VintageEagle

Pertinent Details:
 

 
Here she is in 2019 painted in the "Have Glass" scheme.
 

 
As far as being retrofitted with a GE engine and heavyweight landing gear; there's nothing in the database to confirm that.  Do you have a more recent photo than the one from 2019?

Are you sure about this?  I haven’t heard that P&W powered F-16s are being re-engined to GE engines.  Are they getting the MCID too?  Also, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to change the gear of an Aggressor F-16 to heavyweight gear.  Why would they need it?
 
 Still listed as a Block 32D here.
 
https://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/2056/
 
 

This is a photo of 86-0273 taken (according to the photo metadata) March 13, 2023 and she clearly has a P&W engine and most probably, an NSI intake.
 

 
Photo retrieved from: Jet Photos.com

I believe that, except for a few test aircraft, P&W engined F-16s all use the NSI, so that’s almost certainly not MCID.  Also, that looks like lightweight MLG.
 
Interesting it’s carrying an Israeli EL-8222 pod.

That is still an NSI intake-

Thank you John! I appreciate your feedback, especially since your Me 262 B build is THE benchmark that I try to replicate as good as I can. I spent some time trying to scratch build the throttles. They had small spring-loaded levers in front of the push buttons that had to be actuated in order to change the position of the throttles. I made these small levers out of think plastic sheet and glued them onto the main levers. The buttons at the top of the throttles were used during start up to inject starter fuel from the small annular tanks in the forward section of the Jumo 004s.
 
It's been a while since my last update. I was on holidays and the hot weather in Europe kept me more outside in the evenings than at the bench. But I made some very good progress. The cockpit is basically complete except the seat harness, the wiring on the backside of the main panel and the side walls, which need some modification on the landing gear wheel bay sides before I can paint and attach them. I made the following modifications:
 
INSTRUMENT PANEL
I already covered the scratch built ZSK 244 auxiliary panel and other modifications in my first post. I used mainly decals from the Airscale 1/32 Luftwaffe instruments and placards sets. For the AFN2 I used the 1/48 Airscale decal set as both inlcude an AFN1, which had a diameter of 80mm while the AFN2 had 57mm. The decals for the ZSK 244 come from the Eduard Fw 190 cockpit resin and PE set for the Revell 1/32 Fw 190. I also added some decals from scratch, i.e. cut out of black and white decal paper. I used a die and punch set to cut out the decals and after a flat coat added gloss varnish to imitate the instrument glass faces. 
 
The red and yellow rings around the fuel content gauges, fuel pressure indicators, oil pressure and differential pressure indicators is the correct coloring of a standard mid-production example as I wrote in one of my earlier posts.
 
THROTTLES
I first used the kit's throttles, but removed the buttons and added my own ones built from scratch using the die and punch set. They looked to massive / broad compared to the rest of the console so that I decided to build them completely from scratch. I added the small levers, a small piece of wire to imitate the spring that was attached to them and a yellow painted wire as a cable that was attached to the push buttons. The tank selection levers as well as the trim lever were also completely scratch built. The Eduard PE levers looked too small in my opinion. I used a tiny strip of yellow decal paper that I added to the red tips of t he tank selector levers. It was a lot of work, but paid out in the end. It's a bit difficult to see the details in the photos as I am using a smart camera, but in real life it looks very good. The cockpit of the Me 262 is relatively well visible once the model is complete and it is worth to spend some more time with the cockpit.
 
The tank selector lever tips in the German Museum's Me 262 are yellow. However, wartime photos show that they too had been red/orange-yellow back then. I assume they were either overpainted yellow at some point later or replaced with yellow plastic tips. 
 
COCKPIT FLOOR
No modification, but I used a sponge and light brown paint to imitate the wear. The original was made out of wood painted in RLM 66 and even in the restored NASM Me 262 you can see the wood due to some wear.
 
CONTROL STICK
The only modification is that I sanded the top lever down to a more realistic thickness. I added also the metal bracket that attached the side button used for manually charging the MK 108 canons to the stick. I painted the stick brown as some of the KG 13Bs had this color (anodized finish), e.g. in the German Museum's Me 262. The external wires still need to be added once the column is installed. I have already drilled the corresponding holes in the side button and wire terminal. 
 
SEAT
The only modification is that I added the attachmet points for the shoulder belts at the top. There was also a separation line in the center and two small holes next to it that I added. Chipping was done using a sponge. The leather effect was achieved by painting it dark brown first and then using a sponge again applying the light brown color in a random way. 
 
Seatbelts and the side walls are next and then I can finish the cockpit and move to the landing gear bay.
 
Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the late reply. After I completed the assembly of the side walls with the center structure I started weathering. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well and I stripped the (aluminum) paint and tried to redo. The second time, I added the rivet decals the wrong way around and only realized after I had applied paint. The third time, the aluminum paint was pulled off by the masking tape I applied to paint the center part in RLM 02. I then tried the same again for several times before my mojo was completely gone. 
 
After summer, I gave it another go and used a different aluminum paint. This time it finally worked and I am about to close up the cockpit after assembling all parts, adding an oxygen hose and the nose wheel break lever. The rudder pedals assembly out of the box was too wide and the pedals were partially hidden behind the side consoles. So, I had to shorten the width, which took some time to do properly. The only thing I still have to do now is the wiring/tubes on the backside of the instrument panel. Not much of that will still be visible once the windshield is installed, so I won't replicate plugs, etc., just the cables. Pictures to follow soon. 

Sorry for the late reply. After I completed the assembly of the side walls with the center structure I started weathering. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well and I stripped the (aluminum) paint and tried to redo. The second time, I added the rivet decals the wrong way around and only realized after I had applied paint. The third time, the aluminum paint was pulled off by the masking tape I applied to paint the center part in RLM 02. I then tried the same again for several times before my mojo was completely gone. 
 
After summer, I gave it another go and used a different aluminum paint. This time it finally worked and I am about to close up the cockpit after assembling all parts, adding an oxygen hose and the nose wheel break lever. The rudder pedals assembly out of the box was too wide and the pedals were partially hidden behind the side consoles. So, I had to shorten the width, which took some time to do properly. The only thing I still have to do now is the wiring/tubes on the backside of the instrument panel. Not much of that will still be visible once the windshield is installed, so I won't replicate plugs, etc., just the cables. Pictures to follow soon. 

Sorry for the late reply. After I completed the assembly of the side walls with the center structure I started weathering. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well and I stripped the (aluminum) paint and tried to redo. The second time, I added the rivet decals the wrong way around and only realized after I had applied paint. The third time, the aluminum paint was pulled off by the masking tape I applied to paint the center part in RLM 02. I then tried the same again for several times before my mojo was completely gone. 
 
After summer, I gave it another go and used a different aluminum paint. This time it finally worked and I am about to close up the cockpit after assembling all parts, adding an oxygen hose and the nose wheel break lever. The rudder pedals assembly out of the box was too wide and the pedals were partially hidden behind the side consoles. So, I had to shorten the width, which took some time to do properly. The only thing I still have to do now is the wiring/tubes on the backside of the instrument panel. Not much of that will still be visible once the windshield is installed, so I won't replicate plugs, etc., just the cables. Pictures to follow soon. 

After a longer break, work continues. As those of you who have built Revell's Me 262 know the fit of the two cockpit side walls with the center floor piece is not great at all. I knew this and spend a lot of time dry fitting and ensuring a more or less acceptable fit. While I managed this, I was still not happy and also noticed that the cockpit in the orignial was one piece with the steel floor riveted onto it on one side. Hence, I filled the seams and sanded it to become one part, then added rivets using rivet decals from Quinta Studios (I used the double row 1/48 scale rivets, which were a perfect fit for this puropse) and painted the steel part in RLM 02. It know looks like in the original. 
 
First, an example of how Revell tells you to assemble the parts (with the complete center piece in RLM 02 and panel line across the cockpit tube; photo is from Chris Wauchops excellent Me 262):
 
 

 
Then how it should look like:

 
Weathering and painting of the wooden blocks on the left still needs to be done, but the cockpit is then finally complete.
 
I have also started to work on the nose wheel landing gear & bay and have made some modification. I'll cover this next time. 
 
Cheers,
 
Roger

Thank you Jaro! I am glad that my comments are useful.
 
 
Thank you John! Your words mean a lot to me as I use your Me 262 B nightfighter as the gold standard for building a Revell 1/32 Me 262. 
 
After a longer break (been very busy at work) finally some progress. I have more or less completed the cockpit with the following things done since my last update:
 
On the starboard side:
Added a scratch built bomb emergency drop lever on the starboard wall after I carefully removed the one moulded one. Added a small bracket and a plug which in the original connected to the flight helmet's headphones. I just need to add a black cable from the plug into the right console. I'll do that once the side wall and console are glued together. On the port side:
Added a home-made decal for the landing gear push button instructions (red rectangular placard with white border and text). The Eduard interior PE set includes the placard, but it is too large unfortunately. On both cockpit sides:
Added the wiring terminals at the position that corresponds to the wire terminals on the other cockpit wall side, which is inside the landing gear bay.  Seat:
Added seatbelts. I went with RB Productions Luftwaffe seatbelts. I believe they are no longer available from Radu (Radu correct me if I am wrong), but I found the almost identical at Airscale (the laser cut paper looks virtually identical, while the etched parts are slightly different).   
Next, contrary to the instructions I will probably glue the cockpit walls to the port and starboard consoles first before attaching them to the forward bulkhead. Apparently, the fit of the cockpit floor with the two side walls is not that good in the Revell kit and I'll have to be careful when assembling all parts to form the cockpit tub. 
 
First, photos of the real thing.
 
Photo 1 shows the port side of the cockpit of W.Nr. 111711 taken shortly after the war. You can see the wiring terminal in front of the port console. 
 

 
Photo 2 shows the starboard side of late Paul Allen's original Me 262 W.Nr. 500453 during restoration. One of the four terminals is not yet installed.
 

 
And now the photo of my model parts (apologies for the quality, I took the photo with my smart phone): 
 

 
 
 
That's all for now. 
 
Roger
 

Thank you John! I appreciate your feedback, especially since your Me 262 B build is THE benchmark that I try to replicate as good as I can. I spent some time trying to scratch build the throttles. They had small spring-loaded levers in front of the push buttons that had to be actuated in order to change the position of the throttles. I made these small levers out of think plastic sheet and glued them onto the main levers. The buttons at the top of the throttles were used during start up to inject starter fuel from the small annular tanks in the forward section of the Jumo 004s.
 
It's been a while since my last update. I was on holidays and the hot weather in Europe kept me more outside in the evenings than at the bench. But I made some very good progress. The cockpit is basically complete except the seat harness, the wiring on the backside of the main panel and the side walls, which need some modification on the landing gear wheel bay sides before I can paint and attach them. I made the following modifications:
 
INSTRUMENT PANEL
I already covered the scratch built ZSK 244 auxiliary panel and other modifications in my first post. I used mainly decals from the Airscale 1/32 Luftwaffe instruments and placards sets. For the AFN2 I used the 1/48 Airscale decal set as both inlcude an AFN1, which had a diameter of 80mm while the AFN2 had 57mm. The decals for the ZSK 244 come from the Eduard Fw 190 cockpit resin and PE set for the Revell 1/32 Fw 190. I also added some decals from scratch, i.e. cut out of black and white decal paper. I used a die and punch set to cut out the decals and after a flat coat added gloss varnish to imitate the instrument glass faces. 
 
The red and yellow rings around the fuel content gauges, fuel pressure indicators, oil pressure and differential pressure indicators is the correct coloring of a standard mid-production example as I wrote in one of my earlier posts.
 
THROTTLES
I first used the kit's throttles, but removed the buttons and added my own ones built from scratch using the die and punch set. They looked to massive / broad compared to the rest of the console so that I decided to build them completely from scratch. I added the small levers, a small piece of wire to imitate the spring that was attached to them and a yellow painted wire as a cable that was attached to the push buttons. The tank selection levers as well as the trim lever were also completely scratch built. The Eduard PE levers looked too small in my opinion. I used a tiny strip of yellow decal paper that I added to the red tips of t he tank selector levers. It was a lot of work, but paid out in the end. It's a bit difficult to see the details in the photos as I am using a smart camera, but in real life it looks very good. The cockpit of the Me 262 is relatively well visible once the model is complete and it is worth to spend some more time with the cockpit.
 
The tank selector lever tips in the German Museum's Me 262 are yellow. However, wartime photos show that they too had been red/orange-yellow back then. I assume they were either overpainted yellow at some point later or replaced with yellow plastic tips. 
 
COCKPIT FLOOR
No modification, but I used a sponge and light brown paint to imitate the wear. The original was made out of wood painted in RLM 66 and even in the restored NASM Me 262 you can see the wood due to some wear.
 
CONTROL STICK
The only modification is that I sanded the top lever down to a more realistic thickness. I added also the metal bracket that attached the side button used for manually charging the MK 108 canons to the stick. I painted the stick brown as some of the KG 13Bs had this color (anodized finish), e.g. in the German Museum's Me 262. The external wires still need to be added once the column is installed. I have already drilled the corresponding holes in the side button and wire terminal. 
 
SEAT
The only modification is that I added the attachmet points for the shoulder belts at the top. There was also a separation line in the center and two small holes next to it that I added. Chipping was done using a sponge. The leather effect was achieved by painting it dark brown first and then using a sponge again applying the light brown color in a random way. 
 
Seatbelts and the side walls are next and then I can finish the cockpit and move to the landing gear bay.
 
Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Damian! Indeed, there is no cure  
 
 
Thank you Zac!
 
 
Thank you John! Thanks for the advice to contact Revell. I am afraid that it would take too long to get the replacement and I will use other decals for the main markings later. Therefore, I moved ahead with using small stripes of white and black decals and a small brush to apply the "text". But I will contact them as I have a second Me 262 in my stash that I want to build as a jet with R4M rockets.
 
OK, another smaller update: the decals on the left console are complete now. I have also added the pull wire for the RATO rockets for which I had previously added a small vertical bar that in the original kept the wire in its intended position and ensured that there was enough tension. You will notice that the forward section of the wire is slightly thicker. That is intended as in the original the forward section that the pilot would have gripped was also thicker than the rest of the wire. First the original (cockpit of the captured W.NR. 111711 with some American equipment installed for flight testing):
 

 
And now 32 times smaller:
 

 

 
 
The last detail to add besides the throttle levers  and fuel tank selector levers is a decal for the rudder trim control. I have already started with the throttle levers and tank selector levers, but need a smaller punch and die set to fabricate two throttle switches of the right thickness. I have ordered one and it is currently on its way to me. I will also need it to create a paint mask for some of the instruments in the main panel that had colored rings on the front. The decals I have did not fit (slightly too large) and hand-painting these rings is hardly possible in a proper way. Therefore, next will be the right console.
 
 
 
 

January 19/24
 
Thank you everyone for your kind comments!  It’s great to be back, but I have to admit, it took me awhile to jump back in.  I don’t know if was like “Writers Block” or lack of modeling Mojo, but I would just stare at some of the kit pieces then put them back in the box for another day.  The only way out of this modeling funk is to force yourself to glue a few pieces of plastic together and see what happens and if you have a few challenges, even better.  Problem solving is the most fun for me and this kit has lots of problems, especially with all the Aires resin.
 
I was going to start painting the landing gear wells and cockpit, but there are a few things that were still bugging me when I left this build a year ago.  One is the gap at the front of the glare shield/coaming, which even the kit parts have for some reason.  Normally a gap like this would be hidden by a windshield, but with the F-16 canopy serving as the windshield as well, any flaws up front stick out like a sore thumb.   There are also gaps along the sides of the Aires glare shield once the kit ridges are removed.  Here’s where I left off.
 

 
The front was partially filled with a strip of styrene, but the sides of the coaming still need attention, because the gap is quite large.
 

 
Strip styrene to the rescue again, filling most of the side gap and the recess in the Aires coaming, which doesn’t exist.  There should be a ridge along the sides that joins the ridges at the front of the coaming and the styrene now sort of replicates the weather strip gasket against the ridge.
 

 
Another angle from the top.  When the cockpit is painted and installed, the small gaps can now be easily be filled, while the side lip of the front and rear will be merged together into one continuous unit.
 

 
Like most fighter jet kits, the intake has a big seam that needs to be filled and eliminated.  For this particular kit, the seam fit is pretty darn good as is, but still very noticeable if you peek inside the intake, which is an automatic deduction at a model contest for sure.  The fix is usually putty with lots of internal sanding, which can be a real pain in such a tight space, or even the dip in white latex paint trick, invented by Pete Fleischman years ago on one of his F-16 projects.  I used latex paint on my last F-16CJ and found that it worked very well, but I wanted to see if I could try something new, and maybe less complicated.
 

 
I rarely use putty to fill anymore, relying mostly on CA glue when I can sand it easily, which isn’t going to work in the tight confines of this intake.  The next best “putty” is ordinary Tamiya Extra Thin Cement (TETC), if the gap is small.  For this intake I used lots of it and let it ooze out, while squeezing the two intake halves together to create a firm bond with as few gaps as possible.  When that dried after a day, I used some more along the seam line, which melts the plastic some more as it flows together into one solid piece.  When that’s good and dry- maybe another 24 hours-, I sanded it down with thin foam “Madworks” sanding blocks I bought from Troy Molitor a few years ago.  These sanding blocks are now my sanding staple for just about everything, because they are so easy to use and do a great job.  To get them inside the intake, I taped them to a putty knife and sanded away, starting with 400 grit and finished with 1500 grit.
 

 
This worked out very well and all seam lines are now gone, or at least all that I can see with a flashlight.  Shadows of the old seam line and connecting joins remain when lit from behind, but to my eye they are now totally gone inside.  This is also one of the few times that the white Thunderbirds plastic will come in handy, because now I don't need to paint it white.
 

 

 

 
That’s it for now and thanks for tagging along, even if this build does take forever.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

January 15, 2024
 
I’m BAAAACK!  Well, sort of.  It has been just over 1 year since my last post and I’m eager to get back into the modeling game, with some limitations. Retirement was supposed to give me more modeling time, but instead I seem to have less.  Major renovations to our house took about 9 months, but packing stuff to move everything out and then back in took another 3 months of chaos, hard work and hassle.  Ugh!  I’m so glad it’s mostly over.
 
Like most home renovations, the vast majority of the changes were what my wife wanted to do, which is fine with me, because I’m fairly useless with home design, color coordination and such, and I also really don’t care all that much.  Where I did have some say, however, was in my modeling room and a new display cabinet, where I can finally display my 1/32 jets without crowding them too much.  Here’s a few pics of the beast in so-so light, which measures roughly 44” wide, 25” deep and 9 feet tall from floor to ceiling in our basement.  Bright LED Lighting strips are integrated into each side, with a dimmer switch if you want to tone things down.
 
This sucker is BIG, in order to fit 2 big jets on each glass shelf.  Glass doors closed
 

 
Glass doors open
 

 
Zoomed in a bit
 

 
This cabinet was made to be integrated into my bar area, with a side window to let in more light.  I’m very happy with the end results, so that my models can now be seen safely by others, while keeping the little hands of my grandchildren out!
 

 
 
Although I haven’t modeled for a long time, I have checked out many of your models, either here in the WIP or the RFI forum.  Standing back and taking it all in, these thoughts come to mind over the past year:
 
·        “Scratch” manufactured models, using 3D printing, is exploding and is clearly a big part of the modeling future
·        The aftermarket is rapidly growing, also using 3D printing, with never seen before detail and quality
·        We have new model manufacturers that weren’t around a few years ago, kicking out some fantastic kits that were not available before.  Kotare and JETMADS comes to mind- and I now have a JETMADS 1:32 AJ37 Viggen kit on the way for a future build.
·        It’s hard to keep up with all that’s going on!
 
One thing that I find a bit frustrating, is that I have been collecting all sorts of aftermarket items for future builds, which are mostly cast resin parts from small cottage industry vendors, that may or may not be around in the future.  I have lots of jet exhausts, missiles and conversion sets that for the most part, are now garbage in my mind with all the cool new offerings that we now have, and continue to be made available.  For instance, everything that ResKit now makes is a lot better than the equivalent item that I have in the stash, so I’ll never use the old stuff anymore.  I’ll probably just donate most of it, so that it doesn’t go to waste.
 
Anyway, enough rambling and back to this build of what I think is a pretty cool looking Viper Aggressor paint scheme.  I am so happy that I took good notes of what I did so far, because I’d be quite lost right now without them.  With the resin landing gear and cockpit now properly fit into the kit parts, it’s now time to get some paint on them.  Stay tuned as I ease my way back into our fascinating hobby.
 
Cheers,
Chuck
 

Built these 2 a while back. The A-4c is a hasegawa kit with an old Condor conversion applied. Lady Jessie is a Trumpeter kit with a few extra parts added.  Honestly I thought they were pretty close in shape. After filling, sanding, and rescribing.....they are about the same shape....close enough for me. Your mileage may vary.
 

 

The 1/32 scale Fw190 series is new and very welcome. But it is very surprising that Trumpeter wants to release both a short fuselage version (Fw190A-4) and a long fuselage version (Fw190A-8) as they require quite different moulds!

I am very excited about Zoukei Mura's rendering of the Fw190, but at the rate they are releasing kits, we will probably not see the later A variants until 2026
Trumpeter's approach may also be easier to build and less detailed than Zoukei Mura's.

100% agreed!
Yes I went over and had a good catch up...wow you're doing a fantastic job of yours mate!
 
Awwww thanks buddy, that means a lot!  I am pleased you're enjoying it as much as I am!
 
More progress, this time on the undercarriage.  Initially I thought I only needed the lower section of leg with extra links, then when Kerry was drawing it up measurements didnt quite add up...and after further research Kerry found the leg dia didnt seem to add up to the drawings.  It seems the kit and aftermarket ones are 4.8mm dia whereas the FG.1 (double ext nose leg) is 6.2mm!  Interesting, but totally makes sense as it would have the extra oleo extension??  Anyway, cant 100% confirm this but we are going with the drawings and the reasoning that this might make sense anyway. However the more I look at photo's I am getting more convinced it looks chunkier than a std Phantom noseleg (incl FGR.2).  There are several differences in the FG.1 leg as well as the upper links are different again as well as a few other details.  Anyhoo, needless to say this has ment a whole new leg has been done to be printed and test fitted (as it has to also include the rearward rake).  Always something eh?  Thank goodness for Kerry, in fact he has so much involvement in this with me that it really is a joint project as I couldnt have got it this accurate without him....Thanks buddy!
 

 

 
So in the meantime I have been working on mains and final detailing and painting.  More to go on these along with trying to find stencils for the main oleo's...no one seems to have done them in 1/32 and I cant find anything close at this point.
 
And yes...sheep are everywhere here in NZ, even my modelling bench!

 
Test fitted....looking good!

 
You saw my nose u/c doors with primer....now all painted, stencils and wiring added along with some subtle weathering
 
These doors got really filthy but I tried to restrain myself a bit and did my best to match XV571's doors at this point in her life

 
And both the fronts together

 
So on the hunt for a MLG oleo placard and then final details added and the legs are done, still working on the MLG doors
 
Thanks for looking in...I am still going!
 
Cheers Anthony
 

Thank you all for your very kind comments and support during this build. After all the trials and tribulations getting the kit together I'm super happy with the way it seems to be going now! 
 
Finally some more bench time this weekend and decals now on
 

 

 
Green 9 is really starting to take shape now and the Cutting Edge decals performed perfectly.
 
Regards. Andy 

Well here we go again, this time I'm indulging in a Tamiya kit. Much as I like the challenge of upgrading the delights of Revell's offerings, sometimes you just want something a little less demanding. Such as the Tamiya F-16C which judging by all the accounts I've read, is a superb kit. Squirrelled away in my stash is the Thunderbirds offering which allows an earlier Blk32 aircraft which differs from the mainstream Blk50 kit by having the P&W engine, normal (small) shock inlet, lightweight gear with the original wheels and flat MLG doors. However, as it is the Thunderbirds kit it also does not come with weapons and some of the pylon details which I will need for my chosen subject.
 

 
I've always liked aggressor schemes (who doesn't!), in fact anything that gets away from monotone (grey) colour schemes and there is no doubting that the 64AGRS based out of Nellis has some of the most interesting schemes around. I'm pretty much a fan of all the schemes but for this one I've plumbed for the 'Flogger' scheme as pictured on the lead aircraft below. Crucially, the Thunderbirds kit comes with early sidewinder rails which is right for the era I'm looking at i.e. pre-AMRAAM.
 

(USAF)
Now I don't want to make it too easy so this will be an in-flight display and I will be adding lights to this one as well but most of the kit will be out of the box. Except for the engine exhaust which comes courtesy of ResKit (love their stuff). Oh and some ResKit winders, will probably need an ALQ-188 and ACMI pod as well. Maybe some cockpit enhancements from Quinta and might treat myself to some goodies from Kopecky who does loads of goodies for the F-16. Yeah, pretty much out of the box.
 
Right, so where do we start.
 
With the intake of course. That's the thing with adding lights, you can't build it in the order Tamiya would like you to. Because you need to add things like wires and batteries you also need to plan the layout of how you will connect it altogether noting that once you close a section up, that's it - no more access. The F-16 has some nav lights on each side of the intake. These can be added by drilling out a small hole and adding a very small LED. To avoid light overspill (a real problem with bright LEDs) a silver foil backing is used. The outside will be first painted black to kill light overspill. Luckily the actual intake has a small enough gap for the wires to go past and feed back into the fuselage.
 

 
Another tight spot for lighting is the tail where the F-16 has a large anti-col beacon at the top and a smaller light at the base. Again, a small white LED was used with silver foil to limit overspill. The clear part sits on top of the LED and the wires run down the back of the rudder. I had to do this as this was a second hand kit and the tail had already been glued together.
 

 
In addition, the started kit had also had the base of the fin cut off in anticipation of reworking to an F-16A by the previous owner. I therefore needed to reinstate the original base using a thick piece of card as a strut to provide some strength. In addition to the wire, a thin fibre optic wire was run from the LED light down the base of the rudder and out of the base of the tail.
 

 
Interestingly, I'm pretty sure Tamiya had plans to add their own lighting kit to this model. The wing tip photo below shows a groove carved into the inside of the wing which leads to the point where the wing nav lights are and the design of that clear part is definitely with lighting in mind. I know because I was going to do the same to fit the lighting I had in mind. Thank you Tamiya for making that part of the kit construction slightly easier!
 

 
Well its a start. I should point out that progress is inversely proportional to the many demands of family and life in general so please be patient. We will get there in the end. 
 

I might just have enough aftermarket for this

 
 
accidentally bought 2 different sets of gear legs and wheels
going with the Reskit stuff
 

This should take a day or two...
Thanks for looking

Having completed my Tamiya 1/32 P-51K recently (will get around to posting photos of this shortly), followed by a 1/350 Polar Lights Refit Enterprise from Star Trek, I've decided to dive into one of the more recent acquisitions in my stash. I always have a problem selecting which kit to start after I finish one. I'm not sure if this is because I want to build them all, or if it's a function of being in the right frame of mind. I guess I am in a WWII mood and the P-51K experience got me hooked on large-scale, highly detailed builds.
 
It seems likely at this point I will build scale models for the foreseeable future. My intent is to have this hobby simmer in the background, always available but not necessarily driven by a timeline for completion. It relaxes me, though I confess I am already quite relaxed. Perhaps it would be better to say that building scale models serves as a form of meditation. In any event, it won’t replace my desire to pursue “fine art” projects, the inspiration and duration for which is unpredictable and less structured once under way. 
 
For my next scale model I intend to revisit the WWII period, this time with a German-built aircraft, the Messerschmitt Bf-109, specifically a variant called the G-14. Instead of a Nazi Luftwaffe version, I will build a Swiss version. My mother was born in Switzerland immediately after the conclusion of WWII (September 25), so this is part of the inspiration. I also confess I am not terribly keen to build a representation of a Nazi machine, despite admiring the Reich’s impressive technical achievements. 
 
I selected Zoukei-Mura’s 1/32 Bf 109G-14/U4 kit, which is magnificent in detail and quality, and will use Georg Hoch’s book “Messerschmitt Me 109 in Swiss Air Force Service” as a reference. First up, as one might imagine, is the engine block, which is photographed here in an early stage of construction.
 
One of the reasons I seem to prefer old warplanes is because they are filthy and banged up. Used. They tell a story. While I have zero desire to fly in such contraptions, preferring the actual things to be properly maintained, inspected, and cleaned, my artistic sensibilities lean toward showing a used and abused machine. These are so much more fun to render, covered as they are with oil, grease, and exhaust stains with paint worn away and chipped. I say this because I feel guilty not immediately tackling several 1/32 jets in my stash of unbuilt kits!
 

Decals underway, for the most part they were going ok. Until I got to the vertical tail, there was no way the stripe was going to work. I hesitate to blame the decals or decal maker as I always have horrible luck with decals, any manufacturer. I tried various sets and softs but they stubbornly refused to lay down So I broke out the Tamiya tape (first to peel off the decals) then masked the stripe and mixed up some orange and some blue and painted the stripes on. I will now continue adding the remaining decals...hoping for the best.

 

 

 
and painted...nowhere near perfect but that's how I roll (strive for mediocrity)

 

 
Light at the end of this tunnel?
Maybe?
Thanks for looking

Haha
good question, I ordered decals a while back and being the dumbass I am, I got decals for the D, new decals coming from Ultracast, the last set of E decals that was in stock (cutting edge decals) Cutting Edge CED32077 - A-7E Corsair II, Part 4, VA-15 Valions
on their way as we speak….well, as I type.
the local hobby shop has a D on the shelf and me being me and having decals for a D…guess what I’ll be buying next 

Soooo fuselage closed up and seam cleaning underway. Not the best fitting kit I've ever glued up but not the worst either and, to be honest some of the fit issue is probably of my own making what with various resin add ons I've stuck in the model.

 

 

 

the play continues
Thanks for looking