1/48 Academy F-16C

Royal Barhain Air Force

by JochemP

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Greetings from Panama:

The Royal Barhain Air Force became the 15th customer of the viper in late 80's and the first customer in the Persian Gulf area, under the Peace Crown I program acquired 12 F-16C/D's Blk 40 (8 C's, 4 D's) Shortly after arrival of the first aircraft Iraq invaded Kuwait and RBAF prepared for combat.  Vipers started defensive operations on January 25th, 1991 and offensive ops the following day.

The kit is an Academy 1/48 F-16C blk 32 (Arkansas razorbacks, Vermont & RoKAF decals) modified to blk 40.  The decals came from Zotz 1/48 vivacious vipers #1, ( YES AT LAST! 25 aircraft possible) the kit went well, no big dramas, nothing more that some putty here and there. The weathering was made using watercolors and lots of patience. 

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The RBAF A2A configuration have AMRAAM capabilities, AIM-7 Sparrows and the faithful AIM-9L sidewinders, for A2G config have GBU-10/12 series plus AGM-65B/G TV/IR, MK82/83 series.

Under the Peace Crown II in 1998 the RBAF requested 10 more vipers, the regular production line of this blk had stopped in 1995, the vipers were supplanted by blk 50's.

The AMRAAMS came from the spares box, the AIM-9 from the kit, Last pic has the other vipers (FACH and Aeronautica Militare) flanking the Bahraini, seen not so many Bahraini vipers around, here's mine.

More exotic vipers will come, that's for sure.

JochemP

Photos and text © by JochemP