1:144 F-16 Dorsal Spine Polish version for Trumpeter Twin seat kit

An F-16 dorsal spine in 1:144 scale — the Polish version

This item is a resin accessory, not a kit. It completes a two-seat F-16 model from the Trumpeter kit in 1:144 scale with the lengthened fairing above the fuselage behind the cockpit. The same part is also made in a Greek version; this one is the Polish version, and the national version is the only thing in which the two sets differ from each other — so when ordering, watch out for which of them you need.

The real subject

Two-seat F-16Ds of the later production blocks carry a lengthened dorsal fairing above the fuselage behind the cockpit, into which some of the equipment of the aircraft was moved. From the side it is the most conspicuous external mark by which late two-seat machines differ from early ones. The Polish Air Force operates such aircraft, and their model cannot be built without reworking the spine, because ordinary kits do not hold one.

Building and painting tips

Wash the part first in warm water with detergent, on account of remains of release agent from the mold. Cut the casting block off with a saw and sand the mating surface carefully flat — with a part that sits on the spine of the fuselage, the accuracy of the seating decides more than anything else. It is bonded with super glue (cyanoacrylate). Fill the join to the fuselage with filler and sand it over wet, so that no visible seam is left once the paint is on. It is painted after the filling, together with the fuselage, so that the shade and the texture of the surface answer to each other.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build the two-seat F-16 in 1:144 scale
• Anyone interested in machines in Polish service
• Those who want the exact silhouette of the late two-seat version
• Builders used to filling and sanding joins

This is an accessory for a kit, not a model on its own. The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted; paints, glue and the base kit are not included in the package.