Academy 1/48 F-16C Fighting Falcon



Academy 1/48 F-16C Fighting Falcon

“Flying Razorbacks”

#12204 MSRP $30.00

Available: MRC/Academy

Reviewed by James Kelley IPMS #42106

Part One: What’s in the box?

Background

One of the key factors in a modern combat aircraft is versatility. A plane able to serve in a variety of roles can reduce the overall cost of operations by limiting the number of components needed for maintenance. If one type plane can serve effectively in fighter, bomber or reconnaissance roles, that is one thing, but if it only requires the mounting of detachable pods or racks without changing the machine itself, you have a virtual one-plane air force. The nimble General Dynamics F-16 fighting Falcon is just that machine. Winner of a lightweight fighter competition in 1975, the F-16 has become one of the most successful combat planes in history.

It can carry more than thirty different types of offensive or defensive weapons and electronics pods in combinations weighing up to ten tons. It is permanently armed with a 20mm M61A rotary cannon located in the fuselage and usually carries a pair of AIM-9 sidewinder air to air missiles attached to its wingtips. The F-16 is one of the few post-Vietnam fighters to have engaged in combat, and it has proven to be as effective as it was intended.

One of the most notable uses of the little fighter was in the bombing attack on Iraq’s nuclear weapons plant, destroying the operation before it could become a force of destruction. The nimble maneuverability of the Fighting Falcon makes it the ideal mount for the famous US Air Force Thunderbird acrobatic demonstration team. At the peak of its performance it can exceed Mach 2, yet it can twist and turn so tightly it can turn inside many modern jet adversaries. This permits it to perform the spectacular maneuvers that excite the air show crowds. The effectiveness of this little fighter has led to its use by NATO forces alongside the larger F-15 Eagle. Besides the US Air Force and Navy, a dozen other countries operate the F-16.

The Kit

Hot on the heels of Tamiya’s new 1/32 Viper, and in prelude to Academy’s imminent release of a large-scale version to compete with Tamiya’s Block 50 kit, comes the re-release of their venerable 1/48 scale Viper. Included are new decals to represent 3 different aircraft (Arkansas ANG, 158th Fighter Wing 50th Anniversary bird, and a Republic of Korea Air Force Block 32A fighter.) The kit comes in a glossy, sturdy box typical of Academy’s products, and the box art is really stunning; 2 Arkansas “Razorbacks” banking steep right. There are 6 light gray and one clear part runners, totaling 111 parts. Ten of these are not used on any of the three aircraft.

All of the parts are very cleanly molded, and my sample had a small amount of thin flash present on several parts. The clear parts are very clear and free of any marring, and are packaged in their own separate bag. The other parts are molded with engraved panels and rivets, and as can be expected from Academy, the engraving is just perfect. Included also is a pilot, with helmet in place and ready for Combat Air Patrol. He kind of reminds me of a scaled-down version of the 1/32 Hornet pilot from Academy…very nice rendering of details in quarter scale. One thing that immediately caught my eye as I examined the kit was an area of apparent damage on the aft edge of the “turkey feathers” of the exhaust (part # 6). A small “divot” is present, and by the way the edge is flared up and out, it certainly doesn’t appear to be an alignment notch, nor is it present on the instructions. The interesting thing is that the sprue this part is attached to was in its own sealed plastic bag. Either the mold was dirty or is showing its age, but either way Academy’s quality assurance folks dropped the ball on this. It’s a small defect, to be sure, but one that is noticeable without some repair work, and shouldn’t be present on a $30.00 kit in today’s market.

The decal sheet is large, and pretty impressive. Included with the colorful options for the 3 above-mentioned fighters, is a full stenciling set. Ordinance stencils and markings are included in this, too. The directions sheet is a typical Academy presentation, a 6 page folded booklet. Directions appear to be clear and concise, covering the variances in A/C as they go, along with appropriate color callouts with Federal Standards notated. Separate decal and stencil placement diagrams are thorough in detail.

Since I don’t have a Viper/Falcon in my collection, and since I just reviewed the new 2Bobs decals for 1/48 F-16B/Cs I am really looking forward to building this kit up for you. Stand by for the 2nd installment, appearing soon!

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