General Dynamics /
Lockheed Martin F-16B Orange Jumper
[ Page B-5 ]
designer
   
F-16 models in 1/32 scale
F-16B converting the SUFA Academy kit 

... continued from F-16B page 4......

The rest of decals were applied, using a mix of the Academy kit, spares box and Dutch AF roundels, as mentioned earlier here....

The crew names on the canopy frame were for me difficult to apply as I was unable to make decals for them myself. I decided to use a black permanent marker.

For reference, I use an electronic picture frame with the various photos I have. This next to any books available.

The various lights like those on the intake were fitted, using for the Orange Jumper parts #G10 and the antennas #D72 in front of the canopy on the nose. Please note that the anti-collision lights have tiny red and blue colours here as well.

The wheels and undercarriage were added and weathered with PROMODELLER black wash. The details in the bays got details with various colours. Please note that Academy provides decals for these parts as well. 
..

The exhaust area was also added now. The parts #E5 were given a metal coat and a couple of gloss coats. 

The trailing edge flaps were set down at an angle, but the rear speed brakes set closed as seen above. 


Detailling the cockpit was now done. Although I had purchased 1/32 seats from AIRES, I found these to be much too small. So the kit seats were detailed with bits of tape, sprue, wire and making straps from a wine bottle package.

Academy nicely provides decals for the ACES seats as well. The seat cushions vary, often red-brown as well as a black "sheep" cushion seen in the aft cockpit. 

Inside the cockpit and around the Orange Jumper airframe, often warning vanes and red remove before flight covers are seen. These were added to the model, this adds more colors to it. From pieces of plastic from a bag, remove before flight decals from the kit and bit and pieces these were all made.

The canopy has nice details provided with the Academy kit. On the edge of the cockpit at the canopy area, a very thin edge was added from sprue to suggest the closure seal. 

Inside the canopy, 6 hooks were added as well made from a photo negative frame.

I needed to use white glue to close some canopy frame gaps. Also, I drilled open 2 holes at the rear end in the fuselage to fix the canopy later with 2 small metal rods. These rods were set inside the canopy itself. I found that installing an open canopy interfered a bit with the spine part. Inside the canopy, the mid frame was covered by a spare black decal and outside using the excellent kit decal #85. 

Inside the canopy, this plane has the MLU goggle sensor on the left frame, seen here... this was added from some card.

I also had to lengthen the actuatorbar part # K44 as well by 5 mm to have the canopy looking correct in the open position. 

The parachute pack was fitted as well, using part #B17 (which is in the kit). This was fitted on the Dutch F-16 tailfairing already changed before.


The Orange Jumper was now in the stages of completing the model. Various stores can be seen on this plane. 
Various orange particular details can be seen, these were airbrushed using International Orange from Modelmaster, acrylic 4682 (Humbrol 82 can be a good match as well). 

1. On the mid instrument cover, the Orange Jumper has some electrical wires as well as a couple of tiny video camera's. These were all added from scratch. On the insides also some yellow bars were added. Here you see the result.
..
with the result..... 


2. The main fueltank pylons are a bit different than those in the kit. With card these were changed.
..

3. Various wing pylons have some measuring and camera's installed as well. With rod en plastic card these were adapted.

4. Different pylons are also often seen, with one chaff housing used of the three. With with card the pylons were changed.

5. The recording camera's below the aft fuselage were made from card. Also, a telemetry measuring pod was made from rod and a practice bomb made as well from scratch.
..

With the result....

6. Aft of the canopy, a recording camera is fitted as well in a circular housing.

7. The large instrumentation pod below the fuselage is a modified Orpheus recce pod. The pod was made from a couple of fueltanks using parts from the two sprues J in the kit. Some slots were cut open en with filler the pod was shaped.

The pod has a length of 11.7 cm in 1/32 scale.


A challenge are the markings on this pod. 
a> For the orange lettering, I sprayed the pod in orange first. 
b> When dry,  dry lettering transfers were set over the orange to get the word ORANGE JUMPER. 
c> Next, the front part was sprayed black after masked and the dry transfers removed. Some re-work was needed with a fine brush.
d> The black lettering INSTRUMENTATION POD was made using black dry transfers. 
e> The black arrow shape was made from black decal. 

8. The Orange Jumper has a very long pitot and measuring tube, ironically called by the crew the "Viagra boom".
The red stripes were added with a CD/DVD marker on a white plastic rod. The airflow vanes were made from thin wire.


A protecting plate was added as well as seen on the ground.

9. Some additional stores may be added as well, the Sidewinder (seen at bottom of picture) was set on the right wingtip pylon.

 

Here some pictures are seen from the completed stores fitted on the model...



Final details added were:
- adding static dischargers from thin wire (thus not using kit parts #B13)
- coloring the various anti-collision lights
- adding the pitot tube D47 and D44 sensor as per kit instructions
- adding various braking wires and hydraulic lines on the undercarriage legs etc
- the MLU lights on the nose wheel door as per instructions (parts G7 and D45)
- the details on top of the vertical tail as per kit instructions, but not using part C10.
- adding the HUD as per instructions, part L1

Some wash was applied regarding panels and flap hinges using PROMODELLER black was.

After all this was done, the model got a protecting coat of Johnson Future with some drops of TAMIYA Flat base X21 to protect the decals. The flat base makes the varnish duller. 

 

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Created this page 
January 7, 2010