1/48 Tamiya F-16C - Washington Viper

Gallery Article by Andreas Gordes on Mar 31 2014

 

 

Tamiya kit # 61101

Part three about Tamiya’s F-16 releases likes to examine their 2nd boxing of a “Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 25/32 Fighting Falcon ANG”. This kit covers an early F-16C with the P&W F-100 engine. There are barely alternate parts with the exception of the vents typical for the Block 30 onwards aircraft and 2 sets of canopies (where one can be used as open and the other as closed option).

The difference to the other boxings are the external stores which are worth it to buy the kit. They come with just one sprue which is in darker color similar to FS 26118. That’s good because Tamiya provided a very detailed AAQ-28 Litening.

This pod can be turned in azimuth and elevation, so painting is impossible. Since they did not choose a vinyl socket solution like Hasegawa did with their AAQ-28, the head has to be glued in place. The lenses are convex instead to be flat. They are enclosed with every clear parts sprue of all Tamiya F-16 kits, so while collecting these the author had the chance to try different polarization effects. Best effect is clear hollow with black inner surface.

 

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Also with every clear sprue the seeker heads of the four GBU-12 are provided. These look really better than any other solution for this modeling challenge, so you can collect these as well for other glide bombs. Since they are not specific for the kit, they are missing on the picture with the additional parts/stores.

There we still find the MERs of course, but also 4 single carrier for stations 3 and 7. They are not mentioned in the instructions, but highly valuable for a single load up.

Unfortunately that’s it with the armament. Only options are two different Sidewinder types and the ALQ-184 vs. centerline tank (which again are in any Tamiya F-16 kit).

The particular aircraft shown is an early Block 30 A, so an F-110 nozzle from Aires and a fuselage adapter ring from another kit have been used to convert this model. Block 30 A had the Normal Shape (Shock?) Inlet duct. But also A had not the specific vents on the vert.stab. yet, however this aircraft had. As a new version, it was immediately transferred to Ramstein back in 1987 until the 526th TFS received the Block 40 we have seen in part two of this story. Afterwards this aircraft went to the DC ANG and received around 2000 this spectacular livery, one of the most beautiful color schemes.

Afterburner Decals revealed these in their ANG Viper Wing Kings Part I. Further 3rd party stuff has been used, but let’s look at it in part 4 of the story.

Author hopes that this was helpful and enjoy the pictures!

Andreas Gordes

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Photos and text © by Andreas Gordes