F-16C Hasegawa 1/32

[Cheetah11]

With my Mirage 2000 almost complete I was looking for an easier out of the box build. I will see if I can complete it by the group build deadline. Kit prices in my part of the world has increased by 30-50 % over the last year and modelers are scrambling to buy the few at old prices. This made me look again at at the old kits in my stash. I have two Hasegawa 1/32 f-16 kits donated by friends who were not interested in them after the Tamiya release. ( Tamiya now $170 and Academy $130)Both Hasegawa kits in spares and of the mostly off the sprues.  Also in the box all the spare and unused parts from two Tamiya and an Academy Sufa build. So I will mix and match parts and see what I can come up with.

 

 

 

I an leaning towards either an Israeli or Greek F-16C Block30 which do not require a wide mouth intake. These are the decal options I have.

 

 

Cheers

Nick

 

[KEi]

Looking to your build with interest.

I understand Greek F-16 block 30 are wide mouths, you may need to double check on this

[Juggernut]

The first Block 30’s built were completed with the NSI (small mouth) intakes and for some reason the number 70 is in my brain for the number built with that intake.  That number may or may not be correct.  The rest were built with the MCID intake.  Indeed you will have to research the plane you’re anticipating on modeling to see which intake it has.  Someplace there is a serial number breakdown between NSI and MCID built block 30 aircraft; where that is eludes me at the moment.  You may try www.F-16.net for further info.  My memory is also telling me that a lot (but probably not all) of the NSI built block 30’s went to the U.S. Navy.

[Cheetah11]

3 hours ago, KEi said:

Looking to your build with interest.

I understand Greek F-16 block 30 are wide mouths, you may need to double check on this

 

37 minutes ago, Juggernut said:

The first Block 30’s built were completed with the NSI (small mouth) intakes and for some reason the number 70 is in my brain for the number built with that intake.  That number may or may not be correct.  The rest were built with the MCID intake.  Indeed you will have to research the plane you’re anticipating on modeling to see which intake it has.  Someplace there is a serial number breakdown between NSI and MCID built block 30 aircraft; where that is eludes me at the moment.  You may try www.F-16.net for further info.  My memory is also telling me that a lot (but probably not all) of the NSI built block 30’s went to the U.S. Navy.

 

Thanks for the info gents.

According to the decal sheet from Isra the Israeli Block 30 aircraft all except one had the NSI intakes and the MCID from Block 40 onwards.

So at this stage it looks like an Israeli Block 30 I will be doing. The kit has the F100 nozzle as well so a Greek Block 52 is possible but they are mostly fitted with conformal tanks and I was hoping to do a simple and quick build.

Nick

[mpk]

I'd no idea Hasegawa even had a 1/32 F-16.

 

Good luck with it. 

[Cheetah11]

 

I slowly started cutting plastic on this build.  The wings need AMRAAM launchers on the tips, so the Hasegawa launchers were removed.

 

 

 

New donor launchers and tanks from the Tamiya kit with weapons and seat from Academy . The tailfin from Tamiya and para-brake from Academy Sufa.

Before you ask I did not bin these kits. The Sufa was built as a Block60 and the Tamiya as a F-16A, leaving these parts surplus.

 

 

The canopy will be closed, so I modified a Tamiya pilot to fit on the Academy seat and Hasegawa cockpit. ( A real mix and match junkyard build turning out to be.)

 

 

Cheers

Nick

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Cheetah11

[alain11]

hi Nick

I built two of these" old" Tam  kits years ago ( too many years ago ) If I remember , the panel lines need to be engraved ... right ??............ happy modeling 

Alain

[Cheetah11]

 

12 hours ago, alain11 said:

hi Nick

I built two of these" old" Tam  kits years ago ( too many years ago ) If I remember , the panel lines need to be engraved ... right ??............ happy modeling 

Alain

 

Hi Alain

You are right, the Hasegawa kit has raised panel lines and I am busy re-scribing some of them. This kit does bring back some memories. I built my first one in 1984 as  a Montana ANG plane and two more in the nineties. I converted one to the Blue and White demonstrator but the paint job was not good, so it was binned. I kept the tail and also the tail of Belgian one I built. 

 

 

I was recently donated a Black Box cockpit for one and will maybe in future spend a bit of effort on the remaining kit in the stash.

In the mean time I am still amazed at how easy these kits are to build. BTW I found a TA-4 Skyhawk recently.  

Cheers 

Nick

[Cheetah11]

With the mirage build almost finished a bit more time for this quick build.

 

One of the weak points of the Hasegawa kits is the nozzle and afterburner section. The turbine face and flame holders are grossly overscale to add to the problem. With the re-issue as a F-16C the F110 nozzle was included. A little better but the inside tube of the afterburner and turbine face was not updated.

 

A crude AB pipe was printed and the gaps in the nozzle covered with plastic card to make it look more representable of the real engine.  I have the Academy F-110 nozzle spare which has better (over emphasized) detail but is smaller in diameter, so it is not an option without major work.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Nick

   

[Cheetah11]

 

I had a look at the tail art I wanted for the model. I generated the mask on the Silhouette and airbrushed it on the spare tail of the kit.

It seems do-able with a bit of care placing the mask. The Israeli F-16 seats appear to be painted black. I will see I I can confirm this on more photos but in the mean time I did the seat and pilot.

 

 

Cheers

Nick

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Lovely progress, Nick!

 

Kev

[themongoose]

I think you’re right on the tail art  the tips of the red swooshes look sharp and crisp.

[Cheetah11]

Despite not a lot of modeling time the last week, progress to this stage went surprisingly quick. After re-scribing and sanding the surface smooth the model looks surprisingly well. Since I have another Hasegawa kit with a Black Box Cockpit set  I might do one with a bit more after market items sometime in the future.

 

 

 

Cheers

Nick

Edited March 18, 2021 by Cheetah11

[Gazzas]

That's great progress, Nick!

[Cheetah11]

 

This does not look like much progress but I added the pylons and some priming and sanding and more priming was done. The unique antennae on the side of the nose also added. Almost looks like a Tamia with the sanding and scribing. (just kidding)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Nick