1/48 Tamiya F16C block 25/32

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 2:19 pm

Same kit I'm building! I've built the kit before. It goes together really well. Good luck!

Post by **Avgas** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 2:54 pm

Which one are you doing? Not decided but I think it'll be the one on the box top with the black tail. Looks cool.

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:19 pm

Actually I'm redoing this one...

http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =35&t=7767

I made some mistakes the first time around that I really wasn't happy with at all. I decided to start completely over and do it up right. Still waiting for the kit itself to arrive. I have the resin and the decals here already. The nice thing is I know what to expect this time 'round so hopefully it will go smoothly and end successfully!

If I were you, I would definitely upgrade the decals. Tamiya is a phenomenal model manufacturer but their decals really suck, and that was obvious with this particular kit...at least in my opinion. One of the mistakes I made on the first build was messing up some of the decals from the aftermarket set I purchased. I ended up having to use a few of the Tamiya-supplied ones and they looked horrible...WAY too thick, especially for the really small decals. I then purchased a couple more sets of the aftermarket ones anticipating another build.

Post by **Avgas** » Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:51 pm

I've not found Tam decals too bad in the past so we'll see how these go. Is that you next to the Stearman in your Avatar? Have a PPL but my medical is suspended at the moment because of some minor heart probs I've been having. Off to see the specialist next Friday so hopefully I can get my medical cat back.

Post by **Avgas** » Mon Jan 04, 2016 2:16 pm

Pics gone.

Post by **Nige201980** » Mon Jan 04, 2016 7:55 pm

Looking good buddy.

Post by **chief5437** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 1:20 am

I've just ordered the same kit for this gb! Nice work so far, I'll be following to get some tips! Good luck buddy

Post by **Avgas** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 1:27 am

Cheers guys, Chief it looks like it's going to fall together, I've heard it's a brilliant kit. The only thing I can see at the moment that's a downside are the seams on the canopy but that's not a big deal.

YouTube · Post by **Skullfish** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 1:43 am

Good luck with this build, seems a popular choice.
Jase

Post by **Navcom** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:09 pm

One of the best Viper kits out there! Nice job so far!

Post by **MarkVerploeg** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 12:12 pm

Looks good so far
have fun with the build

Post by **rwsmith14** » Tue Jan 12, 2016 12:23 am

Dave, I would recommend joining the Fwd and aft top fuselage pieces togther before attaching to the bottom fuselage. you can avoid allot of headaches with the seam if you do it that wa,y vice the way the instructions read.

also there are many holes to dril/tapl out on the fuselage and wings for air scoops and pylon etc.. pay close attention to the instructions for those.. they are easliy missed.

Post by **chief5437** » Tue Jan 12, 2016 12:30 am

rwsmith14 wrote:Dave, I would recommend joining the Fwd and aft top fuselage pieces togther before attaching to the bottom fuselage. you can avoid allot of headaches with the seam if you do it that wa,y vice the way the instructions read.

also there are many holes to dril/tapl out on the fuselage and wings for air scoops and pylon etc.. pay close attention to the instructions for those.. they are easliy missed.

I'm just about to start the same kit. Thanks for the warning buddy!

Post by **Avgas** » Tue Jan 12, 2016 7:49 am

Thanks for that RW, I'd already noted the drill holes, easy to miss!

Post by **Avgas** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:24 pm

Pics gone.

Post by **rwsmith14** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:28 pm

She's looking Good !!!!

Post by **Avgas** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 11:17 pm

Quick update after all my pics disappeared...

I'll plod on.

Got the main paint on. Not happy about the gray on the front, it looks more blue to me, it's supposed to be gunship gray. Might be the contrast between the dark gray of the main body. Bit of overspray to touch up.

Got the exhaust done and weathered.

Post by **rwsmith14** » Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:00 am

She's looking good!!

Post by **Avgas** » Sat Jan 30, 2016 10:22 pm

Thanks RW but I'm going to have to respray that front end a different colour, that gunship gray just doesn't look right. I think I'm going to do it Tam Neutral Gray. So, back on with the masking and it also means masking the canopy back up to get the proper fade on the rim. Deep joy.

Note to self: don't take the masking off until you've seen it in natural daylight.

Post by **Avgas** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 10:05 am

I think this looks better. I used XF82, looks far more grayer.

Post by **peppie** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:12 pm

Don't know what scheme you are going for, but it looks very dark

Post by **Avgas** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:26 pm

It's this 'un.

Post by **Avgas** » Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:10 pm

Peppie: took this photo in the sunshine, looks a lot lighter.

Getting on with the undercart. Got the grandson this week and he's building his first model (a Spit, natch) so my own progress is slow.

Post by **Avgas** » Wed Feb 03, 2016 8:36 pm

Undercart done. Complicated little beasty.

Post by **peppie** » Wed Feb 03, 2016 9:02 pm

You are right, it does look better in sunlight.
Looking great up to now

Post by **arilo76** » Thu Feb 04, 2016 5:32 am

Wow Nice Build really impressive mate

Post by **Avgas** » Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:58 pm

Thank you gentlemen.

Play stopped for lunch and the latest score is:

Decals are still shrivelling under their dose of Micro sol.

Post by **chief5437** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 2:04 am

Nice progress so far buddy. How did the spitfire go?

Post by **Avgas** » Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:08 am

Thanks Chief. Spit is ready for spraying although it's on hold at the minute as he's gone back home. It's hard to resist helping, I just watch and give advice. It will be his first time with the airbrush when we get round to it so that should be interesting! He's ten and this is his first shot at anything plastic, it brings back memories of sitting round the kitchen table in front of the fire with my Dad and sister when I was that age. I'm pretty sure my first model was an Airfix Spit too, two bob they cost, or 10p in new money.

Post by **ToddS** » Sun Feb 07, 2016 7:50 pm

Looking Very good..

I agree with your assessment of the landing gear being busy!! Trying to decide how to proceed with it in 1/72 scale myself. I think there are 14 parts to the mains and 5 to the nose. Gonna be interesting..

Post by **Avgas** » Mon Feb 08, 2016 7:52 pm

Thanks Todd. Got the Aqua Gloss on and bunging the decals on. I like doing the big ones that you can see but some of the stencils are just dots so I probably accidentally don't bother with those. Can't bloody see them anyway (well I can't). Managed to keep the radome off until I put the gloss coat on with the 'I'm not going to break the pitot probe off, oh no' line of thought which worked fine until I glued the radome on and literally the first thing I did afterwards was break the pitot probe off. Oh how I laughed.

Reattached with CA. If you forget it's an F16 for a minute is it just me who thinks it weirdly looks a bit like a Vulcan front end if you squint?

Post by **Navcom** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:28 pm

LOL! Broken pitot tubes...gotta luv 'em. If I designed the sprues for a/c models, I would create an entire section with nothing but extra pitot tubes.

Interestingly enough, I used to help design pitot tubes and pitot/static systems several years ago for one of the main aerospace manufacturers in the U.S. They could withstand the impact of a frozen turkey shot at them at 500kts in a wind tunnel.

Post by **Avgas** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 9:32 pm

Interestingly enough, I used to help design pitot tubes and pitot/static systems several years ago for one of the main aerospace manufacturers in the U.S. They could withstand the impact of a frozen turkey shot at them at 500kts in a wind tunnel.

There's a great tale about that. Rolls Royce had developed a new jet engine and it could withstand the impact of a chicken fired at the blades. The Americans tried it and it always broke the blades. Rolls Royce responded with 'Defrost the chicken first.'

Pitot static systems, spent 20 odd years in the RAF dealing with those!

Post by **Avgas** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:26 pm

Decalled up, waiting for the microsol to do it's stuff then will get the next gloss coat on and some weathering done.

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:26 pm

Looking good!

Post by **martin57** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 8:01 pm

sweet

looking mighty fine well done .

Post by **DBMiller** » Thu Feb 11, 2016 10:13 pm

Pretty!

Post by **Avgas** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:07 pm

Thanks chaps. Tried a pin wash on this one, first time I've tried it. Very subtle efffect, didn't use anything special, just some diluted oil.

Post by **Avgas** » Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:46 pm

Calling this one done. Pics on reveal page.