Desert Storm F-16C

[Herk]

Steve,
If you haven't finalized your decision on the F-16, you might want to consider the 169th Fighter Wing, SC Air National Guard (http://www.169fw.ang.af.mil/history/index.asp) at McEntire Joint National Guard Base located about 12 miles east of Columbia. Would give you a chance (better than NY) to actually see your subject.

Steve P.

[Lee_K]

This thread on Zone Five is essential reading for all Viper fans:

http://www.zone-five.net/showthread.php?t=231 (ftp://http://www.zone-five.net/showthread.php?t=231)

Lee K

[Lee_K]

Well, good!  You have the best kit possible of the F-16 and it is a dream to build, by all reports.

Lee K

[Steve C.]

The heck with Desert Storm.  I just picked up the Tamiya CJ Block 50 on Amazon.  I was looking all over for a nice aftermarket decal sheet untill I read a review of the kit decals.  I believe I will use them now.  I should have it by this friday   

[Lee_K]

I know the modeler of the F-16A, Mark Mirando.  Small world...

The Kinetic block 40 F-16C kit has a very nice ordnance selection, much better than Hasegawa and Tamiya.  The knock from Viper purists is that the nose is a little droopy and they don't like the Trumpeter/Dragon/Hobby Boss/Kinetic practice of providing hundreds of divots on the surface to represent the flush rivets on the real thing.  Personally, I don't mind too much about the nose and the divots are a matter of taste.  Ben eliminated them on his 1/32 F-100 by filling every single one -- a tedious task.  If they don't bother you, then the Kinetic kit would be fine.

Lee K

[Steve C.]

Yes I plan to build in 1/48th. After reading your replies, which I thank you very much for, I now would prefer doing an "A" from the 174Th TFW.  Check out NY ANG F-16... http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Contests/001-100/011-020/011_48-Jet_F-16/Contest011.htm
The trick will be finding the kit and the decals.  If I were to build a "C" is the Kinetic "Block 40" an OK choice?

Steve

[Bill L2]

As Lee stated above the 1/32 Tamiya F-16 CJ and 1/48 scale A model are the best kits out there for the aircraft. I have built both the 1/32 CJ "Bigmouth" and 1/48 A model Academy F-16 kits. The 1/32 scale is a good to decent kit with great weapons sprues, but ready yourself for a long build. The 1/48 Academy not so much. Fit issues and a host of problems just make this kit a hard one to build. I would go with the Tamiya kits which build right out of the box into beautiful models with little or no aftermarket required. Have fun and I cant wait to see your finished viper.

[Lee_K]

Steve,

I'm assuming you are building in 1/48 scale.  249 F-16s were deployed in Desert Storm, most of them being F-16Cs, but there were also two Air National Guard squadrons that flew older F-16As.  The F-16Cs were either block 30 or block 40 aircraft, meaning they had the larger air intake, General Electric F110 engine, and more exhaust petals than the Pratt and Whitney F100 engines.  The fundamental problem is that the Academy kit is a block 32 F-16C, which means it has a smaller air intake, Pratt and Whitney F100 engine, and exhaust with fewer petals.  I don't believe any block 32 aircraft were deployed in Desert Storm.

Since the release of the Tamiya kit, all F-16C kits in 1/48 have taken a back seat.  Prior to that, the standard recommendation in this scale was the very affordable Hasegawa series.  The Academy kits ran a distant third of fourth.  Decals for the instrument panel and side consoles don't look too good in this scale.  Fit has been complained about by modelers who have built it and the canopy doesn't have the proper cross-section that the Hasegawa kits provide. Lastly, the armament provided in the Academy kt doesn't include the chin LANTIRN pods seen on 72 of the Vipers in DS.

Will it look like an F-16C when done? Sure.  Will you be chastised by others for making a block 32 aircraft with block 30 or 40 markings (I'm assuming you have aftermarket)?  Doubtful.  F-16s are about as confusing as Bf 109s or Spitfires and it's hard to keep up with all this stuff.  I say just build it like you want and be happy.  If you can find an inexpensive Hasegawa F-16CJ kit, even better.

Lee K

[Steve C.]

Hi Everyone,

I would like to build a Desert Storm F-16C or a Viper using the Academy kit.  Any advice or suggestions would be more then welcome.  Is the Academy kit worthwhile?

Thanks, 
Steve