Twobobs 1/48 F-16C/D Polish Jastrzabs

Here is a nice set of markings to replicate one (or more) of the Polish Air Force's new F-16C/D Block 52 Vipers. These aircraft wear a distinctive camouflage pattern on the upper surfaces that will make for a different look on your scale Viper flightline.

These aircraft are Block 52 airframes which for the modeler, translates into "use the Tamiya 1/48 scale kits" and look for the C/D-styled parabrake housing for the base of the tail. Wolfpack makes one and there are others 'out there'. Out of the box, the Tamiya F-16CJ is the Block 50 GE powered aircraft and you'll need the Block 25/32 kit to exchange the intakes and nozzles to render the Block 52. If you are going to build an Arctic Aggressor Viper, you'll need to have the widemouth intakes and GE nozzle out of the Block 50 kit to convert the Block 30. Trust me, you'll want to build both.

At present, the only choice for the F-16D is the Hasegawa F-16DJ kit which has most of the stuff you'll need to get there. While the kit has both the Pratt and GE engine intakes/nozzles in the box, this project is a Pratt (narrowmouth NCID intake) job. You'll need to find not only the parabrake housing, these D-models are full-up combat aircraft and have the dorsal spine and overwing conformal tanks as well. Eduard has an F-16 detail set that includes the four antennas ahead of the windscreen that you'll also need for this project (CCIP configuration). Tamiya has the antennas covered in their Block 50 and Block 25/32 kits.

The six subjects of this sheet are:

• F-16C Block 52, 03-043, 4043, Polish Air Force
• F-16C Block 52, 03-048, 4048, Polish Air Force
• F-16C Block 52, 03-075, 4075, Polish Air Force
• F-16D Block 52, 03-077, 4077, Polish Air Force
• F-16D Block 52, 03-079, 4079, Polish Air Force
• F-16D Block 52, 03-082, 4082, Polish Air Force

The only down side to this set are the two-part decals. Below you can see the Polish national markings with the white backgrounds printed separately, so you'll have to stack the decals on the model yourself and make sure that they don't slide out of registration while they're setting. Likewise on the white 'drop shadow' that goes behind the word Jastrzab.

This set is highly recommended!

For more information about this set and the other releases from Twobobs Aviation Graphics, visit their website at http://www.twobobs.net.