1/72 Hasegawa Lockheed Martin F-16F block 60

Gallery Article by Jean-Charles GODDET on Feb 21 2012

 

 

    This model is a Hasegawa 1/72 F-16F block 60 from limited box 01930.  The United Arab Emirates is the first customer of this advanced version of the F-16, in fact the most modern viper on paper.  Based on block 50/52+ with conformal fuel tanks + AN/ASQ-28 IFTS internal FLIR and targeting system on the nose + AESA radar AN/APG-80 + specific ALQ-165 electronic countermeasures system in the spin, improved cockpit and armament.  The monoplace version is the F-16E, the UAEAF bought 80 jets from both version 55 F-16E and 25 F-16F two seaters.  I decided to show 1st squadron UAEAF plane with USAF serial number 00-3008 because UAE pilots were trained with Arizona 162FW Air National Guard at Tucson.  This special scheme was seen in 2005 but also in August 2009 at Nellis AFB for Red Flag exercise. The kit is from the box with no add-ons.  I followed HASEGAWA instructions regarding colors, the upper and lower camouflage is clear grey FS36495 Gunze acrylic H338, and grey FS36320 Gunze acrylic H307.  I added a light weathering on paint scheme due to sunny use condition.

 

Click on images below to see larger images

    To enhance the model I decided to show the model with an opened canopy.  I added armament from the box : two exercice AIM-120B AMRAAM air-air missiles, two exercice AIM-9M Sidewinder  air-air missiles, and two exercise GBU-31 JDAM GPS (bombs from aircraft weapons VII HASEGAWA). To show the maximal load I also added 3 external tanks + the conformal tanks CFTs.

To finish I hope you like my model and for history this kind of plane made operational combat start in Italy to help enforce the no fly-zone over Lybia during operation Odyssey Dawn/Unified protector in March 2011.  The only F-16F number 3004 (the five other jets sent were F-16E) missed the runway in Sardaignia and was badly damaged.

Jean-Charles GODDET

Click on images below to see larger images

 

      

Photos and text © by Jean-Charles GODDET