chuck540z3

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Wow, that's a very kind comment sir and I thank you.  "By doing something til it works" it pretty accurate for me, because I often try things that don't work at all, like my first attempt at exhaust staining using bits of masking tape, which turned out quite bad.  With the pressure from the air brush the tape was pushed against the exhaust, creating a bit of a mess, so it was back to the drawing board with something I knew worked before, which was bits of stiff styrene instead.
 
I have often seen some of my relatively unique techniques used by others which makes me smile.  What's the saying?  "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" or something like that? 
 
Having said that, I use plenty of techniques in my builds that I learned from others, but I always try to recognize where I got my ideas from if they are special.  Marcel's anti-skid walkways using a rough surface Rustoleum in a spray can and Pete's white latex paint dipped F-16 intakes come to mind, but there are many other techniques I can't think of right now.  Although I don't use these methods any more, they really helped with some of my past models, so I try to give back to these forums whenever I can.
 
The Viper Aggressor is coming along very nicely now, with most of the parts now used.  I should have an update in a few days once I finalize a few assemblies that needed a tweak here and there.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 9/24
 
Lots of small updates, but mostly an introduction to 7 different after-market items you might not be aware of for this and the Block 50 kit.
 
First some housekeeping, to remove that panel line around the AOA probe on both sides of the nose cone.  While it’s usually stained this way due to the protective cap that's placed over the probe when parked, it isn’t a real panel line, so I want to remove it. Same thing holds true for the Tamiya F-15 kits.
 

 
This kit has a removable nose cone to show off the radar stuff like the Block 50 kit, but it doesn’t have the radar screen anyway, so it should be glued into place instead.  The nose cone join isn’t very strong as a result, so to reinforce the join I glued Part F-35 to the nose cone first, then a styrene spacer from scrap that was sanded down to size to fill the gap behind it.  I used thick CA glue to weld it to the metal weight at the front, which gives you about 5 minutes to wiggle it around to get the best fit from all sides and angles with ordinary Tamiya ETC applied around the margin.
 

 
The nose cone join was then sanded down where needed, with eroded fastener detail restored with the usual tools to do so, like a Mega Tool for the big fasteners.  For the AOA probes I cut off, I’m using Master brass replacements which I’ve used a few times before on my other jets.  I think they really “kick them up a notch”.
 

 
The other side.  These probes fit into small holes that I drilled, so I can leave them off until the end of the build.
 

 

 
Another addition to this build is Kopecky horizontal stabilizers, which I heard about from our friend Marcel about 18 months ago, so I ordered a set for this future model.  The Kopecky resin I’ve used so far is excellent and probably on par with ResKit, which is saying a lot!  The service is excellent and their website is here:
 
Kopecky Website
 
This set comes with nice subtle rivet detail, but if you want almost no rivets, they now make a smoother version (32028).  Although most of these stabilizers are quite smooth, there are a few where you can clearly see the rivets like on Page 30 of Jake’s book, so I’m happy to stick with these instead.  As usual, trying to photograph this snow-white plastic is a real struggle, but next to this dark resin, it’s even tougher.  As you probably know, those moon craters next to the stab axle on the kit parts are way too deep, while the Kopecky rivets are at the surface where they should be.
 

 

 
The Kopecky stabs also have really nice recessed hollow internal detail that is missing from the kit.
 

 
Even if you don’t care for the resin stabs, you should buy this kit for the super fine brass static wicks that come with it, also made by Master.  The kit one in the middle sure looks crude and chunky when set next to them.
 

 

 
As an added bonus, there’s enough wicks for the vertical stabilizer and the rear tips of the wings.  The little resin wick holders fit the kit parts perfectly.
 

 
While we’re looking at the vertical stab, that top panel line at the front should be filled and rivet detail added, while a static wick should be added, right behind the top light assembly that will be added later.
 

 
Kopecky also makes really nice LAU-129 missiles rails, which thankfully come in a set of 4, because you’ll need all of them.
 

 
And a really detailed center-line pylon, which comes in two parts, just like the real deal.
 

 

 
This will be added at the end of the build, along with the landing gear cover piece it attaches to, Part C27.  It looks so good from the bottom, I may not add the fuel tank, so that you can see all the work I did in the landing gear bay unobstructed.
 

 
I have struggled for years to find a decent ACMI pod, because up until recently, the only resin ones available were poorly made and it’s hard to keep up with all the new versions that seem to come out every second year.  Here’s the one on my subject, which I took in 2022.
 

 
Thanks to 3D printing, we now have a few good options, like Phase Hanger Resin (1 ordered) and a new aftermarket supplier I found in the UK, Bandit Resin Factory.  This supplier doesn’t have a full website yet, but they do have a Facebook presence, where you can see some of their products and contact the owner below, who will send you his catalogue.
 
Bandit Resin Factory (Facebook)
 
Apparently the ACMI pod above is a “Type E”, so I ordered 2 of them so that I had a spare for the stash.  This is the nicest ACMI pod I’ve ever seen and it even comes with decals.  Highly recommended!
 

 
I also bought a travel pod that I’ve never seen before, which is also excellent with a door that opens.  I didn’t open it yet, because I’m not likely to use it on this particular jet.
 

 
As mentioned before, the front flaps on F-16’s rest a few degrees in the upward position when parked for some reason.
 

 
So I decided to cement mine in permanently now, just in case I struggled with the fit and angle later.  With a microbrush holding up the flaps while the glue dried, they seem to be roughly correct.
 

 
Rear flaps were attached as well, but these ones can still move up and down.
 

 
The next aftermarket parts I used were the CrossDelta external reinforcement plates that I showed earlier, which for Block 25 and Block 32 Vipers have the “lawnmower blades” to reinforce the vertical stabilizer base and the big 5-piece plate at the wing root to reinforce the fuel tanks.  Tamiya includes a decal set to replicate these plates, but they are too thin and the rivet detail won’t show, unless you leave them unpainted white.  I thought these CrossDelta plates would be metalized plastic, but they are actually made from real metal and are self adhesive.
 

 
Tough to see on the white plastic, but this is where they belong based upon the instructions and Jake’s book (P. 23).
 

 
Since they are super glossy and metal, I scuffed them up a bit with 1000# sandpaper to help with paint adhesion, which isn’t too rough to leave scratch marks.  I will need to use a metal primer as well if I want the paint to stick.
 

 
Not in the CrossDelta instructions or in Jake’s book, Block 25’s like my subject have a small reinforcement strap just below the canopy hinge on both sides, so I cut up one of the bigger plates to create 2 of them.  Since they are so small, I wicked a little thin CA glue underneath them to hold them securely, then cleaned up the edges with CA glue remover.
 

 
On the starboard side, the strap is just aft of the panel hinge.  I also opened up that tiny vent on the side, which I should have done earlier from behind before the top fuselage Part B28 was cemented into place.
 

 
One thing that’s a little surprising to me with F-16’s is that there’s a small gap at the base of the vertical stabilizer, unlike other jets.
 

 
This small gap is perfect for the very tight fitting kit stabilizer, which is friction fit, so you don’t really need to glue it on, so it can be painted and decaled off the fuselage for ease of handling.  Note that the small air duct on the base was cut off, which Block 25’s don’t have.
 

 
Well that’s it for now, but I thought I would throw out a question that I’ve always wondered about.  If F-16’s have 16 static wicks trailing all the control surfaces, why don’t other fighter jets like F-15’s and F-18’s have them as well?  Hmmmm…….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Cockpit - done. These are the parts other than the transparent canopy parts:
 

 
The canopy frames are painted from inside, and those ''other parts'' are added:
 

 

 
The resin pilot figure... I had to add the head and the right hand/glove after the gluing of the figure, because it barely entered the cockpit... almost unbelievable.
 

 
And with the canopy parts glued, finally. Note that I updated the seat ejection handles by using the twisting wire method... still not perfect, but times better than before.
 

 
I'm very happy with the silhouette. All the ''seat transformations'' and improvizations worked nicely.  
 

 
And in the open position:
 

 

 

Thanks Duane.  I really appreciate your "heads Up" tips as we build this very cool kit at the same time- in very different directions!
 
As far as the Kopecky LAU-129 launchers are concerned under the wing, I don't seem to have any real gaps with the pylons, probably because I cut the notch based upon what the pylon required rather than what the Kopecky resin indicated.  They fit really well right now and under the wing behind the wingtip launchers, any gap from the side cannot be seen.
 
No real update, other than I have applied a nice thin coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 on everything  to check for flaws (a few big ones) and mostly to get rid of that snow white plastic!  Maybe I can photograph this build properly from now on with some level of color and contrast balance.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 9/24
 
Lots of small updates, but mostly an introduction to 7 different after-market items you might not be aware of for this and the Block 50 kit.
 
First some housekeeping, to remove that panel line around the AOA probe on both sides of the nose cone.  While it’s usually stained this way due to the protective cap that's placed over the probe when parked, it isn’t a real panel line, so I want to remove it. Same thing holds true for the Tamiya F-15 kits.
 

 
This kit has a removable nose cone to show off the radar stuff like the Block 50 kit, but it doesn’t have the radar screen anyway, so it should be glued into place instead.  The nose cone join isn’t very strong as a result, so to reinforce the join I glued Part F-35 to the nose cone first, then a styrene spacer from scrap that was sanded down to size to fill the gap behind it.  I used thick CA glue to weld it to the metal weight at the front, which gives you about 5 minutes to wiggle it around to get the best fit from all sides and angles with ordinary Tamiya ETC applied around the margin.
 

 
The nose cone join was then sanded down where needed, with eroded fastener detail restored with the usual tools to do so, like a Mega Tool for the big fasteners.  For the AOA probes I cut off, I’m using Master brass replacements which I’ve used a few times before on my other jets.  I think they really “kick them up a notch”.
 

 
The other side.  These probes fit into small holes that I drilled, so I can leave them off until the end of the build.
 

 

 
Another addition to this build is Kopecky horizontal stabilizers, which I heard about from our friend Marcel about 18 months ago, so I ordered a set for this future model.  The Kopecky resin I’ve used so far is excellent and probably on par with ResKit, which is saying a lot!  The service is excellent and their website is here:
 
Kopecky Website
 
This set comes with nice subtle rivet detail, but if you want almost no rivets, they now make a smoother version (32028).  Although most of these stabilizers are quite smooth, there are a few where you can clearly see the rivets like on Page 30 of Jake’s book, so I’m happy to stick with these instead.  As usual, trying to photograph this snow-white plastic is a real struggle, but next to this dark resin, it’s even tougher.  As you probably know, those moon craters next to the stab axle on the kit parts are way too deep, while the Kopecky rivets are at the surface where they should be.
 

 

 
The Kopecky stabs also have really nice recessed hollow internal detail that is missing from the kit.
 

 
Even if you don’t care for the resin stabs, you should buy this kit for the super fine brass static wicks that come with it, also made by Master.  The kit one in the middle sure looks crude and chunky when set next to them.
 

 

 
As an added bonus, there’s enough wicks for the vertical stabilizer and the rear tips of the wings.  The little resin wick holders fit the kit parts perfectly.
 

 
While we’re looking at the vertical stab, that top panel line at the front should be filled and rivet detail added, while a static wick should be added, right behind the top light assembly that will be added later.
 

 
Kopecky also makes really nice LAU-129 missiles rails, which thankfully come in a set of 4, because you’ll need all of them.
 

 
And a really detailed center-line pylon, which comes in two parts, just like the real deal.
 

 

 
This will be added at the end of the build, along with the landing gear cover piece it attaches to, Part C27.  It looks so good from the bottom, I may not add the fuel tank, so that you can see all the work I did in the landing gear bay unobstructed.
 

 
I have struggled for years to find a decent ACMI pod, because up until recently, the only resin ones available were poorly made and it’s hard to keep up with all the new versions that seem to come out every second year.  Here’s the one on my subject, which I took in 2022.
 

 
Thanks to 3D printing, we now have a few good options, like Phase Hanger Resin (1 ordered) and a new aftermarket supplier I found in the UK, Bandit Resin Factory.  This supplier doesn’t have a full website yet, but they do have a Facebook presence, where you can see some of their products and contact the owner below, who will send you his catalogue.
 
Bandit Resin Factory (Facebook)
 
Apparently the ACMI pod above is a “Type E”, so I ordered 2 of them so that I had a spare for the stash.  This is the nicest ACMI pod I’ve ever seen and it even comes with decals.  Highly recommended!
 

 
I also bought a travel pod that I’ve never seen before, which is also excellent with a door that opens.  I didn’t open it yet, because I’m not likely to use it on this particular jet.
 

 
As mentioned before, the front flaps on F-16’s rest a few degrees in the upward position when parked for some reason.
 

 
So I decided to cement mine in permanently now, just in case I struggled with the fit and angle later.  With a microbrush holding up the flaps while the glue dried, they seem to be roughly correct.
 

 
Rear flaps were attached as well, but these ones can still move up and down.
 

 
The next aftermarket parts I used were the CrossDelta external reinforcement plates that I showed earlier, which for Block 25 and Block 32 Vipers have the “lawnmower blades” to reinforce the vertical stabilizer base and the big 5-piece plate at the wing root to reinforce the fuel tanks.  Tamiya includes a decal set to replicate these plates, but they are too thin and the rivet detail won’t show, unless you leave them unpainted white.  I thought these CrossDelta plates would be metalized plastic, but they are actually made from real metal and are self adhesive.
 

 
Tough to see on the white plastic, but this is where they belong based upon the instructions and Jake’s book (P. 23).
 

 
Since they are super glossy and metal, I scuffed them up a bit with 1000# sandpaper to help with paint adhesion, which isn’t too rough to leave scratch marks.  I will need to use a metal primer as well if I want the paint to stick.
 

 
Not in the CrossDelta instructions or in Jake’s book, Block 25’s like my subject have a small reinforcement strap just below the canopy hinge on both sides, so I cut up one of the bigger plates to create 2 of them.  Since they are so small, I wicked a little thin CA glue underneath them to hold them securely, then cleaned up the edges with CA glue remover.
 

 
On the starboard side, the strap is just aft of the panel hinge.  I also opened up that tiny vent on the side, which I should have done earlier from behind before the top fuselage Part B28 was cemented into place.
 

 
One thing that’s a little surprising to me with F-16’s is that there’s a small gap at the base of the vertical stabilizer, unlike other jets.
 

 
This small gap is perfect for the very tight fitting kit stabilizer, which is friction fit, so you don’t really need to glue it on, so it can be painted and decaled off the fuselage for ease of handling.  Note that the small air duct on the base was cut off, which Block 25’s don’t have.
 

 
Well that’s it for now, but I thought I would throw out a question that I’ve always wondered about.  If F-16’s have 16 static wicks trailing all the control surfaces, why don’t other fighter jets like F-15’s and F-18’s have them as well?  Hmmmm…….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Thanks Duane.  I really appreciate your "heads Up" tips as we build this very cool kit at the same time- in very different directions!
 
As far as the Kopecky LAU-129 launchers are concerned under the wing, I don't seem to have any real gaps with the pylons, probably because I cut the notch based upon what the pylon required rather than what the Kopecky resin indicated.  They fit really well right now and under the wing behind the wingtip launchers, any gap from the side cannot be seen.
 
No real update, other than I have applied a nice thin coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 on everything  to check for flaws (a few big ones) and mostly to get rid of that snow white plastic!  Maybe I can photograph this build properly from now on with some level of color and contrast balance.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Thanks Duane.  I really appreciate your "heads Up" tips as we build this very cool kit at the same time- in very different directions!
 
As far as the Kopecky LAU-129 launchers are concerned under the wing, I don't seem to have any real gaps with the pylons, probably because I cut the notch based upon what the pylon required rather than what the Kopecky resin indicated.  They fit really well right now and under the wing behind the wingtip launchers, any gap from the side cannot be seen.
 
No real update, other than I have applied a nice thin coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 on everything  to check for flaws (a few big ones) and mostly to get rid of that snow white plastic!  Maybe I can photograph this build properly from now on with some level of color and contrast balance.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Those prices are smoking good, even if you just kept the needles!
 
As much as I have used and bragged about my Iwata CM-C+ over the past few years with it's tiny 0.18mm needle, my "go-to" airbrush these days is back to my older HP-CH workhorse with the regular 0.3 mm needle, now that I use MRP paints whenever I can.  The MRP paints spray very well without thinning, assuming the orifice is big enough, but the CM-C+ struggles and often sputters with this paint after a few minutes.  Right now this thin needle airbrush is restricted to Alclad or other extra-thinned paint where it excels, while the rest of my painting goes through the HP-CH.
 
One other observation.  Both of these airbrushes have a screw at the bottom to further fine-tune the pressure and paint flow.  I never use it, so I recommend buying the cheaper version without them, since I don't find them helpful.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Nope, just a small opening that will allow for a few drops or a few more.  The AH has many features as the CM-C+ I know you use, but nothing to get in the way for tight spots, and for small detail work I think this will be perfect.  These should get a bit of a workout or trial in the next week or two.  I'll certainly let folks know how it goes on this end.  The .8mm or so wide line I'm painting on the glass of that SNIPER pod is half done, and the touchups and remainder will be done with one of these I hope.  I imagine 10-20 drops of paint will fit without it being too full to use, depending on the dropper/pipette of course.  
 
I think these are being discontinued since they are on closeout - I do not recall the wording on the Iwata site.  They came in at $71 and $56 respectively.  They both share common nozzles, needles, etc with other brushes, so spares should not be an issue.  I'll grab a new nozzle for each one day for the hamfisted day down the road.  
 
https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/closeout-products.html
 
Duane

No paint cup on those airbrushes Duane?
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Thanks Duane.  I really appreciate your "heads Up" tips as we build this very cool kit at the same time- in very different directions!
 
As far as the Kopecky LAU-129 launchers are concerned under the wing, I don't seem to have any real gaps with the pylons, probably because I cut the notch based upon what the pylon required rather than what the Kopecky resin indicated.  They fit really well right now and under the wing behind the wingtip launchers, any gap from the side cannot be seen.
 
No real update, other than I have applied a nice thin coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 on everything  to check for flaws (a few big ones) and mostly to get rid of that snow white plastic!  Maybe I can photograph this build properly from now on with some level of color and contrast balance.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

A very minor update for the past couple of weeks.  I had Family in for a week and a half and some more this coming week, time at the bench will be limited for a few more days.  
 
The large gap at the joint between the intake and fuselage is sorted and will need some time to cure.  To fill this area, and minimize sanding - I layered on some regular Tamiya Thin cement with a paintbrush.  Every 3-4 days I've added a couple of swipes with the thin cement and let it cure.  I've seen others have issues with too much thin cement in play at once, with some nasty results.  WIth the above distractions in play, it seemed like a perfect time to handle that issue.  The last layer of cement went on just before the below pics, and I think by the weekend it should be ready for some clean up for the final paint when the time comes.  
 
 
 
I think this side will need a little cleanup, whereas the other side looks darn near perfect.  Both will get a light sanding either way.
 
 
Lastly, while surfing the net - looking for things that I really do not need, I found these . . . A Highline HP-AH and Highline HP-AR in .2 and .3 mm nozzles respecively.
 
 
They are on clearance on the Iwata site.  I've started the painting of the red sealant on the Sniper ATP pod windows with the tiny red stripes, and even in the CM-B brush in .18, with its super small 1.5ml paint cup - I wanted something smaller.  Previously the AH/AP brushes passed my internet feed, and being new to the hobby again, their usefulness was tough to discern.  But now that usage of an airbrush is well within my grasp, this seems to make some tasks a little easier.  A pure luxury, but one that given the closeout pricing, is now in the arsenal.  Hopefully the unrestricted view of the area being painted, along with the ability to use just a few drops of paint, and quickly and easily clean the brush out, will make some fine detail work a bit easier.  Neither has had any paint through them by my hand, but having both delivered to the door with spare needles for less than one of these would go for at retail price, it was worth the gamble.  The AH has the MAC valve and should provide some good options for detail work and some weathering tasks with ink, etc.  The AP should work well for metallics or other paint that has trouble with the smaller needle sizes - or at least that's what that guy I saw in the mirror earlier told me just before buying them.
 
 
As always, thanks for checking in.  Hopefully some progress in the coming weeks.
 
Cheers.

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 9/24
 
Lots of small updates, but mostly an introduction to 7 different after-market items you might not be aware of for this and the Block 50 kit.
 
First some housekeeping, to remove that panel line around the AOA probe on both sides of the nose cone.  While it’s usually stained this way due to the protective cap that's placed over the probe when parked, it isn’t a real panel line, so I want to remove it. Same thing holds true for the Tamiya F-15 kits.
 

 
This kit has a removable nose cone to show off the radar stuff like the Block 50 kit, but it doesn’t have the radar screen anyway, so it should be glued into place instead.  The nose cone join isn’t very strong as a result, so to reinforce the join I glued Part F-35 to the nose cone first, then a styrene spacer from scrap that was sanded down to size to fill the gap behind it.  I used thick CA glue to weld it to the metal weight at the front, which gives you about 5 minutes to wiggle it around to get the best fit from all sides and angles with ordinary Tamiya ETC applied around the margin.
 

 
The nose cone join was then sanded down where needed, with eroded fastener detail restored with the usual tools to do so, like a Mega Tool for the big fasteners.  For the AOA probes I cut off, I’m using Master brass replacements which I’ve used a few times before on my other jets.  I think they really “kick them up a notch”.
 

 
The other side.  These probes fit into small holes that I drilled, so I can leave them off until the end of the build.
 

 

 
Another addition to this build is Kopecky horizontal stabilizers, which I heard about from our friend Marcel about 18 months ago, so I ordered a set for this future model.  The Kopecky resin I’ve used so far is excellent and probably on par with ResKit, which is saying a lot!  The service is excellent and their website is here:
 
Kopecky Website
 
This set comes with nice subtle rivet detail, but if you want almost no rivets, they now make a smoother version (32028).  Although most of these stabilizers are quite smooth, there are a few where you can clearly see the rivets like on Page 30 of Jake’s book, so I’m happy to stick with these instead.  As usual, trying to photograph this snow-white plastic is a real struggle, but next to this dark resin, it’s even tougher.  As you probably know, those moon craters next to the stab axle on the kit parts are way too deep, while the Kopecky rivets are at the surface where they should be.
 

 

 
The Kopecky stabs also have really nice recessed hollow internal detail that is missing from the kit.
 

 
Even if you don’t care for the resin stabs, you should buy this kit for the super fine brass static wicks that come with it, also made by Master.  The kit one in the middle sure looks crude and chunky when set next to them.
 

 

 
As an added bonus, there’s enough wicks for the vertical stabilizer and the rear tips of the wings.  The little resin wick holders fit the kit parts perfectly.
 

 
While we’re looking at the vertical stab, that top panel line at the front should be filled and rivet detail added, while a static wick should be added, right behind the top light assembly that will be added later.
 

 
Kopecky also makes really nice LAU-129 missiles rails, which thankfully come in a set of 4, because you’ll need all of them.
 

 
And a really detailed center-line pylon, which comes in two parts, just like the real deal.
 

 

 
This will be added at the end of the build, along with the landing gear cover piece it attaches to, Part C27.  It looks so good from the bottom, I may not add the fuel tank, so that you can see all the work I did in the landing gear bay unobstructed.
 

 
I have struggled for years to find a decent ACMI pod, because up until recently, the only resin ones available were poorly made and it’s hard to keep up with all the new versions that seem to come out every second year.  Here’s the one on my subject, which I took in 2022.
 

 
Thanks to 3D printing, we now have a few good options, like Phase Hanger Resin (1 ordered) and a new aftermarket supplier I found in the UK, Bandit Resin Factory.  This supplier doesn’t have a full website yet, but they do have a Facebook presence, where you can see some of their products and contact the owner below, who will send you his catalogue.
 
Bandit Resin Factory (Facebook)
 
Apparently the ACMI pod above is a “Type E”, so I ordered 2 of them so that I had a spare for the stash.  This is the nicest ACMI pod I’ve ever seen and it even comes with decals.  Highly recommended!
 

 
I also bought a travel pod that I’ve never seen before, which is also excellent with a door that opens.  I didn’t open it yet, because I’m not likely to use it on this particular jet.
 

 
As mentioned before, the front flaps on F-16’s rest a few degrees in the upward position when parked for some reason.
 

 
So I decided to cement mine in permanently now, just in case I struggled with the fit and angle later.  With a microbrush holding up the flaps while the glue dried, they seem to be roughly correct.
 

 
Rear flaps were attached as well, but these ones can still move up and down.
 

 
The next aftermarket parts I used were the CrossDelta external reinforcement plates that I showed earlier, which for Block 25 and Block 32 Vipers have the “lawnmower blades” to reinforce the vertical stabilizer base and the big 5-piece plate at the wing root to reinforce the fuel tanks.  Tamiya includes a decal set to replicate these plates, but they are too thin and the rivet detail won’t show, unless you leave them unpainted white.  I thought these CrossDelta plates would be metalized plastic, but they are actually made from real metal and are self adhesive.
 

 
Tough to see on the white plastic, but this is where they belong based upon the instructions and Jake’s book (P. 23).
 

 
Since they are super glossy and metal, I scuffed them up a bit with 1000# sandpaper to help with paint adhesion, which isn’t too rough to leave scratch marks.  I will need to use a metal primer as well if I want the paint to stick.
 

 
Not in the CrossDelta instructions or in Jake’s book, Block 25’s like my subject have a small reinforcement strap just below the canopy hinge on both sides, so I cut up one of the bigger plates to create 2 of them.  Since they are so small, I wicked a little thin CA glue underneath them to hold them securely, then cleaned up the edges with CA glue remover.
 

 
On the starboard side, the strap is just aft of the panel hinge.  I also opened up that tiny vent on the side, which I should have done earlier from behind before the top fuselage Part B28 was cemented into place.
 

 
One thing that’s a little surprising to me with F-16’s is that there’s a small gap at the base of the vertical stabilizer, unlike other jets.
 

 
This small gap is perfect for the very tight fitting kit stabilizer, which is friction fit, so you don’t really need to glue it on, so it can be painted and decaled off the fuselage for ease of handling.  Note that the small air duct on the base was cut off, which Block 25’s don’t have.
 

 
Well that’s it for now, but I thought I would throw out a question that I’ve always wondered about.  If F-16’s have 16 static wicks trailing all the control surfaces, why don’t other fighter jets like F-15’s and F-18’s have them as well?  Hmmmm…….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 9/24
 
Lots of small updates, but mostly an introduction to 7 different after-market items you might not be aware of for this and the Block 50 kit.
 
First some housekeeping, to remove that panel line around the AOA probe on both sides of the nose cone.  While it’s usually stained this way due to the protective cap that's placed over the probe when parked, it isn’t a real panel line, so I want to remove it. Same thing holds true for the Tamiya F-15 kits.
 

 
This kit has a removable nose cone to show off the radar stuff like the Block 50 kit, but it doesn’t have the radar screen anyway, so it should be glued into place instead.  The nose cone join isn’t very strong as a result, so to reinforce the join I glued Part F-35 to the nose cone first, then a styrene spacer from scrap that was sanded down to size to fill the gap behind it.  I used thick CA glue to weld it to the metal weight at the front, which gives you about 5 minutes to wiggle it around to get the best fit from all sides and angles with ordinary Tamiya ETC applied around the margin.
 

 
The nose cone join was then sanded down where needed, with eroded fastener detail restored with the usual tools to do so, like a Mega Tool for the big fasteners.  For the AOA probes I cut off, I’m using Master brass replacements which I’ve used a few times before on my other jets.  I think they really “kick them up a notch”.
 

 
The other side.  These probes fit into small holes that I drilled, so I can leave them off until the end of the build.
 

 

 
Another addition to this build is Kopecky horizontal stabilizers, which I heard about from our friend Marcel about 18 months ago, so I ordered a set for this future model.  The Kopecky resin I’ve used so far is excellent and probably on par with ResKit, which is saying a lot!  The service is excellent and their website is here:
 
Kopecky Website
 
This set comes with nice subtle rivet detail, but if you want almost no rivets, they now make a smoother version (32028).  Although most of these stabilizers are quite smooth, there are a few where you can clearly see the rivets like on Page 30 of Jake’s book, so I’m happy to stick with these instead.  As usual, trying to photograph this snow-white plastic is a real struggle, but next to this dark resin, it’s even tougher.  As you probably know, those moon craters next to the stab axle on the kit parts are way too deep, while the Kopecky rivets are at the surface where they should be.
 

 

 
The Kopecky stabs also have really nice recessed hollow internal detail that is missing from the kit.
 

 
Even if you don’t care for the resin stabs, you should buy this kit for the super fine brass static wicks that come with it, also made by Master.  The kit one in the middle sure looks crude and chunky when set next to them.
 

 

 
As an added bonus, there’s enough wicks for the vertical stabilizer and the rear tips of the wings.  The little resin wick holders fit the kit parts perfectly.
 

 
While we’re looking at the vertical stab, that top panel line at the front should be filled and rivet detail added, while a static wick should be added, right behind the top light assembly that will be added later.
 

 
Kopecky also makes really nice LAU-129 missiles rails, which thankfully come in a set of 4, because you’ll need all of them.
 

 
And a really detailed center-line pylon, which comes in two parts, just like the real deal.
 

 

 
This will be added at the end of the build, along with the landing gear cover piece it attaches to, Part C27.  It looks so good from the bottom, I may not add the fuel tank, so that you can see all the work I did in the landing gear bay unobstructed.
 

 
I have struggled for years to find a decent ACMI pod, because up until recently, the only resin ones available were poorly made and it’s hard to keep up with all the new versions that seem to come out every second year.  Here’s the one on my subject, which I took in 2022.
 

 
Thanks to 3D printing, we now have a few good options, like Phase Hanger Resin (1 ordered) and a new aftermarket supplier I found in the UK, Bandit Resin Factory.  This supplier doesn’t have a full website yet, but they do have a Facebook presence, where you can see some of their products and contact the owner below, who will send you his catalogue.
 
Bandit Resin Factory (Facebook)
 
Apparently the ACMI pod above is a “Type E”, so I ordered 2 of them so that I had a spare for the stash.  This is the nicest ACMI pod I’ve ever seen and it even comes with decals.  Highly recommended!
 

 
I also bought a travel pod that I’ve never seen before, which is also excellent with a door that opens.  I didn’t open it yet, because I’m not likely to use it on this particular jet.
 

 
As mentioned before, the front flaps on F-16’s rest a few degrees in the upward position when parked for some reason.
 

 
So I decided to cement mine in permanently now, just in case I struggled with the fit and angle later.  With a microbrush holding up the flaps while the glue dried, they seem to be roughly correct.
 

 
Rear flaps were attached as well, but these ones can still move up and down.
 

 
The next aftermarket parts I used were the CrossDelta external reinforcement plates that I showed earlier, which for Block 25 and Block 32 Vipers have the “lawnmower blades” to reinforce the vertical stabilizer base and the big 5-piece plate at the wing root to reinforce the fuel tanks.  Tamiya includes a decal set to replicate these plates, but they are too thin and the rivet detail won’t show, unless you leave them unpainted white.  I thought these CrossDelta plates would be metalized plastic, but they are actually made from real metal and are self adhesive.
 

 
Tough to see on the white plastic, but this is where they belong based upon the instructions and Jake’s book (P. 23).
 

 
Since they are super glossy and metal, I scuffed them up a bit with 1000# sandpaper to help with paint adhesion, which isn’t too rough to leave scratch marks.  I will need to use a metal primer as well if I want the paint to stick.
 

 
Not in the CrossDelta instructions or in Jake’s book, Block 25’s like my subject have a small reinforcement strap just below the canopy hinge on both sides, so I cut up one of the bigger plates to create 2 of them.  Since they are so small, I wicked a little thin CA glue underneath them to hold them securely, then cleaned up the edges with CA glue remover.
 

 
On the starboard side, the strap is just aft of the panel hinge.  I also opened up that tiny vent on the side, which I should have done earlier from behind before the top fuselage Part B28 was cemented into place.
 

 
One thing that’s a little surprising to me with F-16’s is that there’s a small gap at the base of the vertical stabilizer, unlike other jets.
 

 
This small gap is perfect for the very tight fitting kit stabilizer, which is friction fit, so you don’t really need to glue it on, so it can be painted and decaled off the fuselage for ease of handling.  Note that the small air duct on the base was cut off, which Block 25’s don’t have.
 

 
Well that’s it for now, but I thought I would throw out a question that I’ve always wondered about.  If F-16’s have 16 static wicks trailing all the control surfaces, why don’t other fighter jets like F-15’s and F-18’s have them as well?  Hmmmm…….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Thanks Niels and Guy!
 
Niels, The Modern Viper Guide book that I have shows this light on page 21, not 107, which is GBU-24 bombs instead, so maybe there are two editions?  The caption on that page says that the position lights have "recently been modified to be compatible with NVG (Night Vision Goggles)", so I'm guessing that some Vipers just have a round light instead?
 
In any case, the light on page 21 isn't just the light blanked off at the front.  The red lens is offset to the back of the housing so that 80% of the red color is still visible, with the rest blanked off like Guy's pic with dark grey.  This blanked off area has the tiny InfraRed light at the front.  Having said all that, the best solution that I see is to add a small half-moon dark decal to this area after painting, to get the "look" without worrying too much about how much of the lens still shows since it's in the middle.  Same thing for the other InfraRed lights like the ones at the rear of the vertical stabilizer.  A small cockpit decal that shows 4 tiny dots within the oval housing should do the trick.  The 2 small IR lights at the rear of the intake navigation lights are already there in the plastic, so I'll just darken them with a wash.
 
I'd love to just take a pic of the book and post it here, but that would be crossing a big copyright line with our friend Jake.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

April 11/24
 
Here is the problem that Niels has pointed out.  Also, after looking at many pics I have of F-16’s, I couldn’t find one with these panels on any of them either.
 

 
Although the lens is a bit too deep, the real fit culprit is the diameter, so I carefully sanded down the outside edge to get it to fit into the hole without removing the fastener detail, but also the depth quite a bit.  These are position lights that are clearly red in Jake’s book (P 21), but the red color is almost at the surface.  By making the lens thin and painting it red from behind, the red is shallow like it should be.  There is also a tiny InfraRed Emitter light at the front of the light (left), which I will likely add later as a decal.  Once the lights are cemented in and painted, you will only see red from the area covered with liquid mask on the right.
 

 
Since I was on to lights, I decided to attack the little navigation lights on the wingtips as well, which are part of the launchers with rods holding them in place.  As Pete mentioned earlier, the lenses are not tinted red and blue/green like those on the intake, but have a small bulb in each with those colors instead.  To accomplish this, I usually just drill a small hole from behind, then place a dab of the corresponding paint color in the hole as a bulb replacement.  Unfortunately with these lights that are almost directly on top of each other, a hole from the bottom interferes with the other light, so as a compromise I just drilled holes from above, filled them with paint, then sealed them with clear CA glue.  Not very accurate if you want the bulb look, but a lot better than a painted lens.
 

 
The Kopecky LAU-129 launchers need a notch cut out and holes drilled to fit the wingtip, so I used the kit parts as a guide for exact width and pin location.
 

 
A view from the side, showing that the top light is always a bit offset to the rear.  Not exactly the true bulb look, but this still looks better than painted lenses.
 

 
More lights and more detailing options.  The rear navigation light is red, but only at the very back with the side’s painted fuselage color.  Here I painted just the insert that goes into the tail, which is slightly scratched from repeated insertion.  I'll fix that later....
 

 
From the side, you won’t see any red when the tail is painted.
 

 
But from the rear, like a fiber optic, you can clearly see red.  Above that light is an oval recess for 4 more tiny InfraRed light emitters where Tamiya placed an outward oval instead, that many modelers just cut off.  Here I dug a small recess and added outside fastener detail, where I will again add a small decal inside later to replicate the lights.
 

 
The anti-collision strobe light for the top of the tail has a silver light housing for a white light bulb.  After drilling a hole from behind to replicate this a bit, I just left a used drill bit in the hole and glued it in after trimming it for size.  I then painted the insert silver so that you can see some of that from above, much like the rear navigation light.
 

 
I had to be very careful about how deep I drilled the hole, because the lens at the top is tapered and very thin at the top.  This about is about all I could do without risking ruining the part.
 

 
Recall that I was looking for something to sort of replicate all those small “No Push” placards that are on the engine nozzle petals.  What I found is a compromise of what I knew would work, but a bit too shiny for accuracy.  Since you can’t read what the placard says on 80% of the P&W nozzles, even at 1/1 scale, I wasn’t too worried about 1/32 scale.  I ruled out paint masks because you can’t fix flaws and paint bleed without making a mess, so I used some Aluminum ANYZ decal film that I’ve used many times before, but in other colors like black, red and yellow.  While I was at it, I bought some new hose clamp film that will come in very handy with my next build, which is likely the 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Mk IX, if my new JetMads 1/32 AJ37 Viggin doesn’t call me to another jet! 
 

 
After carefully cutting the aluminum decal film, applying the “placards” and spraying a dull coat, this is what you get.  Like I said, the placards are a bit too shiny and pronounced, but I think the overall look is still an improvement on overall accuracy.  I’ll see if I can dull them up a bit without wrecking them, but at this stage I’m really getting tired of showing this nozzle time and time again, which is entirely self-induced!
 

 
On to other things….
 
Cheers,
Chuck