F-16X 'Advance' - FINISHED!

[craigdwpa]

It looks awesome it has given me several ideas for some F-16 kits i have! don't give up!!!

[silverwindblade]

Oh, I haven't given up on it - it's just finding the time at the moment!

[silverwindblade]

I finally found some time to actually get on with this, so here's some more updates!


I finally got the F-16 built up to this stage, and then decided to mod the avionics spine more than I did on the previous attempt. I extended it so that it snugs right up against the canopy, which meant I had to cut it in half (that razor saw was a worthwhile purchase!).
I added some plasticard in afterward as a structure to bulk out, rather than just having a mass of putty in there.


I let that cure overnight, and after copious sanding, I finally got it shaped, formed and smoothed into the right proportions to fit in with the spine - and I'm pleased with the result, too. I think with a bit of detailing, it'll blend in too.
After that, I added on the control surfaces (mostly scavenged from the previous attempt!), and braced them for the glue to set without too much drooping.
I also added on the intake on the bottom. This was a bit of a mare - while the rest of the kit is lovely, the intake was a mentally frustrating experience. Eventually I cracked it, but it's going to need some cleanup once the glue has dried.

This is my first Hasegawa kit, and I'm loving it so far. The detail is astounding, and the plastic is good quality too. The only worry is eliminating the panel lines by accident any time I have to sand something, as they're so fine. I think it might be worth investing in a scribing too soon!

I feel like I'm getting somewhere with this build now. Once this glue stage is dried, I'll be able to add a few more bits, and then it'll almost be ready for undercoat.

[DogfighterZen]

Looking good! 

[jsport]

looking greaat

[Captain Canada]

Very nice ! Always like to see the in-progress pics, get a few ideas. Those late model F-16s are huge !

[kerick]

The CFTs and fuselage spine look great!
I wonder how hard it would be to enlarge an F-16 sort of like the Super Bug.
Good Lord not another project idea.........

[Gondor]

The CFTs and fuselage spine look great!
I wonder how hard it would be to enlarge an F-16 sort of like the Super Bug.
Good Lord not another project idea.........

Try a Mitsubishi F-2 and make it look like this with the option of making an F-16 look like a Mitsubishi F-2.

Gondor

[kerick]

The CFTs and fuselage spine look great!
I wonder how hard it would be to enlarge an F-16 sort of like the Super Bug.
Good Lord not another project idea.........

Try a Mitsubishi F-2 and make it look like this with the option of making an F-16 look like a Mitsubishi F-2.

Gondor

The F-2 occurred to me not long after I wrote the above post. To make it look different from the standard F-16 and the F-2 I would have to go even bigger, maybe twin engine. We shall see what happens.

[Sauragnmon]

If you go into a two-engine design, you might want to step down on engine size, opting for F-414's like a superbug.  You'd still have the lines of the 16 for the most part, and the single tail, which would still make it quite different.  Two of the original engines, and you're getting into something big like an F-15's bracket... not that the principle couldn't be quite cool like that.  Extrapolate the wings to a certain length, expand the elevators, lengthen and widen the fuselage... you might consider some form of stinger under the tail so you can keep the same kind of lines along the aft fuselage without having to consider too much resculpting of the design.  Could be challenging, but very cool to see it pulled off I will have to add.


Sorry to threadjack, but it's kind of an abstract idea, so you could consider it potential inspiration for another idea as well.

[kerick]

I have far too many ideas and not nearly enough time to do them. The ideas are like an avalanche and the building is like a glacier. That's the hazard of this site. So many cool creative things going on!

BTW, looking forward to more F-16X!

[silverwindblade]

If I had to start over, I probably would've used an F-2, if only for the larger wing. That said, I love the way it's going so far.
I have a free weekend as of tomorrow, so I'll be doing some more work on this beast. Good to know people are enjoying it. More photos will be coming up!

[kerick]

If I had to start over, I probably would've used an F-2, if only for the larger wing. That said, I love the way it's going so far.
I have a free weekend as of tomorrow, so I'll be doing some more work on this beast. Good to know people are enjoying it. More photos will be coming up!

Looking forward to it!

[silverwindblade]

So, I got a lot more work done on this beast!



I've sanded everything down to smooth - which took a lot of work, and a lot of clearing up sanding dust afterward...! - and the spine looks great, now. I'm sure once I've scribed a couple of lines and added on some greebles, it'll blend in perfectly.
I've also added on the winglets, wingtip-ish missile rails, and the altered tail arrangement too.


I think all I need to do before I undercoat is add on any other major pieces and antennae. I'll leave attaching pylons and landing gear until after the undercoat has been applied. I've got a couple of ideas for a loadout - HARMs are going on for sure, along with some form of LGB, I think.
I'm not sure about the colour scheme - I'm thinking of a variant on an aggressor scheme, or a Ferris scheme.

[PR19_Kit]

Nothing like adding a few greebles to improve a model.