USAF F-16D Block 50

What you are building

This item belongs among the egg planes and cute models, that is among kits that deliberately shorten and simplify the real aircraft: the fuselage shrinks, the cockpit and the nose stay large and a combat machine becomes a toy with character. The subject here is the two-seat F-16D Block 50 in the service of the US Air Force.

The real subject

The F-16 is a single-engine multi-role combat aircraft, recognizable by its bubble canopy with a view all around and by the air intake under the fuselage. The version marked with the letter D is the two-seater, with the seats in tandem, and it serves for training as well as for combat duties. The words Block 50 denote a later production block. It is the large cockpit that makes this type a rewarding subject for a caricatured treatment.

What the build involves

The product is a kit, not a finished model. The parts are separated, cleaned, glued and painted according to the manufacturer's instructions. Its extent is substantially smaller than that of an ordinary scale model, so the build can be done in an evening or two and it serves well as a first joint project with children. Before gluing, try the parts dry and clear the mating surfaces of burrs, because on simplified shapes every gap shows more than on a large model. Egg planes are not built to the scale of the real aircraft, so do not look to them for the proportions or the dimensions of the subject.

Who the kit is for

For modelers who want something light-hearted in the display case beside the serious models, for beginners and as a gift. Paints, glue and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.