1/72 Hasegawa+Isracast F-16I Sufa

Lockheed Martin 

by Jean-Charles Goddet

--------------------

 

One of my last projects was to build a Israeli Air Force Lockheed Martin F16I Sufa.  For the base kit I used the Hasegawa 1/72 F16D and I transformed it with Isracast resin add ons (ref 72002) and Isradecals (ref IAF-55).  The Isracast resin kit includes a lot of beautiful parts to enhance my model (CFT's, main gear wheels, gear's doors, dorsal specific F16I spin, various antennas...).  The kit is designed for the Revell model, but it works with little effort on the Hasegawa model, I didn't use a lot of mastic.  I chose to represent F16I number 421 from the Negev squadron in May 2006.  The tail art was designed by Isradecal studio and after painted on real planes, not common isn't it!!!  The decals are proposed with a CDRom with a beautifull walkaround of details pictures, desktop wallpaper and instructions, very useful to achieve an accurate model.

The 3 colors Israeli upper camouflage is standard for the F-16I :

FS30219 Gunze acrylic Brown H310, FS33531 Gunze acrylic Desert H313, FS34424 Humbrol Green 90+31 (90%/10%)

The lower camouflage is FS36375 Grey MrColor H308.

I don't have an airbrush so I tried to do my best with a classical brush.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

I wanted to build a 'ready to fight' plane so I added 3 tanks from the kit (one centerline, 2 underwings), 2x 2000lb GBU-10 laser guided bombs under the wings from the Hasegawa aircraft weapons part IV box, 2x AIM120B AMRAAM air-air missiles at the end of wings and standard LANTIRN pods (AN/AAQ-13 navigation at right and AN/AAQ-14 targeting at left).  In fact I want to add 2x IR air-air missiles Python IV on free pylons to achieve the armament (in resin from Paragon design if I find them).

The F-16I Soufa ("Storm") is a modified variant of the F-16D Block 50 and 52 fighter and ground attack aircraft, with the avionics and weapons systems capability modified to meet the requirements of the Israeli Air Force.  Israel ordered 50 F-16I aircraft in 2001 and signed the agreement for an optional additional 52 aircraft in September 2001.  The Israeli Air Force has selected the F16I in a two-seat configuration only. Nowdays 3 squadrons use this plane the Neguev, the Bats, and the Knights of the Orange Tail.

Jean-Charles

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Photos and text © by Jean-Charles Goddet