Lockheed Martin F-16W - FINISHED - PAG.13

[NARSES2]

but going by the way my plans normally (don't) work...

Oh, it's not just mine then   

[DogfighterZen]

Been slowly working on this... mainly ordnance... The attack squadron AIM-9X resin missiles were discarded because IMO, the detail isn't worth the work needed to get them looking good, the detail is soft and oversized so Hasegawa weapons sets to the rescue.
What i did end up using from Attack Squadron were the AGM-84H/K SLAM/ER, these are much better and just what i needed for a modern loadout.
Also dug up another Hase weapons set for a pair of AGM-154A JSOW to seal the deal so, this means that if it gets a drop tank, it'll only be the centerline one but i'm still undecided about that.



Also got around to the pit, replaced the election seat's pitot tubes and got the HUD on.

but going by the way my plans normally (don't) work...

Oh, it's not just mine then   

No, as is obvious, mine almost never work so you're definitely not alone... 

[Tophe]

So, i'm going to build my 3rd twin tail Viper!
This time it's another single seat variant and i'll be using a 1/72 Hasegawa kit again, the F-16E Block 60 kit has lots of goodies that i wanna use on this one and they'll make it look fairly different from the first single seat variant.

This topis started a long time ago, I hope completion is in a near future now.  

[DogfighterZen]

Indeed it has been too long, unfortunately i have too much to do and not enough time to do it but, I'm trying. 

[Tophe]

Thanks for this trying. We are interested indeed.

[DogfighterZen]

Ok, so for those of you interested, almost 3 years after construction began , the F-16W #2 is ready to go into the paint shop...



The scheme will probably disappoint some but i like boring monotone grey schemes and i simply love the Have Glass V scheme so i bought AK's Real colors Have Glass paint for this project last year and i'll finally get to use it. 
Still not sure if i'll put the centreline drop tank on but it can be added later so i'll decide after i get the ordnance shown in the pic and the landing gear all attached.

 

[Tophe]

The scheme will probably disappoint some but i like boring monotone grey schemes

According to me, a palin colour is not boring but helping to concentrate one's admiration on shape of the model, here with the double fin, very nice...
(almost all the models I make are plain sky blue, mine are not wonderful models but inventive I hope and the paint is not the important part)

[diegoepoimaria]

Very cool Viper!
An amazing job!


Can I ask about how did you choose the weapons configuration ?
I mean, was it just an "I like it" or there was some backstory behind it ?

I'm asking mainly because I'm always asking the same question to myself: how to arm my little planes. Before it was for the real ones, then for the what if ones ( lots started, many more buyed, very few completed   ) ... but I've discovered that I need some sort of story behind, to be bale to end up with something that I like.

[DogfighterZen]

According to me, a palin colour is not boring but helping to concentrate one's admiration on shape of the model, here with the double fin, very nice...
(almost all the models I make are plain sky blue, mine are not wonderful models but inventive I hope and the paint is not the important part)

And shapes are indeed my real focus with this one.   

Very cool Viper!
An amazing job!


Can I ask about how did you choose the weapons configuration ?
I mean, was it just an "I like it" or there was some backstory behind it ?

I'm asking mainly because I'm always asking the same question to myself: how to arm my little planes. Before it was for the real ones, then for the what if ones ( lots started, many more buyed, very few completed   ) ... but I've discovered that I need some sort of story behind, to be bale to end up with something that I like.

Thanks, Diego! Glad you like my Viper! 
Well, loadouts and schemes, two things that always get me stalled during a few days, at least... regarding the loadout choice, I guess that i normally go for something suitable for the aircraft's intended role/mission and i try to keep things plausible. My advice would be that if you want something realistic, look for what was used at the time on the aircraft and by the country operating it both in training/peace time operations or real combat loadouts. If you don't care about that, just go for whatever feels and looks right. It's your model! Nobody can tell you not to have 10 amraams under a Viper's wing... or on top of it!   
There's also the scenario you imagine that can be something like a special operation that requires a certain type of bomb or whatever...
I believe it's Kit's 2nd whiffing rule that "you can always tweak the backstory to justify your build" or something like that...
I guess this Viper isn't very plausible but still, this is supposed to be a modern variant so i believe these weapons would be contemporary with the project as i'm placing this in the current decade... maybe even in the next 10 years?
This is the loadout represented in some of the digital artwork of the proposed F-16IN floating on the web.



My favorite type of aircraft weapons(after the cannons) are missiles or "Go get'em! sticks" as i like to call them...
I'm more into air combat than mud moving so i prefer those, even for surface targets but again. it depends on the role i'm imagining for what i'm building.
Anyway, i suck at making these decisions too. i always have several options in mind but always find it hard to decide. The weapons you see in that last pic weren't the first choice as i was originally thinking of 600 gallon drop tanks on the inboard pylons, the AGM-84H/K in the middle and the AIM-9X on the outboard underwing rail with AIM-120s on the wing tips but ended up switching the tanks for the JSOWs and moving the Slam-ERs inboard like on the F-16IN images.

 

[DogfighterZen]

So, the AK Have Glass was put aside... That paint looks nothing like the real thing... It's got a brownish tone and no metallic effect...maybe it's just me but what i see when i look at photos of real Vipers is a dark grey with a light metallic sheen...
I know, the real paint has an iridescent effect that looks different depending on the angle of the light reflecting off the painted surfaces and that iridescence doesn't show with this AK color...

So, back to mixing my own formula... This time I used a different metallic paint with finer pigment, the Citadel Game colors workshop Leadbelcher.
It's mixed with XF-24, thinned down with Mr.Color Levelling thinner and this time I mixed a full 10ml pot so i won't have to mix it again when i need it for some future project.
 As with every paint mix i've done so far, this mix isn't an exact match for the real Have Glass, it's just similar as it came out a bit darker and i may still try to lighten it up a bit but, the F-16W has already been sprayed with it and i also sprayed some XF-19 light grey on the radome, wingtip missile rails and intake lip.
I'll try to get some pics up tonight.

 

[NARSES2]

I like some of the Citadel Games Workshop metallic colours, but they can be a little temperamental when brush painting. Favourite for metallic colours/brush painting are the old Humbrol Metal Cotes and I was able to get some replenishments at the London Model Show in December 

[DogfighterZen]

I've never tried those Humbrol colors and i imagine they're not easy to find, are they?
I also like Vallejo's metal colors and they do have fine pigments and will probably be my next choice for these mixes.

[DogfighterZen]

The photo doesn't really show the effect of the paint but i'm satisfied with the color, although in reality it's a bit darker than in the photo.



To delay things a bit, seems like i didn't clean the model well enough and some paint came of with the masking tape on the nose...
So, i'll have to sand and respray the XF-19 light grey but i also have to do that for the exterior of the intake lip, after i spray some more of the HG mix on the DSI's bump, it needs another coat on the interior.
This DSI is much more complex to mask and paint than the normal D shaped intake as it's hard to spray in there without pooling the paint on the lip of the intake and/or cause the paint to creep under the masking tape.
We'll see how that goes... soon, i hope...

[Wardukw]

Still mate least your moving forward and not moving backwards...we all know how annoying moving backwards on a build can be...for all of us it's the classic..been there..done that .
I'm seriously getting impatient waiting for this Doggy mate..it's gonna be so cool when it's done 

[DogfighterZen]

Still mate least your moving forward and not moving backwards...we all know how annoying moving backwards on a build can be...for all of us it's the classic..been there..done that .
I'm seriously getting impatient waiting for this Doggy mate..it's gonna be so cool when it's done 

Yeah, this was a case of two steps forward, one step back but, not a big deal.
And believe me, you're not more impatient than I am regarding this build...  
I am trying to do something on it every day but you know how it goes.
The deadline of the end of the current month so that gives me 14 days to get it finished. It'll be 3 years old in just a few weeks...