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1/12 ESCI F-16 Cockpit


Greg W

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This model is the old, ESCI 1/12 scale F-16 Cockpit, which was also released by AMT and Italeri as well. It was built in 1998. 

 

Right out of the box it is a impressive model and I just tweaked it here and there. The major improvements involved changing the toy like appearance of the instrument panel and scratch building a new throttle handle. The restraining harness belts on the ejection seat were made out of medical tape because the kit belts were just not up to par. The oxygen hose and g-suit hose are wound guitar string. The seat cushions are epoxy putty covered with tissue paper soaked in a 50:50 solution of water and white glue. 

 

 

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Edited by GDW
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20 hours ago, Gerhard said:

Wow!!!  That is awesome. Would love to get my hands on one of those. 

They show up on eBay from time to time. $40 to $60 typically. I have hemmed and hawed over it and the F-104 cockpit several times but have never pulled the trigger. This RFI is making me think about them again!

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 Years ago, Verlinden made a set of instruments for this kit. That is no longer available but here is how I improved the I.P. using the same method as Verlinden Productions did back in the day. I went to the E.A.A. air show in Oshkosh, WI (USA) in 1987. While I was looking around the vendor tables, I found a copy of a F-16 pilots flight manual. That was a big score for a 18 year old Viper fan! So I arrived back home after the air show and compared the 1/12 scale V.P. instruments to the flight manual and realized that I had the very book that V.P. used to make their film instruments. Many years later I decided to build this kit. The Verlinden set was lost but I still had the flight manual and took it downtown to a local print shop and had the image sized to scale and printed on clear plastic sheet. 

 

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The instrument locations have to be drilled out (a tapered rat tail file is perfect for that) and you either paint the back of the instruments or back them with white styrene.

 

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Edited by Greg W
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On 8/28/2018 at 11:02 PM, LSP_Ray said:

They show up on eBay from time to time. $40 to $60 typically. I have hemmed and hawed over it and the F-104 cockpit several times but have never pulled the trigger. This RFI is making me think about them again!

 

On 8/28/2018 at 2:24 AM, Gerhard said:

Wow!!!  That is awesome. Would love to get my hands on one of those. 

 

On 8/29/2018 at 8:20 AM, Out2gtcha said:

Excellent work for sure.  I like everything here a lot, but especially the looks of the seat with the tissue covered epoxy putty.  Ill have to remember that trick, and also stop by my local music center for a variety of sizes of guitar strings. 

 

I can dig out that old manual and make some copies of the I.P. onto clear plastic for my fellow L.S.P. members. Just P.M.

 

Thanks for the positive comments!

Edited by GDW
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