1/72 Academy Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 40 Barak

Gallery Article by Jean-Charles GODDET on Apr 26 2012

  Israel Independence Day 

 

 

    I tried to do my best to transform a 1/72 ACADEMY F-16CJ box 12415 with a WOLFPACK conversion set for Israeli F-16C block 40 Barak.  I decided to do the plane number 554 from the first fighter squadron based at Hatzor AB in 2010.  This squadron was the only squadron from the Israeli Air Force to have a mix of F-16C and F-16D block30/40.  It seems now to be only constitued with F-16C block 40.  As all Israeli squadrons information is not easy to find, I used Isradecal Publications and the internet to find real pictures  (I found 1st fighter squadrons plane numbers 502,506,511,516,520,523,525,534,539,546,551,554). I used Sky's decals stencils SD-32/33/36/37/38/39 which covers F-16A/B/C/D/I squadrons in 2008. The resin parts Wolfpack conversion kit 72016 enhance this model with nose cone, specific ECM antenna, cooling intake, LAU-3 launchers and fuel tank pylones, nozzle and engine, dragchute housing and pitot tube. For memory the specific external parts differences between block 40 and block 30 are undercarriage, main wheel hub, lights on the nose gear bay door, cooler intake, ECM antenna under air intake, four box like removed antennas around the engine nacelle and six chaff/flare dispensers.

    The 3 colors israeli upper camouflage is standard for the F-16C : FS30219 Gunze acrylic Brown H310, FS33531 Gunze acrylic Desert H313, FS34424 Humbrol Green 90+31 (90%/10%). The lower camouflage is FS36375 Grey MrColor H308. I enhanced the model with a light weathering.

 

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    I built my model in full load mission with two external tanks under wings plus a centerline tank. I added armament from SKUNKMODELS IDF weapons set two Rafael Spice air to ground guided missiles, two Python 4 air-air missiles, and at the end of wings two AIM-9M Sidewinder from the kit. I also used a pave penny laser tracker pod from the WOLFPACK set which is not very common nowadays on these planes.

It was a pleasure for me to do this model.  I think now this kit is the best at this scale, better detailed than the Hasegawa kit that I know very well.  I hope you will like my pictures particularly the one with my Israeli planes family (F-16C, F-16I, F-15I). The old pilot skull winged insignia is really nice.

Jean-Charles GODDET  :-)

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Photos and text © by Jean-Charles GODDET