1:48 F-16C Block 52+ Fighting Falcon cockpit PolAF/HAF (Basic edition 3D decals included) for Kinetic Gold kit

A Fighting Falcon under two flags

Block 52 plus is a late development branch of the Fighting Falcon, ordered at the turn of the millennium by Poland and by Greece. Its recognition features are the dorsal spine for additional electronics and the ability to carry conformal tanks along the sides of the fuselage, which give the aircraft range without taking up the pylons under the wings. The engine comes from the F100 family and the machine differs from earlier blocks in its cockpit fit as well.

What is inside the cockpit

The set replaces the tub, the seat, the side consoles and the wide instrument panel with its three displays. The pilot of a Fighting Falcon sits in a strongly reclined seat and controls the machine with a side stick, so the right console has a different shape from the left one and seen from above that is immediately apparent. The basic edition adds detail with printed layers that are applied onto the smooth faces of the panels.

Why the name gives a specific kit edition

The name gives not only the brand but also the designation of one particular edition. There is a reason for that: the same plastic manufacturer releases one airframe repeatedly and changes the mold inserts between editions. A resin cockpit traced from one such insert need not fit another edition. The tie to the box is therefore even closer here than with an average accessory.

Procedure

Remove the plastic cockpit, level the mating faces on a sheet of glass with sandpaper and only then dry fit. The tub usually sits a little deeper than you expect, so it is better to fine-tune the height of the seat once one fuselage half has been glued. Keep the resin offcuts, as they come in useful as shims under the seating.