MARTINS F16

[martin57]

GOT this in the post today, so i can now join in on this sig .



liked the decals on this one , that is what impressed me .
now the sprue shots .



tinted canopy .



decals are very nice







and this is the one i will be doing .



Building this with no extras ,hopefully start in a day or two, just need to get a bit farther on with the mig 21 .

[Smiffy]

I do like that BAF anniversary scheme with the Spitfire. Anything with a Spitfire is always good in my book.

[kiwigav]

Nice looking kit - good to see that one built up

[MarkVerploeg]

Looks like a nice kit
i think it is the same styrene as i had with my build
but that version with the Spitfire on the back looks nice
But i think a decals that big can be a bit difficult to put on
good luck with the build

[rwsmith14]

Love the scheme !!!

[martin57]

Looks like a nice kit
i think it is the same styrene as i had with my build
but that version with the Spitfire on the back looks nice
But i think a decals that big can be a bit difficult to put on
good luck with the build

YES MARK it is the same kit just diffrent decals , should be good for a laugh .

[martin57]

Well here we go on another mission.
started this one by doing some sub assembly, and laid down some primer,



Then gave them the base coats , i am not sure yet weather i am doing a wheels up version or wheels down, ,so i painted the pilot just incase.



decals on and pilot painted same as the seat .




that its from me today thanks for coming

[MarkVerploeg]

Looks like a nice kit
i think it is the same styrene as i had with my build
but that version with the Spitfire on the back looks nice
But i think a decals that big can be a bit difficult to put on
good luck with the build

YES MARK it is the same kit just diffrent decals , should be good for a laugh .

Then it isn't so bad
i only had to fill a few spots but nothing big , around the gun port was 1 of them

[martin57]

Hi all got a bit more done today.
finished the cockpit tub .



Then moved on to fixing the fuserlarge together, had a bit of a job lining it all up but got there in the end .



put the tail section on and painted the can.
one thing i am not to happy with is the very thin and delect prongs that stick out of the wings and tail fins , have to keep reminding myself
when i am handling it to be careful .




Then just as a pre caution i traced out the large decal , just in case it went tits up whilst putting it on , so i can at least use it as a mask and spray paint
it on .





Well thats it for this update , thanks for coming .

[gaz45]

Nice job there mate so far

[Sturm]

Great so far!

[martin57]

HI all , have not posted on this one for a while , mainly because there was no point posting every day when all i have done is base coat let it dry then gloss coat let it dry then decals let it dry then another gloss coat ,so i have left this post till now to show you it all at once.

first some history .

The F-16 is a single-engine, highly maneuverable, supersonic, multi-role tactical fighter aircraft; it was designed to be a cost-effective combat "workhorse" that can perform various missions and maintain around-the-clock readiness. It is much smaller and lighter than predecessors, but uses advanced aerodynamics and avionics, including the first use of a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire (RSS/FBW) flight control system, to achieve enhanced maneuver performance. Highly nimble, the F-16 was the first fighter aircraft purpose-built to pull 9-g maneuvers and can reach a maximum speed of over Mach 2. Innovations include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick, and reclined seat to reduce g-force effects on the pilot. It is armed with an internal M61 Vulcan cannon in the left wing root and has multiple locations for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing power to climb and accelerate vertically.[2]

The F-16 was designed to be relatively inexpensive to build and simpler to maintain than earlier-generation fighters. The airframe is built with about 80% aviation-grade aluminum alloys, 8% steel, 3% composites, and 1.5% titanium. The leading-edge flaps, stabilators, and ventral fins make use of bonded aluminum honeycomb structures and graphite epoxy lamination coatings. The number of lubrication points, fuel line connections, and replaceable modules is significantly lower than predecessors; 80% of access panels can be accessed without stands.[39] The air intake was placed so it was rearward of the nose but forward enough to minimize air flow losses and reduce aerodynamic drag.[59]

Although the LWF program called for a structural life of 4,000 flight hours, capable of achieving 7.33 g with 80% internal fuel; GD's engineers decided to design the F-16's airframe life for 8,000 hours and for 9-g maneuvers on full internal fuel. This proved advantageous when the aircraft's mission changed from solely air-to-air combat to multi-role operations. Changes in operational use and additional systems have increased weight, necessitating multiple structural strengthening programs.[60]

ALL primed and ready for the base coat , after a light sanding .



top coat finished , and masking removed , not to bad a finish , light grey under side , mid grey upper side .



Armament[edit]
Early F-16s could be armed with up to six AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking short-range air-to-air missiles (AAM) by employing rail launchers on each wingtip, as well as radar guided AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range AAMs in a weapons mix. More recent versions support the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The aircraft can carry various other AAMs, a wide variety of air-to-ground missiles, rockets or bombs; electronic countermeasures (ECM), navigation, targeting or weapons pods; and fuel tanks on 9 hardpoints – six under the wings, two on wingtips, and one under the fuselage. Two other locations under the fuselage are available for sensor or radar pods.[64] The F-16 carries a 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan cannon for close range aerial combat and strafing.

THEN moved on to a gloss coat , and started the decals ,
the main decal was big ,and i must admit i was a bit scared of doing this , but kick myself up the backside and got on with it .
micro set and sol at the ready.

And here you go , did not go to bad, some dodgy moments trying to line it up .
left it over night to let the micro sol do its job .



Cockpit and ergonomics[edit]
Cramped cockpit of jet trainer, showing dials and instruments
F-16 ground trainer cockpit (F-16 MLU)
A key feature of the F-16's cockpit is the exceptional field of view. The single-piece, bird-proof polycarbonate bubble canopy provides 360° all-round visibility, with a 40° look-down angle over the side of the aircraft, and 15° down over the nose (compared to the common 12–13° of preceding aircraft); the pilot's seat is elevated for this purpose. Furthermore, the F-16's canopy lacks the forward bow frame found on many fighters, which is an obstruction to a pilot's forward vision.[39][75] The F-16's ACES II zero/zero ejection seat is reclined at an unusual tilt-back angle of 30°; most fighters have a tilted seat at 13–15°. The tilted seat can accommodate taller pilots and increases G-force tolerance; however it has been associated with reports of neck ache, possibly caused by incorrect head-rest usage.[76] Subsequent U.S. fighters have adopted more modest tilt-back angles of 20°.[39][77] Due to the seat angle and the canopy's thickness, the ejection seat lacks canopy-breakers for emergency egress; instead the entire canopy is jettisoned prior to the seat's rocket firing.[78]

The pilot flies primarily by means of an armrest-mounted side-stick controller (instead of a traditional center-mounted stick) and an engine throttle; conventional rudder pedals are also employed. To enhance the pilot's degree of control of the aircraft during high-g combat maneuvers, various switches and function controls were moved to centralised "hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS)" controls upon both the controllers and the throttle. Hand pressure on the side-stick controller is transmitted by electrical signals via the FBW system to adjust various flight control surfaces to maneuver the F-16. Originally the side-stick controller was non-moving, but this proved uncomfortable and difficult for pilots to adjust to, sometimes resulting in a tendency to "over-rotate" during takeoffs, so the control stick was given a small amount of "play". Since introduction on the F-16, HOTAS controls have become a standard feature on modern fighters.[79]


A F-16 from the 18th Aggressor Sqdn. takes off from Eielson Air Force Base
The F-16 has a head-up display (HUD), which projects visual flight and combat information in front of the pilot without obstructing the view; being able to keep his head "out of the cockpit" improves a pilot's situation awareness.[80] Further flight and systems information are displayed on multi-function displays (MFD). The left-hand MFD is the primary flight display (PFD), typically showing radar and moving-maps; the right-hand MFD is the system display (SD), presenting information about the engine, landing gear, slat and flap settings, and fuel and weapons status. Initially, the F-16A/B had monochrome cathode ray tube (CRT) displays; replaced by color liquid-crystal displays on the Block 50/52.[39][81] The MLU introduced compatibility with night-vision goggles (NVG). The Boeing Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) is available from Block 40 onwards, for targeting based on where the pilot's head faces, unrestricted by the HUD, using high-off-boresight missiles like the AIM-9X.[82]

SO came back next day and finished the underside . just leaving all the small stuff to do at the end .



all the smalls done , just the fuel tanks and rockets to finish.



Propulsion[edit]
View of engine exhaust nozzle as two maintenance crew inspecting and repairing an F-16 engine at night
Mechanics actuating an F-16 exhaust nozzle.
The initial powerplant selected for the single-engined F-16 was the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 afterburning turbofan, a modified version of the F-15's F100-PW-100, rated at 23,830 lbf (106.0 kN) thrust. During testing, the engine was found to be prone to compressor stalls and "rollbacks," wherein the engine's thrust would spontaneously reduce to idle. Until resolved, the Air Force ordered F-16s to be operated within "dead-stick landing" distance of its bases.[86] It was the standard F-16 engine through the Block 25, except for new-build Block 15s with the Operational Capability Upgrade (OCU). The OCU introduced the 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN) F100-PW-220, later installed on Block 32 and 42 aircraft: the main advance being a Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) unit, which improved reliability and reduced stall occurrence. Beginning production in 1988, the "-220" also supplanted the F-15's "-100", for commonality. Many of the "-220" engines on Block 25 and later aircraft were upgraded from 1997 onwards to the "-220E" standard, which enhanced reliability and maintainability; unscheduled engine removals were reduced by 35%.[87][88]

The F100-PW-220/220E was the result of the USAF's Alternate Fighter Engine (AFE) program (colloquially known as "the Great Engine War"), which also saw the entry of General Electric as an F-16 engine provider. Its F110-GE-100 turbofan was limited by the original inlet to thrust of 25,735 lbf (114.5 kN), the Modular Common Inlet Duct allowed the F110 to achieve its maximum thrust of 28,984 lbf (128.9 kN). (To distinguish between aircraft equipped with these two engines and inlets, from the Block 30 series on, blocks ending in "0" (e.g., Block 30) are powered by GE, and blocks ending in "2" (e.g., Block 32) are fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines.)[87][89]

The Increased Performance Engine (IPE) program led to the 29,588 lbf (131.6 kN) F110-GE-129 on the Block 50 and 29,160 lbf (129.4 kN) F100-PW-229 on the Block 52. F-16s began flying with these IPE engines in the early 1990s. Altogether, of the 1,446 F-16C/Ds ordered by the USAF, 556 were fitted with F100-series engines and 890 with F110s.[39] The United Arab Emirates’ Block 60 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan with a maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (144.6 kN), the highest thrust engine developed for the F-16.[90][91]

Gloss coated again, tanks and rockets fitted .



ready for a slight light wash .



THANKS for coming , hopefully the next update will be the last before the reveil .

[martin57]

Just the last 2 pictures , before the finish.
gave it a light wash of the old U M P dark dirt , not to heavy .
And found an old stand and painted it blue , and thats it done .





came out not to bad.
Now if you would like to follow me and come and see the final revel