1/32 Academy F-16CJ

by Keith Money

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After giving up modelling for a couple of years I decided to take it up again and build Academy's F-16CG/CJ kit in 1/32nd scale.  This kit has a few faults, but then so does the Tamiya offering which is much more expensive.   It is however a good foundation for a super-detailing project.  Using DACO's excellent 'Uncovering the F-16' book, my other F-16 books, the Internet, lots of plastic card, and a good deal of patience mixed with super-glue.

NEW PAINTS

I went to Hannants with Ted Taylor and Peter Quinn recently and Ted recommended the Xtraacrylic range of paints.  Previous to this I had never really used acrylic paints - only Humbrol enamels.  However Ted gave the paints a 'big thumbs up' so I bought the colours required.  It took me over 2 hours to spray the base coat of grey!  I went round to Ted's (The modelling Guru), it proved fruitfull - my new double action airbrush had a fine needle and head assembly, Doh!  No wonder I needed to really thin the paint.  Even so, the results with the Xtraacrylic paints were so good - I am now a convert to them.  All my enamels are now in a box under the workbench.  I also used the range of acrylic paints by Games Workshop (Warhammer figures).  These are great for brush painting and dry within minutes.  Come to think of it I do not know how I managed with enamels having to wait so long for them to dry. 

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

During the building of the kit things kept breaking off, on one occasion I was just about to glue in the throttle all nicely painted when it pinged out of the tweezers and hit my box of wires and tapes.  This was the last that I ever saw of it.  I scoured the loft room for it, on my hands and knees like some crazed bloohound for days.  Do these parts that modelers lose end up in the same place where elephants go to die?  The new throttle is made from a carved piece of black sprue and plastic rod buttons.  The open panels and hatches are all scratchbuilt,  with new panels and doors being made from plastic card and secured with blue-tac.  This acted as a mask for the already painted equipment as well as providing a uniform coat of paint across the outer skin of the aircraft.

During the building of the kit things kept breaking off, on one occasion I was just about to glue in the throttle all nicely painted when it pinged out of the tweezers and hit my box of wires and tapes.  This was the last that I ever saw of it.  I scoured the loft room for it, on my hands and knees like some crazed bloohound for days.  Do these parts that modelers lose end up in the same place where elephants go to die?  The new throttle is made from a carved piece of black sprue and plastic rod buttons.  The open panels and hatches are all scratchbuilt,  with new panels and doors being made from plastic card and secured with blue-tac.  This acted as a mask for the already painted equipment as well as providing a uniform coat of paint across the outer skin of the aircraft.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The decals (AVI Print) were very good and thoroughly recommended; don't use Micro Set or Sol with them though, they are so thin that pure water is all they need.  It was also my first ever use of a canopy paint mask by Eduard... I am now a convert.  As for the Academy kit - I would definately build another one, I have even bought the decals ready for it from Twobobs.  The fit is pretty good, engraved panel lines, nice cockpit, lots of weapon choices and at the end of the day... it looks like an F-16.  The Academy decal sheet is also good, allowing for five different aircraft to be made.  Some of the kit options include the IFF antennas, small of big mouth intake, Pratt & Whitney or GE engine, CG or CJ HUD, LANTIRN or HTS pods.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The the next project is for the US Naval Aircraft SIG to keep Bill Allen happy, the Trumpeter A-7E Corsair.  It's already started but there are just so many parts; a far cry from some 30 years ago when I thought that an Airfix series 4 kit had too many parts. 

Keith

Photos and text © by Keith Money IPMS Hornchurch, UK