XD-F16

XD-F16

AMT/ERTL, 1/72

Being fictitious, this model really doesn't have a fantastic history, as would normally a what-if model. I suppose I built it with the intention of enjoying the modeling part of the hobby, not to conjure up a story. Nevertheless, as an author starts a story and the reader finishes it, I'll let the readers here enjoy their imaginations on what this aircraft might have been.

For the project I've chosen the 1/72 ERTL/AMT F-16A as the base kit. The kit was a beast to say the least, much like its F-15 cousin by the said company. The panel lines are finely recessed. Landing gears are quite nice them selves, though the wells are sparse. All external stores and hard points are best replaced including wingtip launchers. This goes for the exhaust as well, which in my copy was a short shot. The cockpit was a moot attempt. The plastic is somewhat soft, so careful attention is called for. If a modeller is to construct an actual F-16 out of this, much work will be required. Since I wasn't, it didn't really matter.

As apparent, the significant modification is the pilot-less drone cockpit. This was made by filling the canopy opening with plastic cards, superglue, milliput and finished with Surfacer. The pitot tube was taken from a 1/72 Hasegawa FSD F-18 release, modified slightly to a more desirable appearance. The cannon port on this model was removed and filled smooth. An elliptical antenna from the nose of a 1/48 F-18 placed on the aft Canopy piece finished the forward fuselage.

On the main fuselage, I've made two cylindrical antennas fore of the main wing root akin to ROCAF Ching-Kuo. Two smaller antennas on the back are painted grey. The fuselage was otherwise unmodified except the nozzle, which was taken from a 1/72 ERTL F-15 kit.

An intake cover was fashioned to hide the crude details within.

The main wings had their wingtip launchers removed and extended in width with plasticards. The horizontal stabilizers and ventral strakes were scratch built to a slight different configuration than the F-16. The vertical stabilizer had a grey protrusion installed on the leading edge as a camera device. A second camera device may be found under the intake.

The undercarriage was constructed as per kit instructions, though the door actuators were left off. Drop tank was constructed out of the kit parts, heavily modified to a more acceptable shape. The two under wing pylons were fashioned out of 1/72 F-14 Phoenix shoulder launchers cut short, with sway braces from a 1/48 F-18 kit. The black ECM gear under the port wing was modified from stores in the spares bin. The cruise missile and its adaptor on the starboard wing were also scratch built.

The paint scheme was the most interesting part of the ordeal. It is purely fictitious, designed by yours truly. I've wanted something eccentric, not the ubiquitous grey that dominates contemporary jets. Scale diagrams of the model were made and used to test various paint schemes. This was the result. Being a test aircraft, it has all its trademarks; pitot tube, day glow tanks, and XT markings, perhaps the scheme was even evaluational. Paint application was freehanded with a Badger 150 airbrush equipped with a fine spraying tip. Paints used were Tamiya and Gunze acrylics thinned down with approx 70-80% Isopropyl Alcohol. Decals were sporadic from the spares box.

It was an enjoyable build that ended up a unique and contrasting subject on my display shelf.

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Page created May 9, 2003