing some tests with it beforehand as it can be a bit tricky to apply and have it dry crystal clear.  Ok to weather over the top of it with oils, enamels, etc., stuff is tough as a rock when dry. 

 

Cheers

 

Kirk

Edited August 7, 2017 by Starfighter Jock

[chuck540z3]

Much better!

 

I'm not sure which aircraft had that nozzle, but here is my public library of other Aggressors (& other F-16's) that might help. Lots of detail pics too.

 

 

http://s253.photobucket.com/user/chuck540z3/library/F-16%20Aggressors?sort=3&page=1

 

 

Here's a another wild one:

 

 

 

A few more that might be helpful....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited August 7, 2017 by chuck540z3

[Marcel111]

Hi guys,

 

There is a thread going on over on the discussion space re. converting the Tamiya kit to the NSAWC F-16A Block 15 OCU, so I thought I'd slap some pics up over here to show what I have learnt and done so far. I am really short of time so apologies for the poor quality of the pics.

 

 

 

 

I modified the metal landing gear such that I can fit it later on. No way I can work on the rest of the model with gear attached.

 

The fit of the Aires wheel wells into the 2nd F-16 was really poor... kinda weird that the fit into other model is far better.

 

This is the KASL tail with the parapack removed and replaced by the Tamiya standard base (what appears like gaps is CA glue, other than rescribing this is done). This took quite a bit of work since the Tamiya "C" part is a lot thicker than the "A" base.

 

Here is the work I have done so far to hollow out and correct the pylons. Note that the hollowing out is only really relevant for one of the pylons on my NSAWC build since one of the pylons will carry the Elta EL/L-8222 ECM pod.

 

 

Some gun work. 

 

Other than converting the Tamiya Block 32 kit to a Block 15 OCU, there are some other NSAWC-specific details to keep in mind, such as the little rectangular GPS cover on the forward spine of the aircraft. Anyway, if you decide to do this conversion you'd be in good hands with Jakes's book, it covers all the requirements.

 

At this point I have put aside the F-16C Block 30 so that I can focus on the NSAWC Viper, it was getting hard to focus on building two air-frames concurrently.

 

Cheers,

Marcel

Edited September 26, 2017 by Marcel111

[jmel]

Very nice work, Marcel.  It never occurred to me to paint the gun panel separately prior to installation.  I always try to mask the gun.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be careful with this part.  It appears to be a hybrid of F-16A and F-16C.  Check out the RWR antenna on the rear upper and lower and compare them A-model vs. C-model.  Quite some differences.

[Marcel111]

Very nice work, Marcel.  It never occurred to me to paint the gun panel separately prior to installation.  I always try to mask the gun.  

 

Be careful with this part.  It appears to be a hybrid of F-16A and F-16C.  Check out the RWR antenna on the rear upper and lower and compare them A-model vs. C-model.  Quite some differences.

Thx Jake... I thought there was something not quite right but hadn't bothered to look into it, I'll check it out in detail now...

[Marcel111]

Quick update on this (just not finding much time for modelling):

 

This is where the F-16A build is at. It's taking a very long time to ensure that the leading edge flaps are on with only a minimal gap.

 

 

The real reason for the update is to show that the Tamiya part at the base of the tail requires substantially more rework than meets the eye, turns out the "A" base is very different in pretty much every way compared to a "C" base:

 

 

 

Cheers,

Marcel

[A-10LOADER]

Marcel,

 

Nice attention to the details as always. Two more show stoppers in the works !!

 

I know the feeling about finding bench time. My Tomcat is ready for colors, finally but, just can't seem to find enough time.

 

Steve

[chuck540z3]

Good job on the deep surgery Marcel!  If you don't know already, whenever I think I might be sanding off rivet and panel line detail that I want to retain, I deepen all of that before I sand with a panel line scriber and a needle in a pin vice.  Sometimes this takes a few iterations, depending on how deep the sanding goes, but in the end I am usually able to keep all of it.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[dsahling1]

Cover the detail with a layer or two of masking tape, thats what I did and then just sand VERY carefully and slowly.

[Marcel111]

Thx for checking in and thx for the detail retention advice.

 

Chuck, I have undertaking your deepening prep before but had for whatever reason forgotten to do just that on this build, thx for the reminder.

 

Cheers,

 

Marcel

[Marcel111]

Jake, if I ever meet you in person I will for sure buy you a cold one. Thankfully I had a really close look at the top of the fin of the A and it really is entirely different to a Block 30 top, the KASL A tail conversion top looks just like a C top. That may of course be because the Taiwanese A tails have the same top as a C.

 

So converting the C tail to an A tail took a little more effort than anticipated, but it's all coming together, I think the base is also starting to look like a smooth fit:

 

 

Close up of upper tail... very different to a C top and very different to the KASL top:

 

 

Semi-open speedbrakes... they never look like this on parked USAF F-16's but for whatever reason the NASWC jets have their brakes in anything from all the way open to closed, and anything in-between (same thing with the flaps).

 

 

I am busy reading the John Boyd book by Robert Coram which makes this build all the more exciting... I will be building the A without tanks and with a minimum of external stores to come close to the Boyd/Sprey ideal.

 

Cheers,

 

Marcel

[Uncarina]

Marcel,

 

Awesome work as always! I will look out for that book.

 

Cheers, Tom

[Marcel111]

Wow, no update on this since October! Since then we have moved into the house we bought and have been generally pretty busy. Also, I haven't quite gotten my modelling space sorted out yet, that will likely take a year but in the interim I am in a little dark room at the back of the house (which doesn't really motivate me to sit down and model). Nonetheless, I have snapped some pics of the progress I have made--apologies for the poor quality of the pics, will use a stand again next time.

 

Here is an overall view of the tail, with some preliminary paint on. Still some scribing and final finishing to do but I am getting there:

 

 

The underside. The taper into the exhaust doesn't look entirely right but there is not much I can do about it, I have since scribed this area.

 

 

Modified mid-wing pylon with Elta ECM pod dry-fitted:

 

 

This pic shows what needed to be done to the Elta pod:

 

 

 

The sway-brace cover area of the mid-pylon was substantially modified. The holes (for the fasteners) were moved further apart and styrene rod and small brass nuts were used to complete the assembly.

 

 

 

The underside of the pylons was substantially detailed:

 

 

Happy 2018 to all of you!

 

Marcel

Edited January 2, 2018 by Marcel111