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Test Viper: 1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon

This is a very early Fighting Falcon kit introduced even before the aircraft was in active service. The 1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon was released in 1976 while the Falcon was still a pre-production "YF-16" Falcon.


1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon

Notable Kit Features:


  • Simple low-parts count kit

  • Very basic cockpit for Monogram with decals for instruments detail

  • Early SIIIS ejection seat (not used on production F-16s)

  • Wings and horizontal stabs are molded as part of the top fuselage

  • Early front gear style (not used on production F-16s)

  • Split front gear door (not used on production F-16s)

  • Triple-fin 300-gallon fuel tanks (not used on production F-16s) Note: tanks are on a weapons style pylon instead of a fuel pylon

  • Raised panel line details

  • Nicely done open or closed canopy option


1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon

Build Inspiration:


I had originally constructed this 1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon as the number two prototype in a sky-blue and white camouflage scheme used during testing. A few years afterwards I changed this scheme (as I hadn't done that well painting and decaling it) to a production aircraft used by the 159 TFW based in Jacksonville Florida around the time they were deployed to fight in the 1991 Iraq War. Unfortunately I didn't really do much better with the paint scheme the second time around either. (I kinda miss the original scheme now.)


YF-16 Fighting Falcon Prototype 2

Heads-Up Report:


  • This kit was designed as a pre-production aircraft prior to many of the actual details being publicly available. Unless you intended to build a prototype aircraft this wasn't the kit you wanted

  • No cockpit detail to speak of (not even the side-stick which is molded as part of the pilot)

  • Take care with the intake to get everything as smooth as possible although some sanding and filling is still required (Get the centre vane lined up straight as well)

  • Horizontal stabs are molded as part of the top fuselage so they are not "positionable"

  • Vertical tail as well as underwing seams will need some filler

  • Exhaust area will require some sanding and a bit of filler to smooth things out

  • Raised panel line details

  • The nose profile and fairing at the vertical fin are more representative of the later airframes


1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon

Kit Additions / Modifications:


  • Built out-of-the-box closing up the gear to get around a bit of the "prototype look"

  • Used third-party decals (Microscale?)


Finishing:


The second time around paint scheme for this aircraft was the typical F-16A Grays finish FS 36118 / FS 36270 over FS 36375 with a FS 36320 nose. I pondered, can I do the gunship gray paint free hand... not really (with the airbrush and tip I was using then) was the after effect answer, however I plodded forward with the finish in mind. Apparently I also lost the pitot tube somewhere in the mix too.


1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon

The After-Build Report:


Monogram had produced several very nice jets in their line-up, however this isn't one of them... If you really want a YF-16 there aren't many choices so this may be an option for you. If not look elsewhere in the plethora of Viper kits available. I personally like the 1/48th Tamiya F-16C variant however have build a few of the 1/48th Hasegawa kits as well.


1/48th Monogram F-16 Falcon

Completed build #8 - June 1984 using the 1/48th scale Maker #5401 kit.

Repainted in April 1988 in a Gulf War Scheme


Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers


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