Lockheed-Martin F-16K NZ6525

[K5054NZ]

(From Pacific Wings, December 2006 issue)

More Than A Cricket: The F-16K Weta
Part one of a three-part series
Chris Hinch



After the assassination of Prime Minister Helen Clark on December 11 2001, her deputy Stephanie Lewis made clear the Labour Government's stance on defence: that New Zealand should strive to have an up-to-date combat force to be reckoned with. Clark's plans to retire the A-4K Skyhawk fleet was carried out, but not before an order was placed with Lockheed-Martin for 30 F-16K Fighting Falcons - something with the late leader had vetoed three years before.



The F-16K, developed from the YF-16CCV prototype, was ideal for the Kiwis due to its superb manouevrability and payload capacity. The Royal New Zealand Air Force would use the aircraft primarily as fighters, with a secondary ground-attack capacity. 75 Sqn would be re-equipped with the aircraft (18 examples), and 2 Sqn (based primarily at Nowra in Australia) would receive 12 examples. Rather than have the aircraft arrive by sea or air ferry, it was decided that Pacific Aerospace at Hamilton would licence-build the new aircraft.



The first five aircraft (serials NZ6500-04) were completed in March of 2002, and a ceremony was held at RNZAF Ohakea to retire the A-4Ks* and welcome the F-16Ks. Prime Minister Lewis christened the type "Weta", after the well-known giant native cricket (although since then it has received the unoffical nickname of "Catfish" and "Shark"). The remainder of the F-16K order was produced in batches of five airframes, the final examples concluding their test programme in early 2003.



The aircraft pictured here, NZ6525, took part in the Timor Campaign and also saw action in during the Fijian Emergency earlier this year, where her pilot (Flt. Lt. George Rawiri) claimed two People's Fijian Air Force F-5s destroyed. Today used primarily for CAPs around the sensitive Chatham Islands group, '25 is part of an operational detachment at RNZAF Woodbourne (along with five other F-16Ks).



Flown for John King's camera by Sqn. Ldr. John Lamont, '25 has seen some recent time over the frigid southern ocean patrolling a group of icebergs which have made their way up from Antarctica. Fearing Australian territorial claims, '25 and NZ6508 have made overflights of the icy flotilla, and thus far the Aussies have stayed away. The Weta has proven to be a fine replacement for the workhorse Skyhawk, and combat experience has proven its excellence. Long may the F-16K continue to safeguard our southern skies!




*14 Sqn's Aermacchi MB.339CB trainers were also retired, replaced with British Aerospace Hawk 200 aircraft. The surviving A-4 and Macchi fleet was sold to the Republic of Andorra Air Force, where they continue to serve today.



Next issue: A day in the life of the Weta workshop - we take an in-depth look at the maintenance and ground-based operations with 75 Sqn

[Rafael]

Extraordinary fotos, Zac, fingers included!!. Your camos are exquisite!!!

And I love the F-16!!    


Rafa

[B777LR]

Brillliiiiaaannnt!  

[Tophe]

These are beautiful pictures indeed, but this seems too real to be a model - very obviously, a giant is holding the poor F-16 with engine off...

[Brian da Basher]

Yowsa Zac another wonderful feat of modelling by our resident Kiwi genius! I love the camo paintwork on it and your treatment on the burner can is very realistic, absolutely pro-style! How did you do it? I'm thinking you used some sort of wash or dry-brush technique. Excellent work!

Brian da Basher

[cthulhu77]

would you please stop photoshopping in that giant hand? It really is distracting...

        Nice one Zach, very convincing indeed !

[seavixen]

Talking of Photoshopping!  



very nice build by the way!!

[ysi_maniac]

But to save in pilots trainig, these F-16K are remote controlled drones. Very interesting

Nice job really        

[Ollie]

Looking good Zac!

   

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

Coolisimo!!!

I really like that!! The scheme is amazing, and I really like your paintjob on the exhaust!!    

[philp]

Excuse me, wasn't this one still in the box earlier this week?
Awesome job.  

[Shasper]

Hobbits work fast when provided beer & smokes  

Shas B)

[cthulhu77]

I'll chime in on the photowork:

[AeroplaneDriver]

See guys, it's not that F-16s are boring, it's just that they need to be seen in something other than gray!

Luverly job Zac!!

 

[Svaz]

sweet.  

I often "play zoom" w/ uncompleted builds but I haven't been caught on film yet.  B)