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Tamiya F-16C 526th TFS Ramstein AB (1988)


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Good Morning from Germany.

 

A few weeks ago, I started my Tamiya F-16C project.

 

I always wanted to build an early Ramstein F-16 in 1:32 scale.

But the biggest challenge was the fact that there wasn`t the right wheel for an Block 30 RS Viper on the market.

The Tamiya Block 50 kit contains only the late Block 40/50 heavy wheel and the T-Bird kit contains only the late version of the Block 30 wheels. And Revell...no...we don`t want to talk about the Revell wheels...

 

But during the time in Ramstein, all the Block 30`s flew the early version of the F-16 wheels.

 

But thanks to a friend of mine and a 1:1 scale wheel, these problem is fixed (you will see later on...).

 

Why a Ramstein Viper from 1988? I spent most of my life close to Ramstein AB and watched the Vipers so many times flying around that area. I saw the first F-16C arriving in RS and the last moving to Aviano (Good for the Viper fans in Italy...but a sad day for all of us in the Ramstein area).

 

I wanted to build an early version of the RS Viper. This means high vis markings, black tail code and the Falcon behind the Canopy.

 

Sad but true...I don`t have good quality images of that early RS Vipers between 1986 and 1990.

Because in 1988 I was just 13 years old and my camera equipment wasn`t that good at that time.

You don´t want to see that images....hahaha.

 

Instead of my bad images from that time, I use this image of 85-1478 who was taken by a friend of mine in 1989 when 85-1478 was forced to land at Sembach AB due to an hydraulic problem.

 

This is exact the version I want to build.

 

Ok...enough words....let`s get started.

 

Cheers Kai

 

dut8UN.jpg

 

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I started with the Cockpit. After I checked all my aftermarket Cockpits, I made the decision to use the Tamiya tube with only a few parts of the aftermarket parts. Because I wasn`t happy with the aftermarket parts.

So I used Eduard panels and attached the switches and buttons with a punch and die set.

Cheers Kai

 

Mgatqo.jpg06xo4Q.jpg7STmus.jpg

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Ok...back to my problem with the early Viper wheels used by the Block 30 Vipers at Ramstein.

While I was working on the Cockpit, my new early wheels arrived.

I was lucky enough to get a real 1:1 scale wheel of that Vipers and thanks to an awesome friend of mine, he made an amazing 1:32 scale copy of that. This wheel is by far the best 1:32 scale Viper wheel I ever saw.

Even the bolts are seperate parts. Can`t wait to paint that wheels.

Cheers Kai

IJGrz5.jpg2oFhao.jpg

 

Both 1:32 scale wheels compared to a picture of the real wheel.

 

I am so in love with that wheels.

 

Vgdubz.jpg

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I wanted to build that Viper during touchdown at Ramstein`s Runway 27.

So it needed a pilot in the seat.

The biggest problem is...I am not a good figure painter.

I am always impressed by the quality of real figure painters. But I am far away from that quality.

Anyway...I had no choice and I needed a pilot in the Cockpit.

So I checked my pilot figures from the Block 50 and the T-Bird kit and also my aftermarket figures.

Most of the aftermarket figures wouldn`t fit well into an ACES II seat. The Block 50 pilot has modern items on it including an HGU-55 with the modern MBU-20 oxygen mask (wich was not used in Ramstein during 1988). The T-Bird pilot shows the right MBU-12 for that timeframe, but the helmet itself is wrong for an RS pilot.

So I started with the T-Bird pilot and did some heavy modifications on it.

I used metal foil and Magic Sculp to convert the pilot figure into an 526th pilot from 1988.

Cheers KaipXyBQA.jpg

slUFHQ.jpg

PUKWLM.jpg

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After some paint...the pilot was installed to the seat.

It´s not perfect and a real figure painter wouldn`t like it....but it`s ok for me.

I used real 526th TFS / 86th TFW / USAFE and nametag patches from the Squadron and made some 1:32 scale decals of it.

Next step...the helmet.

Cheers Kai

mRATwv.jpgdY7RG9.jpgi5KIMx.jpg

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