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Tamiya F-16C conversion to F-16A


Durangokid

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I started this NSAWC F-16A project several years ago but I lost interest, mostly because I couldn't find proper markings.  Seeing Marcel's fantastic conversion really got my interest going on this again.  So I broke down and bought a Silhouette Cameo so I could do the markings that I could never find.  I put off buying one of these because I was worried it would be too technically difficult to figure out.  Turns out to be one of the best things I've invested in for my modeling projects and it really isn't all the difficult to figure out.  If I can do it, anyone can!

 

This is probably going to be a quick build thread since I'm already at the paint stage so it's just a matter of cropping, uploading and posting the images.  I really dig the F-16 and I especially like the NSAWC jets with the way the get so weathered.  Not to mention it says "Marines" on top of the fuselage. :)  Luckily, this is a later version of the F-16A called block 15 OCU.  The good thing is that this particular version has a lot in common with the F-16C.  Jake's excellent Viper books are an excellent resource and they really helped me figure this thing out. 

 

It took a lot of different parts to get here:

Tamiya F-16C Thunderbirds version

PWMP F-16A tail

Blackbox F-16A cockpit set for Hasegawa (only a few parts)

Eduard F-16A PE for F-16A Hasegawa

Fightertown Big Bandit Charlie Hornets ( Logo)

Two Bobs F/A-18 Vikings (ejection seat warning decals)

Two Bobs F-16N Old School Adversaries ( Rescue arrows)

Experts Choice F-16A ANG (Canopy jettison decals)

AMUR Reaver USAF Chaff/Flare dispensers

Crossdelta F-16 strengthening plates

Jake Melampy's F-16 modern and early viper guides.

 

Here is the AC I want to build:

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Since I started this awhile ago there are a few mistakes that I normally would have corrected as my skill improved but I'm 'mostly' happy with what I have so far. I started in the cockpit using a mix of aftermarket stuff to convert to the F-16A variant.  The IP is the most visible difference so it took a few different parts to convert.

 

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Here is the main part painted up.  The PE was a big help!

 

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Making it all fit was a little tricky but not all that bad in the grand scheme of things.

 

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Paint applied.  This AC also has the F-16C HUD but the controller is a little different, at least from what I could tell from a couple of photos. 

 

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This AC also has the F-16 style throttle and stick so I just used the ones that came with the kit.

 

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I'm not sure if this is correct.  The F-16A doesn't have this box behind the seat but since this is a later model I could be wrong.

 

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Edited by Durangokid
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For the life of me I can't remember where I got the aftermarket seat from.  The more I look at it, the more I want to repaint it or go with something different altogether.  Some of these jets actually have the folding pitot tube although I can't say if my specific AC does.

 

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The rear deck is a bit different so I had to make a few changes.

 

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Removing the vent also removed the rivet detail.

 

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But positive rivet decals to the rescue!

 

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Onto the tail.  This is probably the biggest conversion detail of the build since the base is different from the C along with the panels around it.  I uses PMWP's tail for this which fits very well and only needed a little filler for minor gaps.  It took a little bit of work to blend it in but nothing out of the ordinary.  I don't show it in the photos but I added some posts for reinforcement where the base attaches to the fuselage.  I didn't to this initially and ended up breaking it off while doing some painting.  You shouldn't have to do this though unless you are a total disaster waiting to happen like me!

 

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One of the hard parts was attaching the kit tail to the base since there isn't a lot of glue surface and it's difficult to get if perfectly straight.  I added some posts which helped a lot once I made sure the posts were straight. 

 

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Blended the area using superglue so it would be easier to rescribe later.

 

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Before

 

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After first primer.  Still needs a bit of finishing but I'm happy with it so far...

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Thanks for stopping by fellas!  I'll finish some more photos tomorrow and post them...

 

Bryan

 

 

 

 

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I added the wing plates and some PE Chaff/Flare dispensers from AMUR Reaver.  I didn't do the best job the the dispensers as one of came out a bit crooked.  It's not all that noticeable except the close up camera shot.

 

The strengthening plates seem a bit thin to me so I glued them to .005 sheet.  They might be a bit out of scale now but nothing too crazy.  One thing that helps me with these big PE parts like this, it to trace it where I want it to go.  That way there is no guessing where i want it to lay on the part and where the glue needs to go.

 

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Even though this is the A version, it had the extra buckets.  The buckets are a bit finicky but they do look nice, especially if you want to show them empty.

 

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This jet only has two fingers on the leading edge wings which is an easy fix...

 

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23 hours ago, Marcel111 said:

Bryan, great to see you do a NSAWC F-16, and great work so far! I am noticing a few things you're doing which I missed on my, e.g. I didn't realize thse birds had the wing strengthening plates.

 

Cheers,

Marcel

 

Thanks Marcel, your build is what got me motivated to get going again but why did you have to set the bar so high!  haha

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Just now, Durangokid said:

 

Thanks Marcel, your build is what got me motivated to get going again but why did you have to set the bar so high!  haha

Ha, looks like you are raising the bar even further! Btw the CMK seat has seperate backrests and seat cushions which makes doingt he sheepskin look a lot easier. I just reversed them, sprayed them with some texture rattle can paint and then a coat of very dark gray and that was it.

 

Cheers,

Marcel

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1 hour ago, Marcel111 said:

Ha, looks like you are raising the bar even further! Btw the CMK seat has seperate backrests and seat cushions which makes doingt he sheepskin look a lot easier. I just reversed them, sprayed them with some texture rattle can paint and then a coat of very dark gray and that was it.

 

Cheers,

Marcel

 Great thanks, I'll take a look.  I haven't seen the CMK seat yet.

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Here is some detail I added to the gear bays.  I finished these a few years ago and I don't really detail the bays that much anymore, either that or I just buy aftermarket.  For me, it's just not worth all the extra effort when they are rarely seen.  I will be adding more details once I'm done with most of the painting.pogMxjJaj

 

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Here is the finished tail along with a few little details

 

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I used Mr. Metal Color Iron to paint the fan.  I really like the way this line of paints looks for certain parts.

 

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