F/A-16W Block 70

[Rick Lowe]

Now that's a right purty Viper... 

[TheChronicOne]

 


That's gorgeous!!!  Great work and yup, YAY FOR COLORS! 

[Old Wombat]

Great job!

But how does the landing gear not collapse completely under the load?

[DogfighterZen]

Thank you, guys!
And you're right, Fred, colors are my friends! You guys get the credit for that, it looks great in the middle of all the grey jets i've built!



I'm not trying to become a master modeller, don't have the time for that, i just wanna have fun whiffing so, no more unfinished models, even if they're not as good as i could get them to be. But obviously, i do not want any sort of complaints so the audience has to be kept satisfied at all costs! It's the same with music gigs... 
Maybe with time and experience i'll get better but i'm having loads of fun and have been reasonably satisfied with the results i'm getting.
But don't get me wrong, i always to try to do better on each go...

Monogram's ancient 1/72 F-16XL also comes with a tinted canopy, though it's smoke-gray instead of gold or green and it's the single-seat version...
...One thing I certainly don't envy are the poor loaders who must fit the AMRAAM's in the missile wells without resorting to the removal of landing gear doors...

I knew about the Monogram XL's canopy and didn't mention it cause it's an OOP kit but it is smoke tinted indeed.



Re the Amraam loading, i guess it would be a bit cramped but i believe it could be done without having to remove any parts of the aircraft, the AIM-120 can be loaded without the fins and ground crews could install the top two that would go into the fuselage slots and then, assemble the rest of the fins when the missile is secure in the ejection launcher's sway braces. They even load the 120 without fins on the wingtip launchers so i believe it could be done this way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uxp82pPzfQ
But i admit it would be funny to see them on saw horses for that...

Great job!

But how does the landing gear not collapse completely under the load?

Not sure if you're referring to the model's gear or a real life version of it...    All i can say is that i left the gear alone to dry overnight to make sure it was all dry and solid when it came time to set it on it's wheels, guess it worked.

If you're referring to a real world version, i believe that it wouldn't collapse because of the loadout cause it can be carried by the real Viper.
The F-16I SUFA carries these missiles, both the Delilah and the Popeye. Normally carried on stations 3 and 7, with the larger 600 gal ext tanks on the inboard stations 4 and 6. In addition, carries the same air-to-air loadout, 2 Amraams and 2 short range missiles, either AIM-9 or Python 4/5.
Don't forget that the Raptor's wing composite tech is much more recent than the F-16's aluminium wings. Certainly, the total weight of wings, canards and respective fairings/actuators and an extra tail would be more than the normal wing, horizontal stabs and single tail but, i believe that it wouldn't be more than the weight carried by the F-16XL with a full loadout. The "heavy duty" main gear legs were used for the first time on the XL because of the weight increase and those larger LG legs have been adopted since the Block 40 F-16C/D so, the SUFA has the heavy gear.

Anyway, this is Whifland, ain't it? 

[Tophe]

The shape and paint of this model is wonderful  . I dislike weapons and military roundels, but that is just a problem of mine, like I feel uncomfortable with a Nazi plane somehow, even if beautiful, sorry.

[DogfighterZen]

The shape and paint of this model is wonderful  . I dislike weapons and military roundels, but that is just a problem of mine, like I feel uncomfortable with a Nazi plane somehow, even if beautiful, sorry.

Thank you, Tophe, and i understand that, i don't like death anymore than you do, believe me. But i do like the look of a fully loaded fighter jet, though.
I've started an unarmed whif plane in the one week build, if that's of any consolation...

[TheChronicOne]

     Television?!  Piss on that.....   got some models in there.   


Looks better that way! What a squadron! 

[DogfighterZen]

   Television?!  Piss on that.....   got some models in there.   


Looks better that way! What a squadron! 

Lol, although i have a TV in the main living room inside the house, i spend most of my spare time in the cave, which is where i have all my modelling related things, including the models, which are on some of my brother's old furniture. I did think of having a tv in the shed but i don't play video games or watch much tv so, model display shelf is much better. Gotta get some glass cut to size for shelves that will go over those to create a 2nd level for more parking space for finished models.There are a few more but as i was saying, i need more shelves...



And the Shelves of Doom...

[strobez]

First off, that was an amazing build.  As much as I love the just plain (plane?) crazy Whifs, I think the "reality upgraded" ones are my favourites. That just looks cool and I love the camouflage paint job.

I also loved seing the "shelf of doom".  What MiG kit is that and what's it doing on a shelf of doom!? It looks cool already.

Wouldn't a shelf of dooms group build be neat? Especially if you had to finish off a kit started and abandoned by someone else... 

[DogfighterZen]

Thank you, Greg!   
I also like the "reality upgraded" whifs the most, i think it's cool to maintain a touch of reality in the mix, but i'll take it all, even the wackiest!
The Migs are the 17 and 19 1/72 kits by ZTS Plastyk, i modified the intake of the 17, which was a 17PF to backdate it to F type intake, without the radar dome. They've been built when i got back into modelling and are pretty bad so were left behind cause i have enough new kits to build and there's always use for a paint job test subject, right? But i would enter any of those in a Shelf of doom GB.

[jsport]

That is gorgeous and insane. 

what he said

[chrisonord]

That is one uber cool piece of kit it really is. I am liking everything about this aircraft, and it deserves a whiffie to me.
Chris

[DogfighterZen]

Thanks, guys, glad you like it!
Seems like a lot of folks like it on the book, there's one what-if group into which i was accepted, and the admin liked it so much that he put it up as the page's temporary cover pic...   https://www.facebook.com/groups/369348123237269/
I like how it came out, i like the camo but i keep imagining this in the F-35 paint, Have glass type of scheme and it won't be long till i build another F-16 variant in a dark, metallic grey...

[TheChronicOne]

 

Believe it or not I have an all grey bird planned in the near future myself...    It's the old Hasegawa F-14A.  Jolly Rogers scheme with full weapons loadout and a basket full of PE parts. Then, of course, I have the F-16 type two tone grey scheme that I'm going to put on a P-51D.