1:48 F-16 Seat (Aces II) for Tamiya kits

The real subject

The ACES II is an American ejection seat carried by a whole range of combat aircraft of the US Air Force, the F-16 among them. The seat has a pronounced build with a high backrest, straps and a firing handle, so in an open cockpit it is the most conspicuous element of all. With a single-seat machine the view into the cockpit moreover offers itself from every side, and it is exactly by the seat that one tells how carefully a model is built.

What the set offers

The accessory replaces the seat from the kit with a finished part with a finer rendering of the detail. The name ties it to kits of the Tamiya marque in 1:48 scale, so the shape comes from the cockpit space of that kit. Changing a seat belongs among the reworkings that show most on a finished model and yet do not call for an intervention into the structure of the fuselage.

Building and painting tips

• Before gluing, wash the part in lukewarm water with a drop of dish soap and let it dry thoroughly.
• Cut excess material and traces of production away with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder finely.
• The part is not of polystyrene, so make the joint with cyanoacrylate glue.
• Paint the seat separately, outside the cockpit; once seated, a brush reaches it with difficulty.
• Before gluing it in, try the seat dry, so that it sits at the right height and does not foul the canopy.

Terms of supply

The accessory to a kit is supplied alone. A kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. For the particular procedure of preparation and gluing go by the manufacturer's instructions.