Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 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 blackbetty, Kagemusha, Uncarina and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 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 Marcel111, Greg W, AceofClubs and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Kagemusha, Uncarina, Shawn M and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 I also used the Tamiya kit seat instead of aftermarket parts and added a few more details. Cheers Kai Shawn M, Uncarina, F`s are my favs and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Kagemusha, Starfighter, TorbenD and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothar Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 Unglaublich - simply amazing detail work!!!! Lothar Empire 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 I just installed the seat to see if it fits perfect. Cheers Kai Greg W, Marcel111, LSP_Kevin and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 Kai, a very good start, sehr schön, have fun building!! Jack Empire 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Next step was the fuselage part of the Cockpit. I used some wires and a small MV lense for the HUD. Cheers Kai Uncarina, Starfighter, Marcel111 and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 LSP_Paul, DonH, LSP_Kevin and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 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 Both 1:32 scale wheels compared to a picture of the real wheel. I am so in love with that wheels. AceofClubs, F`s are my favs, Shawn M and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Unglaublich - simply amazing detail work!!!! Lothar Thank you Lothar!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Kai, a very good start, sehr schön, have fun building!! Jack Thanks Jack. It is pure fun to build that Viper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 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 Kai Shawn M, F`s are my favs, Starfighter and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empire Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 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 Greg W, Uncarina, Dukie99 and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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