1:48 F-16C Fighting Falcon cockpit set

The real subject

The F-16C is a single-seat multirole combat aircraft. The cockpit is covered by a bubble canopy with no windscreen frame, so the view out is good in every direction and the view in is just as good. The seat is noticeably reclined and the control stick is not between the pilot's knees but on the right-hand side console. It is precisely these features that make the cockpit of an F-16 impossible to miss on a finished model.

What the set contains

The set replaces the cockpit interior from the base kit with separate parts. The relief of the instrument panel, the side consoles and the seat is rendered on them more three-dimensionally than can be done in injection-molded plastic in this scale. The assembly is inserted into the fuselage before its halves are glued together, so plan it for the beginning of the build and not for the finishing stage.

• 1:48 scale, intended for the F-16C
• it replaces the cockpit interior from the base kit
• a three-dimensional relief of the instrument panel and the side consoles
• it is fitted before the fuselage halves are glued together
• the parts are not polystyrene, they are bonded with super glue

Building and painting tips

Cut the excess material off a little way from the part with a sharp blade and sand the remainder down. Wash and degrease the parts before painting, otherwise the paint will not hold. Dry-fit the assembly; with cockpit tubs the walls often need to be thinned from the inside. The interior is usually painted in a single base shade, a dark glaze picks out the recesses and the edges are gone over with a dry brush. Paint the seat and the belts separately while they are still freely accessible.

Who it is for

The set is for modelers who want to build an F-16 with the canopy slid back and do not want an empty tub gaping under it. Look for the particular procedure in the manufacturer's instructions. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.