Various 1/72 Fighting Falcons

Gallery Article by Len Thomson

 

Here are a selection of F-16s in 1/72 scale. I build these models around 7 years ago. All have detailed cockpits, replacement ejection seats etc. A brief description of each is given below.

F-16A FA94, 31 Smaldeel, Belgian Air Force
This a Block 15 aircraft, as seen at the Tiger Meet, at the International Air Tattoo, Fairford, Gloucestershire in 1991. 

The model is the old Fujimi kit. This was of very good quality, apart from the fact that the cockpit could not be posed open. Therefore some cutting and filling had to be done. The model was finished in Xtracolour paints, the yellow being RAF Rescue Yellow. This seemed to give a better intensity of colour than the specified Insignia Yellow. Decals came with the kit and took a long time to apply.

 

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F-16A  FA94, 31 Smaldeel, Belgian Air Force F-16 ADF, 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard F-16C,  52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem 

F-16A J-004, 313 Squadron, Royal Netherlands Airforce
Yet another Tiger scheme seen at Fairford in 1991. This is the Hasegawa F-16A kit. In my mind, you can’t go far wrong with the Hasegawa F-16s in 1/72 scale (I understand that the Revell of Germany kit is pretty good, but haven’t yet checked it out myself). 

The cockpit needs a fair amount of work but is by no means beyond the capabilities of most. The replacement seat came from Verlinden, but the remainder of the cockpit was scratchbuilt . I also dropped the leading and trailing edge flaps. 

Finish was from Xtracolour, with the tail colours from Humbrol, and the decals came from a Fujimi kit.

F-16 ADF, 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard
This was the first F-16 I made. The kit is again the Hasegawa F-16A, with modifications to the tail for the ADF variant. This involved adding the bulge at the base of the tail from Miliput. The airbrakes were also opened and detailed. Cockpit detailed as before. Paint was from my usual source, Xtracoulour, and the markings were Superscale.

F-16C, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem 
Hasegawa, yet again, but the C variant. I also used the Airwaves resin “big mouth” intake, wide wheels and bulged gear doors. Finish was Xtracolour yet again, with decals coming from Xtradecals.

Len Thomson

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F-16A  J-004, 313 Squadron, Royal Netherlands Airforce

F-16C,  52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem 

 

      

Photos and text © by Len Thomson