Tamiya 1/48 F-16C (Block 32/52) Thunderbirds Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2008 | Manufacturer | Tamiya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F-16C (Block 32/52) Thunderbirds | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 61102 | Primary Media | Styrene, Metal |
| Pros | All the parts to render the Block 25, 32, and 52 Pratt-powered Vipers | Cons | Seamline on the canopies |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | $66.00 |
First Look
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For a quick history of the F-16C, look here.
For a look at the differences between F-16 blocks, look here.
Here is Tamiya's third installment in its F-16 series - the Block 32/52. The first was the F-16CJ Block 50 Thunderbirds (reviewed here) while the second was the F-16C Block 25/32 (reviewed here). Between those first two kits, you could render just about any version of the F-16C out of the box, save for the Block 40/42 variants. We spent some time in the Block 25/32 review explaining how you could mix and match parts from the Block 50 and Block 25/32 kits to render more versions. Tamiya has stepped up with this release which provides parts for the early and late block Pratt-powered F-16Cs. Let's take a look:
Like the previous releases, this kit is set up to be modular so they can swap parts to render other blocks in the future. It is molded in white styrene and presented on eight parts trees, plus three trees of clear parts. Of course the main reason for these parts being molded in white is to make it 'easier' to render one of the USAF Thunderbirds' F-16C Vipers. I don't know about you, but white paint on white styrene is a bit of a challenge for me and I will have to apply gray primer so I can deal with any seams before applying the gloss white finish.
Like the previous releases, this kit provides your choice of standard nose and APX-113 'bird cutter' antenna nose. Where the first kit provided the GE-powered Block 50 versions (early and CCIP), the second provided the Pratt-powered Block 25/32 airframes.
This kit provides the first Block 52 in the Tamiya series to be released by combining the Block 25/32 kits with the unique parts out of the Block 50 kit to render the 52. These include
- Bulged main gear doors
- Wider main wheels
- Landing lights on nose gear door
What's more, the kit retains the Block 25/32 parts, so now you can do an early or late Pratt-powered F-16C. You'll still need an aftermarket Block 40/42 cockpit and Lantirn pods if you want to do the night attack Viper, but I suspect Tamiya has that option coming. I also suspect that Tamiya may switch a few parts around so we have the GE-powered Block 30/50 in one box as well. These options will save you from buying two kits to swap parts if you're only going to build one Viper, but many folks will want two or more of these Tamiya kits to enjoy the variant possibilities plus the wide range of aftermarket Viper decals available.
Decals are provided for any one of the 2007 season Thunderbirds including the names of the pilots and crew chiefs. These markings are quite comprehensive, so other than some details on the airframe, all you'll have to do is apply a nice smooth white finish to the model and the rest of the work will be completed with Tamiya's nice decal sheets.
If you're building a Thunderbird, all of those nice external store options will be available for your spares box or other applicable contemporary 1/48 scale projects. And if you're wondering why this kit provides the parts for a Block 52 and only Thunderbirds markings, Tamiya indicates that the team will transition out of their Block 32s at the end of this season and begin demonstrations in the Block 52 starting with the 2009 season. Nice job Tamiya!
These Tamiya kits are still the best F-16 kits in 1/48 scale and would be the best in any scale were it not for their big (1/32) brothers.
Here is a list of paints Tamiya identifies for use with this kit and the equivalent colors from other brands (Note: the first two colors are matches to the early war colors applied to USAAF aircraft, the remainder are the Tamiya-recommended colors):
H022
N022
B054
C054
XF53
H316
B049
C049
A062
H308
B037
C037
A065
XA1136
H306
B053
C054
A064
H002
N002
B125
C125
A012
36107
X01
H001
N001
B125
C125
A014
36104
X02
H004
N004
B290
C290
X08
H028
N028
X10
H008
N008
B003
C003
36190
LP11
X11
H009
N009
36194
X12
Aotake
H063
N063
X13
H025
N025
N01
H095
N095
X19
H094
N094
H090
N090
X27
Dilectric Green
H026
N026
B327
C327
X28
H012
N012
B041
C041
XF01
H011
N011
XF02
H413
A036
36115
XA1213
N013
C132
36131
H044
N044
XF15
C078
XF16
H334
H315
H417
B038
C038
A050
XF23
XA1208
H301
B030
C030
H081
N081
H423
B022
C022
A061
XF51
XA1226
H072
N072
B009
C009
XF52
XA1002
H313
B090
C090
B224
C224
A019
36109
XF63
XA1800
H047
N047
H309
B016
C016
XF65
XF70
My sincere thanks to HobbyLink Japan for this review sample!