Top Gun F-16 "snow Day Build"

[AeroplaneDriver]

Here are the finished pics of my Snow Day Build.  This morning I did a bit of detailing, including the static wicks on the control surfaces and the static dischargers on the radome.  The wicks are just stretched sprue.  Since the kit radome did not show the static protection dischargers, and they are very subtle on the real aircraft I tried to show them with decals.  I painted tiny strips the same color as the radome, and they give the look of the real thing quite well.  

The seat isnt a perfect fit, but it looks OK, and the Sidewinder is not painted accurately, but I was trying to save time and just picked an old one out of the spares box.

The pics arent great, since there are some marks on the background.  I'll try to post some better ones later today.

Comments and criticism welcome.

[Keith Diamond]

a pretty fine job over a short period of time!  Really like the in flight display

[Maverick]

Hey AD,

Lego look is wicked on the Viper.   Seems to rival SEA for just about anything.

Most excellent

Mav

[Shasper]

Well executed AD! While I'm not keen on the digi-camo look, you certaintly pulled this one off, especially w/t radome thingies made from decals (never would've thought of that   )

All the plusses outweight the few discrepencies I see, mostly the alteration in markings ( the NFWS birds never sported red stars & the bort number would have been on the intake (not sure if they used yellow though)), but hey, thats artistic license for ya


Shas B)

[PanzerWulff]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET 16[/size]       that just looks so cool Kudos Dude!!!  

[van883]

Great camo scheme!

[Matej]

Aaaand... check-mate!   Camo looks lovely, much better than real on F-18. I am not expert on markings, but from visual point of view I think that the yellow was not the best choice. Probably blue or grayscale? Very original work however.    

[AeroplaneDriver]

I'm not sure the yellow was the best choice for the number either, but all the markings came from the TwoBobs Top Gun A-4 set, so at some point they were all used on Top Gun aircraft.

My backstory, which never really got put on paper (screen?) involved a deployment of Top Gun aircraft to Norway to train NATO pilots at a time when increasingly aggresive Soviet actions have increased tensions around the northern flank.  In reality an yaggressor deployed to this theater would probably not wear a Red Star to avoid any unfortunate cases of mistaken identity.

[Allan]

Hi Ad

Just a great model and the camo is spiffing.

But I don't know much about radomes and don't know where to look to check out the decals you've used.

So where should I look?

That camo is called digital isn't it? Can someone give me a short version of how it's supposed to work?

Allan in Canberra

[Matej]

Hi Ad
That camo is called digital isn't it? Can someone give me a short version of how it's supposed to work?

I think that this is a good answer:

[AeroplaneDriver]

Allan-

Here's a little info on the dealies I'm talking about on the radome.  After you see this site you'll be able to see what I'm taling about on the model.

Radome lightning/static protection

I can attest to how well they work for lightning.  I took three seperate lightning strikes in Jetstreams over the years, but never had a radome damaged.  I did have one of these strips blown off by a strike though!

[Brian da Basher]

Those radome strips were decals? Aye carumbaaa AD! Amazing! I really like this one a lot! I love how the base seems to match the color of the thingamabob on the port wing. The camo is excellent and I think the yellow codes work very well with it. This is one of your best yet!

Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

Could not imagine it looking better.
Is the lack of pilot intentional even though it is displayed "in-flight" mode (as it does seem like something very futuristic that could quite possibly fly unmanned if you wanted it to)?

[Eddie M.]

Impressive camo. That a good looking Electric Jet.
  Eddie  

[philp]

Very sharp AD.
I like it.