1/72 Revell AG F-16AM MLU

Gallery Article by Nat Krairojananan on Dec 10 2014

Constitution Day in Thailand

 

      

F-16AM MLU 403 Sqn., Wing 4, Royal Thai Airforce

Royal Thai Airforce undergoes am upgrading program for 18 Block15 F-16s to be MLU standard and received the first two aircraft in 2014. This upgrade program includes Modular Mission Computer, APG-68(V9) Improved Multimode Fire Control Radar, APX-113 Combined Interrogator and Transponder, ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System, ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser System.

RTAF 403 Sqn Vipers were built at LMTAS along with block 50s. So, they had already had some modern features such as modern Viper wiring and structure reinforcement internally. So, we do not see the stiffener plates on these jets.

 

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Revell provides the most accurate early block F-16A/B. You can build an AM/BM Viper quite well straight out of the box. The differences between old RTAF block 15 and MLU are AIFF antennae and small antenna under intake. My model received minimal treatment to improve details such as pilot figure from PJ productions, Pitot tube and AOA probes from Master Models, vinyl sticker for GPS dome and intake plates from Astra decal and Aires exhaust pipe.

The building process was smooth. I cut and repositioned flaperons in the down position. Some panel lines were scribed and rivets were added. Air intake to fuselage seam was quite difficult to deal with.

Paints were GSI Mr.Color range. Some service panels have fresh paint per improvement program. Decals were mixed from various sources, mainly from Siamscale Decal, due to strange individual stencil as with other foreign Vipers.

My Viper loadouts are fictional. I believe that after the MLU program, RTAF Vipers could carry SNIPER pod and GPS guided bomb. Thai Vipers are actually armed with ALQ-131, IRIS-T and Sidewinders. My loadout of choice are Sidewinders, IRIS-Ts, 500 ibs.JDAM, jamming pod and gas bags.

Nat Krairojananan

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Photos and text © by Nat Krairojananan