1/72 Hasegawa F-16A

by Ömer Erkmen

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The PAF received 28 F-16As and 12 F-16Bs, permitting  the formation of three squadrons. No.11  Squadron Arrows at Sargodha acted as the F-16 OCU, and was  followed by Nos 9 Griffins and  14 Shaheens squadrons. No 14 Squadron is unique in being based at Kamra. Plans to acquire further F-16s were frustrated by a US arms embargo. They were delivered to navy  and air force aggressor units recently .

Pakistan's F-16 Block 15s have scored at least eight victories over Soviet and Afghan aircraft crossing the border. This F16A was  flown by Flight Lieutenant Khalid of No. 14 Squadron  when  he scored the third of his three aerial victories. He used an AIM-9L to pick off a single Afghan air force Su-22 (flown by a Cpt. Hashim) which failed to turn back over the border with the rest of his formation.

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I was so tired of seeing regular hill scheme, and I decided to start a new series of F16s having a camouflage rather than hill scheme. Pakistan's scheme was my first choice. After a long search I concluded that no company is producing decals for Pakistan. So I decided to make my own.

Hasegawa's  F16A kit was a excellent choice for 1/72 scale. Only addition is a True Details's resin seat . Construction was very easy went smooth without any modification.

Eye catching part is painting. The Pakistani aircraft have a unique camouflage with a central  band of gunship grey (36118) and small patches of the tailplanes, over medium grey (36270)

I start painting  with enamels. First, started with lightest shade of base color, and than continue painting with darker shades of the same color.  After drying, I have sanded the surface with ultra fine sandpaper (over 2000 grid), as you sand more, you reach different shade layers . After sanding, airbrushing panels with acrylic paints again. This time only for shading, around or in the middle of panels with various shades... After a gloss coat, I applied decals, and than heavy coat of matt coat, To emphasis panel
lines, I have used dry pastels with common wash style. Finally thin layer of flat coat for protecting dry pastels...

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Stencilling, serials, and tail flag is a custom made, and silk screen printed decals. Roundels and walkways on wings are paint job. For desired color finish it was much more better to work with paint. It is rather easy to make insignias (wing roundels) with airbrush, all you need is a couple of precisely prepared masks. First sprayed the larger circle, and placed the mask in to the middle of it and painted inner circle. Walkways were done by using 3M tape.

Ömer 
from TURKEY

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Photos and text © by Ömer Erkmen