F/A-16E Sea Viper

[Spino]

That is a LOT of lumps and bumps on that nose!  And big ones too!  I can see one being for an IRST, but the others?  Missile Approach Warning System maybe?  I'm just guessing here.

[Gondor]

That is a LOT of lumps and bumps on that nose!  And big ones too!  I can see one being for an IRST, but the others?  Missile Approach Warning System maybe?  I'm just guessing here.

A lot of those bumps are on the E/F versions, and also on the Israeli 16I, too.

Gondor

[HarryPhishnuts]

That is a LOT of lumps and bumps on that nose!  And big ones too! .

Yeah kinda looks like me as a teenager :-). 

Actually the ones on the sides are from the F-16I Sufa kit so some part of the EW systems. I'm basing a lot of this "loosely" around the enhancements on different F-16 variation like the Block 50+ and Block 60, F-2 as well as the F-16I. Just kind of throwing it all in a bag and shaking it up to see what comes out.

[Spino]

That is a LOT of lumps and bumps on that nose!  And big ones too! .

Actually the ones on the sides are from the F-16I Sufa kit so some part of the EW systems. I'm basing a lot of this "loosely" around the enhancements on different F-16 variation like the Block 50+ and Block 60, F-2 as well as the F-16I. Just kind of throwing it all in a bag and shaking it up to see what comes out.

Part of me says "STOP, you'll ruin the aerodynamics!", but it does make things look interesting 

Between LM and Israel doing it to real F-16s, it's apparently worthwhile for whatever drag penalty there is.  Carry on!

[HarryPhishnuts]

Part of me says "STOP, you'll ruin the aerodynamics!"

Oh you'll love it then when I hang a Litening and HTS off the sides of the intake 

Besides the F-4 taught us that aerodynamics don't really matter with enough grunt in the back. 

[Spino]

Part of me says "STOP, you'll ruin the aerodynamics!"

Oh you'll love it then when I hang a Litening and HTS off the sides of the intake 

Besides the F-4 taught us that aerodynamics don't really matter with enough grunt in the back. 

True that.  Any amount of drag can be overcome if you just have enough thrust 

You cannot view this attachment.

[HarryPhishnuts]

Well now I'm in the middle of it  . Firing up the 3D printer to come up with some of the parts I need like the wing fold mechanism and some of the stores.

[DogfighterZen]

I like where this is going, reminds of my F-16W variants... 
F-16W prototype - https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=39268.120
F/A-16W Block 70- https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=43319.90
F-16W Block 70 https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=47861.180

[HarryPhishnuts]

I like where this is going, reminds of my F-16W variants... 
F-16W prototype - https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=39268.120
F/A-16W Block 70- https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=43319.90
F-16W Block 70 https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=47861.180

Ok those are awesome 👍👍.  I might have to steal a couple ideas there for some other F-16-like whiffs I've got in the stash.

[HarryPhishnuts]

Ok finally making some progress. All primed and ready. Got a bit bogged down in analysis/paralysis on the whole wing fold thing but I got something that I think looks close enough. 

Now to the fun part. I'm going to weather her up pretty good. F-18s tend to look rode hard towards the end of the deployment so going for something like that here. Going to try some techniques I've seen for pre and post shading as well as color layering ideas. Otherwise it's just gray on gray and that's kinda boring.  🤪

[DogfighterZen]

  

[Old Wombat]

Lumpy lookin', but cool!   

[HarryPhishnuts]

Ok got the first coats of paint and all glossed up ready for decals and weathering. Still noodling over the main gear. The stock F-16/F-2 gear just looks too "flimsy" for slamming down on the deck of a carrier. Trying to design and 3D print something a bit more robust. From what little I can find reference wise it looks like Vought was going with something similar to the A-7 so using that as a starting point.

[HarryPhishnuts]

Got it all fancied up with decals. Actually came out pretty well considering they were the decals for the F-18. Coat of gloss and it's on to weathering. Going to go pretty heavy on this as I want it too look like it's been working a hard cruise.  I think I've got the main gear figured out so will be working that soon.

[Spino]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but those USMC decals look really good on that Viper!