1:48 F-16 Royal Danish Air Force, Solo Display 2024 Half Century Viper

Fifty years since the first flight

The nickname of the whole scheme refers to the half century that passed in 2024 since the first flight of the prototype of this fighter. The Royal Danish Air Force had operated the type since the beginning of the 1980s and its solo display was one of the fixtures of the program at European air shows. The special finish for the 2024 season was created at a time when the departure of the Danish machines had already been decided, so besides the anniversary it also marked the end of a long career with this operator.

The character of the print

Full-surface schemes of this kind call for a considerably more extensive sheet than national insignia alone. Besides the main motif the sheet therefore also carries the supporting lettering and numbers without which the rendition would stay unfinished. It pays to go through the contents of the sheet before building and to work out what will go on the model first and what can wait.

The order of application

With full-surface finishes the order of work decides the outcome. Start with the largest pieces, let them set properly and only then add the adjoining segments, or the transition across the whole side of the fuselage will shift on you and the deviation will add up toward the end. Keep a dry cloth at hand throughout.

An add-on item

The sheet on offer does not include a plastic fighter kit or resin parts; it assumes a model in the same scale that you have already built and varnished. The choice of a particular kit is left to you. You can reach for any molding of the matching size, because the print is tied to the real machine rather than to one manufacturer of plastic.