Cheetah11

No problem. Nick

Tony the Navy had the same problem with clearances. They overcame this by loading one Aim-9 and only two bombs on the TER (on the opposite side.) Only after around 1970 did the Navy get extensions allowing two missiles and a fully loaded TER to be carried per pylon. These extensions are in the F-4J from Tamiya. BTW I have not seen one period photo of USAF Phantoms in Vietnam with both missiles and air-to-ground ordnance fitted together on the inside pylon. I also cannot recall any model with the correct pylon/launcher combination for typical USAAF Vietnam Phantoms. Nick

I am a little confused. Why use a photo of ScatXXVII 0829 to prove or disprove anything when the a/c in question is 680.

Hi Greg You also need different ejection seats, missiles and launchers. The ones in the Tamiya kit are not correct for 1967. Btw the IPMS 1997 decal sheet also gives the no as 64-0829 Cheers Nick

Get the ones from gt resin products. The Tamiya one in the Marine boxing comes with the extension molded on, so you would need to modify it anyway.

A great bit of history. I love a build with a connection to a historic events. Lovely model as well.

I cannot wait to see.

The carpet monster swallowed part B25 and since I still have a bit of time before heading home I made new one. Needs a bit of filler when I get home but should be ok.

Not really a problem. Artillery shells are not listed under ‘GUN PARTS’ in the average airport security handbook. Not like wooden blanks for rifle stocks or empty plastic magazines.

Hi Alain, I am showing my age but remember the Hasegawa F-16 well. I built three of them and repainted one twice in different markings when they became scarce . At the time of the Hasegawa F-16 and F-18 releases they were the state of the art 1/32 jets and much sought after. The earlier jet available at the time was the old F-4 and Mirage from Revell. The Revell F-4E with weapons was met with great enthusiasm in the day. I still have the Hasegawa F-18 converted to the C with the Paragon set. Now we are spoiled for choice and still criticize every release. I am now at the limit of my F-16 build without painting and priming. Hopefully I can continue next week if the ‘ Honey do list ‘ allows me some time. This is the point reached. Cheers Nick

Almost done with the modifications. An extra layer of thin plastic card completed the upper fuselage . Sometimes Tamiya is difficult to understand. At the kit design stage an extra spruce would have given us the F-16 A ,B and D variants as well. The next thing to do was to fit the Hasegawa tail. At the same time I scribed the tail. A test fit. Fortunately the panel lines line up. Another small modification on the front fuselage was to build the Hasegawa blast deflected onto the Tamiya kit. The fit looks a little rough but should be OK with a bit of filler. The modified cockpit tub and assembly sequence fortunately fit without a pain. Enjoy

A bit more work on the cockpit. I am loving this modeling vacation as I am doing in a week that would normally take a month. The best diagram I could find for an early F -16 was this one. These are the options I have. The single seat cockpit from the Sufa kit, the Tamiya block 25 and the Hasegawa kit cockpit. The latter was the only one even close. I never realized there was such a difference in the layout of the various blocks. The easiest route for a fairly accurate and still one fitting well was to cut the Hasegawa sills and glue them onto the kit cockpit tub. Worked surprisingly well. I also started preparing the rear top fuselage fir the fin. I have done this in 1/48 as well and the 1/32 conversion needs a lot less plastic card to fill. Enjoy Nick

Hi Marcel I am doing an early Block 15 around 1984/85 so the Hasegawa wheels will do. The markings will be a surprise. BTW I used the wheels of this kit on a Sufa converted to a Block 60. Cheers Nick

These are the traveling tools. Yes Brian, a bit different but at least I can see all the tools on the workbench The other difficulty is doing everything from the IPad. Hi Marcel The question on the tailfin. When the Tamiya kit was released a modeling friend gave me a box with two Hasegawa kits in spares. I will use some of these part except the gear doors. The tailpipe parts for the Thunderbird kit are great and fit very well. AM products are difficult for us. I have been waiting since March for books from Belgium. Cheers Nick

Thanks for the comments Alain and Sean, It does seem a bit much to do the kit in a week but I won’t do the engine and dolly or any stores except Sidewinders and the belly tank. Here are the parts not used. Some of the parts needing modification to an A are the slats. The only poor reference I could find shows the inboard hinge of the three should be removed but I need a bit more certainty. Anyone know for sure? Thanks Nick