1:48 F-16D Block 30

The real subject

The F-16D is the two-seat version of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon light combat aircraft. The seats arranged one behind the other called for a longer canopy and took away room for internal fuel; otherwise the machine kept the performance of the single-seater, so it serves not only for training but for combat duties as well. The Block 30 designation refers to a production block, that is to a group of machines built to the same standard.

What the set offers

These are photo-etched metal parts in 1:48 scale. Photo-etch can do what injection-molded plastic cannot: it carries a thickness of tenths of a millimeter, so sheet covers, grilles and tabs look like sheet metal on a model and not like a board. Which parts of the aircraft the set covers and which kit it is built for are given in the manufacturer's instructions; read them through before you cut off the first part.

Working with photo-etch

The elements are held on the carrier fret by thin tabs. Cut them off with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not with scissors, which bend the edge. Make the bends over a sharp edge or in a bender, always along the whole length at once, or the edge will go wavy. Degrease the parts before gluing; fingerprints stay on metal even under paint. They are glued with cyanoacrylate or with two-part epoxy, which gives longer to line them up. Apply the paint over a primer coat; on bare metal photo-etch rubs through.

Supply

The set contains photo-etched parts. The aircraft kit, the paints and the glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.