danimalmagic

Thanks Kev. Danny

Thanks Jim, it was a great protect, just working on the possibility of building the two seat version. Thanks for looking. Danny

Hi Martin, it a rare kit and though it's flaws are many and allot of work was required it is still the best base to make an accurate F-16XL so i felt a n extensive WIP was worth the time, that way the next guy has some groundwork already done. There of course will be bits i have missed, you never get a model 100% perfect and this one is real tough as reference material is not abundant, it would be easy enough using an F-16D kit to graft in that section and make the two seater, maybe for the future Thanks for looking. Danny

Thanks Ray, i had done allot of research but you don't realise most of it until you start, if you are serious about the build send me a PM. Thanks for Looking. Danny

Thanks Fredouille, the Revell one is pretty grim and will be for the spares bin soon, just in there to show the difference in size and shape. Danny

Thanks Paul, it was always going to be a tough build but it is only when you really get stuck in you begin to find all the other faults, cutting and grafting the panel seemed the real only option to do a proper job, it was a tad nervy that is for sure. Danny.

Yes a proper 1/32 kit would be good, I will get the new 1/48 kit at some point as I have another really interesting idea for that. Thanks for looking. Danny

Thanks Peter, i know i condensed alot into a single weekly update but its a rare build so i figured it was worth the effort to do a thorough job, glad you enjoyed the build, i am certainly quite chuffed with the end result. Thanks for looking. Danny

Thanks mate. Danny

Thanks Brian, it was g great little project. Danny

Thanks Shawn, i am quite pleased with her, lots of hours but well worth it. Danny

Thanks Jack, there is not much good to say about the Revell version or its Kangam re release, i will keep it for some sentimental reason no doubt. Danny

Thanks Maru, the green is for completed and the red was for what I could not do. Danny.

Cheers mate and of course you can publish her. Regards Danny

Nearly forgot the modification list, i tried to cover most of it but some bits were just a little too difficult. 1. NSI Intake, the Big Mouth is fitted to the second two seat F-16XL, a full resin NSI intake is provided, and it is seamless to a point, essentially a direct copy of the Thunderbird kit parts. NAV light reinforcement plate still in place, need to be removed. 2. 48,00Ib landing gear was fitted to F-16XL, 849 (F-16CJ kit). 3. Block 40 wheels. (Isracast) 4. Bulged main gear bay doors (F-16CJ kit), resin doors supplied are of no use. 5. Bulged gear bay doors, need to check the closing/retraction bracket arrangement, not that much difference and no reference material. 6. Norwegian Type Drag Chute. (supplied) 7. Check cockpit glare shield accuracy, resolved best as possible. 8. Leading Edge Crank/Flap Under curl/profile, need to check all spans, not practical to correct. 9. Thickness of ISA Booms, not practical to correct. 10. Nav Lights on each side of the NSI intake, reinforcement place needs to be removed. 11. Fill seam on intake join to duct. N/A 12. Modify angle of RAM Ducts above the NSI 13. Modify angle of RAM Ducts above the APU behind rear gear bay both sides. 14. Fill and re scribe the panel detail either side of the tail, should be fuel panels going up as per the adjacent ones. 15. Two small antennae required behind the nose landing gear. 16. Two small antennae required forward of the nose landing gear. 17. Two small antennae required forward of refuel point. 18. Small round access plate between two antennae forward of re fuel point. 19. Aces II Ejection seat, supplied with resin cockpits. 20. Early F-16A Cockpit required, need to check for any further changes later on in the NASA program, further images required. 21. Forward Avionics bay in front of canopy has no hinge detail, graft this area from the CJ Donor kit to rectify. 22. Reposition the gun bay and associated ports to correct position on Portside, need to be further up slope. 23. The panel lines for the PDU Bay, Gun Drum Bay , Gun Trough, Gun access door with vent, and, all need to be re-scribed. 24. Gun bay Starboard side port missing, check and graft as required. 25. Fuselage plugs details, lots of issues here, long story short to increase the length of the fuselage 2 plugs were fitted, 30†wide on forward area and 26†for the aft. In scale this has been replicated but the surface details need to be corrected on the upper surfaces, re scribe or graft. 26. Rear fuselage lower plug Empennage Cant, quite a big problem on the underside as the plug has been positioned in the wrong place giving a much more acute angle up to the burner. I think the best option will be to cut these area out and graft in the correct details from the donor kit. 27. Top spine/center line antennae missing. 28. Top spine/center line IFR light missing, new panel grafted in from donor kit. 29. Spin Chute Reinforcement strips each side of tail on upper fuselage, missing.(NASA onward) 30. 4 x spin chute mounting brackets, 2 per side after reinforcement strips. 31. Check Pitot boom for shape and length, check, kit one is not long enough, pitot for the XL is a little longer. 32. Throttle bulge on port side of forward fuselage, check. 33. All TACAN/UHF/VHF/& other SI antennas, missing check. 34. Pre bulge just fore of the MLG doors, check, cannot see any evidence form it. 35. C Band Beacon, check where etc, reference material. 36. Store Separation Cameras, N/A for the version being built. 37. Recesses for Dummy AMRAAM, check. 38. Two ventral tails on the rear underside not fitted to the XL. 39. Fit in flight test cameras including panel below each side of the rear canopy. 40. Fit in flight test cameras to each side of vertical tail, middle top. 41. Need the correct inlet compressor face, spare in Academy F-16. 42. Port and Starboard air intake scoops, leading edge angle. 43. Remove round access plate in front of the refueling port light. 44. Air Data Probe, bottom side, behind Radome. 45. Air Data Probe, port side, behind Radome 46. Air Data Probe, above intake, Starboard side. 47. AOA probes each side of radome, with an additional one on the port side. 48. Fit landing lights to heavyweight landing gear. 49. Fit kit airbrakes as the resin ones supplied are too short. 50. Fit 16S210 wing tip launch rails, LAU-128 incorrect. 51. Fit Static Discharge WIP to top of the vertical tail. 52. Airbrake warning decals, white and black. 53. Red decal border around APU flap, port side. 54. Late version XL has a light grey central fuselage.

For a bit of perspective this is my very old and naff Revell/Kangham F-16XL, made many years ago, oh the horror. Well that is me done for a while, the next project is converting my garage into a proper workshop. I moved house back in November and I have been waiting for Spring so I can get cracking, naturally there will be a small WIP. Thanks for looking. Regards Danny Attree www.modelmasteruk.com

Here you go all, one custom made F-16XL with just a little modification or two. The bleaching effect is much better by eye, I just can not get the light right today, thanks for those who followed the project, I pass the torch to the next modeller that wants to have a go at this kit. Cont'd

Too late much she has already drawn blood, i have just posted the completed project on Ready for inspection. Thanks for looking. Danny

There is a 1/32 kit by Revell and re released by Kangam, i built one some years ago and the sight of it still makes my skin crawl. :-) Thanks for looking. Danny

Seat ready to fit, I have maintained the mounting back plate so the seats can be moved in and out, the seat fitted in the images I have shown all black cushions on the seat. Cockpit complete apart from the HUD. Last but essential job is the removal of the canopy seam from both parts, you would think that Tamiya etc would have found away round this by now. I use my Alclad polishing set for this task, once the seam is gone I work down through each grade of paper with water. Once that is done I finish by using Tamiya Canopy Polish Coarse, Smooth then the Finish Compound, it takes a while but worth doing. Last thing to do is paint the canopy, this will need a bit of masking as it has to match up with the yellow stripe. I just need to clean the tape residue from the glass and that is it, the black dots are just paint dust from when the masking tape came off. Parts are now all ready for final fitting, there is a fiddly bit to do for the resin canopy opening mechanism which I will do in the morning and complete the HUD. With any luck there will be some good light tomorrow to take some images of the completed project. Completed update in due course. Kind Regards. Danny www.modelmasteruk.com Updated modification list completed. 1. NSI Intake, the Big Mouth is fitted to the second two seat F-16XL, a full resin NSI intake is provided, and it is seamless to a point, essentially a direct copy of the Thunderbird kit parts. NAV light reinforcement plate still in place, need to be removed. 2. 48,00Ib landing gear was fitted to F-16XL, 849 (F-16CJ kit). 3. Block 40 wheels. (Isracast) 4. Bulged main gear bay doors (F-16CJ kit), resin doors supplied are of no use. 5. Bulged gear bay doors, need to check the closing/retraction bracket arrangement, not that much difference and no reference material. 6. Norwegian Type Drag Chute. (supplied) 7. Check cockpit glare shield accuracy, resolved best as possible. 8. Leading Edge Crank/Flap Under curl/profile, need to check all spans, not practical to correct. 9. Thickness of ISA Booms, not practical to correct. 10. Nav Lights on each side of the NSI intake, reinforcement place needs to be removed. 11. Fill seam on intake join to duct. N/A 12. Modify angle of RAM Ducts above the NSI 13. Modify angle of RAM Ducts above the APU behind rear gear bay both sides. 14. Two small antennae required behind the nose landing gear. 15. Two small antennae required forward of the nose landing gear. 16. Two small antennae required forward of refuel point. 17. Small round access plate between two antennae forward of re fuel point. 18. Aces II Ejection seat, supplied with resin cockpits. 19. Early F-16A Cockpit required, need to check for any further changes later on in the NASA program, further images required. 20. Forward Avionics bay in front of canopy has no hinge detail, graft this area from the CJ Donor kit to rectify. 21. Reposition the gun bay and associated ports to correct position on Portside, need to be further up slope. 22. The panel lines for the PDU Bay, Gun Drum Bay , Gun Trough, Gun access door with vent, and, all need to be re-scribed. 23. Gun bay Starboard side port missing, check and graft as required. 24. Fuselage plugs details, lots of issues here, long story short to increase the length of the fuselage 2 plugs were fitted, 30†wide on forward area and 26†for the aft. In scale this has been replicated but the surface details need to be corrected on the upper surfaces, re scribe or graft. 25. Rear fuselage lower plug Empennage Cant, quite a big problem on the underside as the plug has been positioned in the wrong place giving a much more acute angle up to the burner. I think the best option will be to cut these area out and graft in the correct details from the donor kit. Points 22 and 23 will make more sense when I actually do the work. 26. Top spine/center line antennae missing. 27. Top spine/center line IFR light missing, new panel grafted in from donor kit. 28. Spin Chute Reinforcement strips each side of tail on upper fuselage, missing.(NASA onward) 29. 4 x spin chute mounting brackets, 2 per side after reinforcement strips. 30. Check Pitot boom for shape and length, check, kit one is not long enough, pitot for the XL is a little longer. 31. Throttle bulge on port side of forward fuselage, check. 32. All TACAN/UHF/VHF/& other SI antennas, missing check. 33. Pre bulge just fore of the MLG doors, check, cannot see any evidence form it. 34. C Band Beacon, check where etc, reference material. 35. Store Separation Cameras, N/A for the version being built. 36. Recesses for Dummy AMRAAM, check. 37. Two ventral tails on the rear underside not fitted to the XL. 38. Fit in flight test cameras including panel below each side of the rear canopy. 39. Fit in flight test cameras to each side of vertical tail, middle top. 40. Need the correct inlet compressor face, spare in Academy F-16. 41. Port and Starboard air intake scoops, leading edge angle. 42. Remove round access plate in front of the refueling port light. 43. Air Data Probe, bottom side, behind Radome. 44. Air Data Probe, port side, behind Radome 45. Air Data Probe, above intake, Starboard side. 46. AOA probes each side of radome, with an additional one on the port side. 47. Fit landing lights to heavyweight landing gear. 48. Fit kit airbrakes as the resin ones supplied are too short. 49. Fit 16S210 wing tip launch rails, LAU-128 incorrect. 50. Fit Static Discharge WIP to top of the vertical tail. 51. Airbrake warning decals, white and black. 52. Red decal border around APU flap, port side. 53. Late version XL has a light grey central fuselage.

Kit Static Discharge Wicks added. I had hoped to use the kit Pitot but it is to short, on the aircraft in question the Pitot is quite a bit longer. Again to the spares box, and old airbrush needle sufficed nicely. Next the missing aerials on the underside. Added from the spares box with a bit of work. Last of the internal details added to the cockpit. Cont'd

Hi all, it's been a bit of a blur the last few days, just lots of individual jobs left to do that I always leave last as they are the most delicate and easily broken. Here are the last of the modifications and finishing touches. 1st job was to mask in the thin black line on the Leading Edge Undercurl. With that done I moved on to the AOA Probes, there are two on the port side and one on the Starboard. The Tamiya kit ones are not very detailed to I have used the left over ones from my Academy SUFA. The Academy kit comes with turned metal or plastic so these were a good little spare to have. Old AOA Probe drilled out and the Academy ones fitted. Navigation lights fitted to the side of the Intake, the NSI on the FSD Prototype does not have the reinforcing place, and this was removed earlier in the build. Next up I mounted the upper Antennae that are missing in the Wild Hare Conversion The center/line one is from the kit, the outer two are modified from the spares box. Cont'd

Thanks Mark. Danny

Thanks Ray. Danny

Thanks Jim, i have a little more to do yet and maybe some dry brushing but I am quite pleased with the finish, need a better camera as the bleaching is better bye eye. Thanks for looking. Danny