The ‘Viper’ pit - A short break to build other stuff.

[Stokey Pete]

Now that I’ve got the ‘Flanker’ out of the way, and a clear bench that says “get something built”, I suppose I better tackle my next bout of insanity. It’s a really doozy as well.

I have 4x F-16s that will have various colourful schemes applied, rather than a bunch of grey jets. All to be built inflight and posed on stands, I’m over gear down builds these days as I just can’t do the gear and bays justice. 
So here’s what I have…..

 

2 Tamiya F-16Cs kits.

2 Academy F-16I kits.

 

And what I plan to do with them…..

The ‘Zeus’ aircraft is a new build of a model I’d already built before, but the paint suffered some failure and cracked beyond any reasonable attempt at repair. So, I decided to do it from the ground up again. I’m saving the parts unique to the ‘Thunderbirds’ jet, and saving them for a future build when I get my head around creating a custom mask from the decals. 
 

This will take my Viper collection to 6 in total, when they’re finished. It goes without saying, that this one will be a slow burner once the plastic has been built. 
 

I won’t bore everyone with the building process, most here know all of that, and will know what an F-16 work in progress goes like. I don’t intend to go into any major conversion/backdating work for individual blocks, just using what’s available in the boxes to make them look like the jets they’re being based on. They’re all about the paint schemes for me. I’ll probably stop by with the occasional seat/pilot figure photo, production line progress shot, and go into the nuts and bolts of each individual paint scheme as it’s applied. 

That’s me sorted ‘til summer ‘22.

Catch up with you all soon.

Pete. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by Stokey Pete

[mambodan72]

Wow Snap! I am doing the same thing and will love to see yours all lined up! i have completed the Belgian Blizzard and boy do you have to be patient with the decals, im also doing the Dutch Lion,

 

I will follow this Viper Pit build with keen interest!

 

P.S. i am going to do the Zeus but in 1/32 when i get a chance!

[Stokey Pete]

9 hours ago, mambodan72 said:

Wow Snap! I am doing the same thing and will love to see yours all lined up! i have completed the Belgian Blizzard and boy do you have to be patient with the decals, im also doing the Dutch Lion,

 

I will follow this Viper Pit build with keen interest!

 

P.S. i am going to do the Zeus but in 1/32 when i get a chance!

Thanks for the heads up on the decals for the Blizzard jet. I’m tinkering with ideas of part masking and decals combo’.

[scvrobeson]

Definitely looking forward to this.  Hopefully this Zeus build goes smoother, the last one was so beautiful before the clear coat crazed.

 

 

 

Matt 

[Stokey Pete]

33 minutes ago, scvrobeson said:

Definitely looking forward to this.  Hopefully this Zeus build goes smoother, the last one was so beautiful before the clear coat crazed.

 

 

 

Matt 

I’ve a different strategy for this one. I’ll be using MRP lacquers for the paintwork. Hopefully a little more robust than the acrylics I used on the previous effort. I wish I could unsee the paint cracks, I wouldn’t be rebuilding it if that were the case. 
My dad was happy to receive the donation for his shelves however. 

[themongoose]

Awesome set of schemes! Being an “all about the paint” guy myself I’m looking forward to seeing these come together!

[scvrobeson]

4 hours ago, Stokey Pete said:

I’ve a different strategy for this one. I’ll be using MRP lacquers for the paintwork. Hopefully a little more robust than the acrylics I used on the previous effort.

 

Oh, they definitely will be far more robust than Vallejo acrylics.

 

 

Matt 

[Gazzas]

Those will be some awesome looking birds!  I like jets with their wheels up too!  If there was a way to suspend them mid-air, I would do it.  Just love an impression of speed and agility that a landed plane just ain't got.

[Stokey Pete]

I’ve taken a couple of days to separate all the parts required, from their sprues. I’ve built so many of these over the years I don’t even need the instructions anymore. 

All individually boxed and sorted into my phases of construction sorting order. 
Engine sections.

Cockpit tubs and IP’s.

Ejector seats and aircrew.

Exterior airframe parts.

Clears and tiny finishing details. 
Stores are in a spares box so I can pick n mix whatever I need at the end. 

Fuselage sections have had vents, smaller parts, gear doors, etc attached.

 

So I consider this to be the pre-construction, construction phase complete. Now I’ll work on the various sections for all 4 jets in batches. First up being the seats and aircrew. 6 seats and 6 figures. 

Oh, and as an aside. Mrs Stokeypete threw a spanner into the works which may see me adding a 5th kit to this little adventure. To quote her, “you must use the thunderbirds decals as well, but I like the other 4 too much to decide which you should drop. Just get another one”

She’s a good egg! 

[themongoose]

Oh wow she’s great! Got a great laugh out of me. Get another one! Too funny.

[Stokey Pete]

This one has stalled a little owing to some life dramas that are keeping me away from the bench for any serious time. 
The update here, is to announce an addition to the Vipers nest! I’ve recently acquired the old single seat kit from Academy with a few bits missing (being acquired as I type) for the mere cost of postage (much to the wife’s approval). With the work that’s been done to the other kits, I’ve now done a juggling  act to finalise that the three single seaters will be the Alaskan Aggressor, ‘Zeus’. And the Belgian Blizzard. The two twin stick jets will now be the Venezuelan jet (still), and a Thunderbirds jet now I’ve acquired a couple of sets of decals to attempt it. 
 

Hello all, my name is Pete, and I’m an addict. I have an F-16 problem. 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Stokey Pete

[mark31]

wonderfull a bench full off vipers

Starting your own air force?

 

Looking forward to see more

 

Mark

[Stokey Pete]

First order of business.

Locate, collect, trim/tidy, a whole ammo dumps worth of ordnance for these kits. The eagle eyed, will spot a bunch of stuff that will eventually hang from a Strike Eagle too, thought I may as well get those built and painted along with the F-16 stuff.

 
a busy few days ahead with this little lot. 

[Stokey Pete]

With the GB Strike Eagle boxed off, and  with parts from Jetmads incoming for the Viggen (may be a while), I’m left with nothing in the stash left to build.
So, it’s with gusto that I now get into this properly. I’ve now got a order/process in mind.

Stores first. 
Exhausts.

Intakes, then I can paint the hard to reach areas before installation.

Cockpits.

Fuselages, control surfaces, and paint prep’.

Oh, and the pit has grown by another 

Here’s an overview of the schemes planned. 

The resin exhausts have been prepped for paint (bar one I’m waiting to be delivered), intakes are dry fit and ready to be glued, sanding, etc, and I’ve now trimmed and built all the stores and pylons up, ready to be painted and marked.

 

[The Madhatter]

Mate, I can barely build one kit in a timeframe which corresponds to this century let alone 6! You have my respect big time