1/32 Tamiya F-16C Barak

by Marcel Hohl

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Here is my Block 40 Barak, using the Tamiya kit, Isracast conversion and Pythons, Eduard color etch set for cockpit and some placards inside the wheel wells, and Cutting Edge AIM-9 fins. The decals are Isradecal.  I tried to achieve a sun-bleached, patchy look by mixing whites into the base colors and airbrushing certain panels in lighter shades, then re-doing some panels in darker shades.  By the time the First Fighter Squadron received this livery (and this likely configuration) the aircraft were already in service for many years.  Washing was done with soapy water + Tamiya dark grey acrylic.  The final coat is Modelmaster flat, which I rubbed down a bit with kitchen roll paper to get rid of the grainy appearance that I feel I often get with flat coats.

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The load-out represents that seen on Knights of the North F-16s during the short-range missions flown in the summer of 2006: 2 x 2,000lb JDAM, 2 x Python IV, 2 x AIM-9 and 1 x centerline tank.

For me, the greatest thing about the well known Tamiya kit is the metal undercarriage and the way it is screwed onto the fuselage.  I feel comfortable about taking the model to a club meeting without having to worry about the “legs breaking off”.

Marcel

Photos and text © by Marcel Hohl