So earlier this year, I started a very ambitious (foolhardy?) project, to build sixteen F-16s, all in 1/48, showing the progression of the type from the original lightweight YF-16, right up to big bloated Blocks 60s and F-2s.

To provide the discipline and structure to this fool's errand, I am using Kitmaker campaigns. But since some are over on Armorama where those guys hang out, I thought I'd share them here.

I already have me an XF-2A, this was built 5 years ago for the Mark Sharpe Modern Aircraft Campaign using the Hasegawa kit.







Then when I started the project in earnest at the start of the year, I used the Jurassic Plastic campaign to build an F-16A Block 5 of the 388th TFW at Hill AFB using the Hasegawa kit (nearly 30 years old now!! Decals are Superscale, and the small horizontal stabs are TwoMikes





Then last week I finished my entry in the 1/48 campaign, also on Armorama. F-16A Block 15 OCU of the US Navy, NSAWC. Its the Kinetic kit with a Verlinden resin seat and FIghtertown decals.







I'd heard lots about the shape of the Kinetic nose, and could never see what the fuss was all about. I guess this is it?

So here's the line-up as she stands - 3 down, 13 to go!


And here's what's next in line - quite a rare bird. An early F-16C Block 30 (with the small mouth intake, despite having the GE engine) of the 527th Aggressor Squadron at RAF Bentwaters. Alas, the ending of the Cold War meant this unit only lasted a year, not even receiving their full complement of airframes before they were disbanded.




This will be my entry in the Anything Goes campaign here on Aeroscale.

Hello,

That is something i dig, a man with a plan.
Good luck to u, and keep em coming.

Greetz
Tony

@Neil--that is a very ambitious plan! And would make quite a conversation starting collection.

As a retired USAF F-16 avionics tech who now works as a civilian in the F-16 Program Office at Hill AFB, I'll be following your progress with interest.

Your post brought back lots of memories. My Viper career started on Block 15s at Moody AFB, GA in 1989. A few years later the wing converted to Block 40s--what a huge paradigm shift that was! Over 15 years on Falcons I worked all blocks in-between and before and after, and did a few years at the Depot at Hill.

Anywho, good luck to you on this project and keep the updates coming.

Keith

Neil, good luck with your project.
I'll be coming back to check your progress !

Which versions are you planning on building ?

Hi John, thanks for asking. In addition to the 4 above, I have the following ready in the stash

5) F-16A Block 1 RNoAF


6) F-16A Block 15 MLU KLU


7) F-16C Block 30, USAF, Arctic Aggressor


8) F-16C Block 40 Barak, IDF/AF


9) F-16C Block 50, USAF


10) F-16E Block 60, UAE


11) F-2B, JASDF


12) The centrepiece! This will be in 1/32 using the Academy kit

Still to purchase!

13) YF-16, will need the old Otaki/Arii kit for this.


Then the 2-seaters to round out the collection.

14) F-16B. If I can get hold of the decals I'd like to do one of the early Euro1 birds, if not, probably a USN aggressor



15) F-16D, Greece


16) F-16F Block 60 UAE


This is all subject to minor tweeks and variations, but that's the plan! A spread of variants, users, colour schemes and loudouts, from the original radarless lightweight YF-16, to the bloated heavyweight Block 60s and F-2s

Wow, I never knew what the fuss wwas about either, but seeing this kit together with he other one really emphasisies the difference, and the kinetic kit seems very wrong.

Good luck with your endeavour, makign 16 F-16 is a nice one

Neil, are there available kits for all the versions you need or you'll need to get some AM / scratch ?

admirable project: i have half a dozen a F-16s I'll complete someday too... hopefully

John - yes they are all available. I will be using a mixture of the Hasegawa, Kinetic and Tamiya kits, plus the Otaki/Arrii kit for the YF-16.

I will need aftermarket decals for some of the schemes I want to do, and things like the small horizontal stabilisers for early F-16s will need to be AM too.

Neil, I'll be following your F-16 family build thread with a great deal of interest for some time to come. This is certainly a build project of huge proportions. Good luck.
Joel

Well, its been a while since I posted in this thread. The rare (for this country) being out all day, day after day, plus the Ashes, the TdF....well, I haven't got much modelling done lately. Here's where I'm up to with my Bentwaters Aggressor.






I'm not going to get this one done before the end of the Anything Goes! campaign unless there's an extension....if not, its off to Hangar Queen 2013!


Next up, for the Birds of Prey campaign is this

A Desert Falcon, only my Desert Falcon will look more like this...



Loaded out with 4 x AMRAAM and 2 x AIM-9M for operations over Libya in 2011.

Using the Kinetic 1/48 kit

Fantastic work so far , you can't beat an F-16 ... Or 16

I'd love to see you do the Desert Falcon in a desert falcon's plumage colors.... now that would truly be sensational!

There was that Czech? Hind that was painted in full bird plumage, looked amazing.

You mean the Hungarian one?

That's the one

Well, not part of my 1/48 line-up, but I have recently finished a 1/144 Viper using the new Trumpeter kit. I would like to have a 144/72/48/32 line-up at some point

The model was my entry in the Smurf Scale campaign.

Great looking F16s! You have a pretty ambitious project there.

Jim

nice! That's a great picture!

Neil,
That's just a fantastic picture of the 1/144 scale F16 sitting on the top of the 1/48 scale F16. It really gives one a great comparison, and how accurately you were able to reproduce that camo paint scheme.
Joel

Great idea! Neil.

A little inspiration, I built this for the Anything goes campaign. It's the old Tamiya kit.

Cheers Rob.

4 of 16 is now complete!

Neil,
12 more to go. Your dedication to the task is just amazing.
Joel