Bullseye Aggressor

AGGRESSOR

By Rick Greenwood

The wings were added first to the upper fuselage section to aid their fit

Once secured the lower parts must be added now because of the locating tabs

The main gear bay offers basic detail

The completed intake and vertical tail were pre-assembled

The intake section slotted in with only minor remedial work needed

Kit No: 06103

Scale: 1/48

Type: Injection Moulded Plastic

Manufacturer: Hasegawa Hobbico/Amerang

New in from Bullseye Model Aviation Decals is their sheet 48003 presenting some rather attractive F-16s sporting pseudo Russian camouflage and markings. There have been plenty of aggressor markings on offer from the aftermarket decal industry over the years and this new sheet reminds me of the excellent Afterburner Sheets. Featuring some similar aircraft, and other more up to date examples, this sheet offers the same exceptional value. Markings are provided for a number of aircraft all from the 64 Aggressors and the 414 CTS based at Nellis Air Force base Nevada. The sheet is printed in Italy by Cartograf so print quality can be assured.

Full and very compressive stencil data is incorporated in a number of formats depending on the jet modelled.

The best 1/48 F-16 C undeniably has to be the Tamiya family of kits, but wanting to replicate a range of airframes is going to be become quite pricey. Having built a few of the Hasegawa kits in the past the choice was made to exploit the remaining stash of kits and relive one of them from its role as loft insulation.

It’s hard to believe that the Hasegawa kits of the F-16 have been with us for nearly thirty five years.

First released in 1983 the F-16A, was the basis of the C version that followed with the required updated parts added in 1987!

A major step forward with the Hasegawa kit was the release of the F-16 Block 50 in the year 2000. This kit included the small and large mouth jet intakes introduced during the block 30s along with both types of engines, amongst other items. This choice of kit would allow the modeller to build almost any block 30, 32, 40, 42, 50 or 52 airframe with the exception of some airframes that feature the extended para break housing in the base of the tail as this is not included.

Hasegawa keep releasing these kits, with many an update to include special markings or the newer block numbers still entering service, and they offer a viable alternative choice for versions not covered as yet by Tamiya.

From the onset the new splinter paint scheme was going to be the subject matter for this build and depict F-16 C Block 25 85-1418 circa 2016.

This was going to need an early C version as the airframe is stated as being in the Block 25 range of jets. These were a step up from the A model and introduced some airframe changes, the most notable of which was the spine of the vertical tail.

This requires a more straight forward approach to the often confusing F-16 block numbers as most of the important changes relating to items such as engines, small or large mouth jet intake and light weight or heavy duty landing gear modifications don’t need to be considered. After spending a few hours rummaging through the stash, a F-16C that was suitable for depicting airframe 85418 was found. No longer boxed but still sealed in its plastic bag Hasegawa kit number 06103 or V3 was brought out of deep storage.

Opening the plastic bag and taking a look at the parts, they have generally stood the test of time quite well. Featuring crisp engraved panel line and some rivet detail this must have caused a great deal of excitement back in 1983, while some manufacturers were still producing raised details on their products. There was no release date on the kit as only the plastic had been retained but there were some signs that the tool was wearing, with a fair amount of flash on some of the undercarriage items and damage to the starboard side of the intake that will require careful sanding to eliminate.