Italeri 1/48 F-16C Barak Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

For a quick history of the F-16, look here.

For a look at the differences between F-16 blocks, look here.

Italeri has released the Kinetic 1/48 F-16C Barak kit and this release has a few improvements over the initial Kinetic release, plus more markings options, all for an MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) that is a few dollars cheaper than the original. Nice! As with the other Vipers in the Kinetic line-up, this kit has a number of spares that won't be used in this project, but will come in handy for other F-16 projects.

The F-16C Barak, as configured and flown by the Israeli Air Force is superficially a normal F-16C, but you'll notice a few differences in this box (and on the full-scale example). Before we look at the differences, let's take a look at the overall kit.

First, the kit is molded in a mixture of light and medium gray styrene and presented on 17 parts trees, plus four trees of clear parts. The kit comes with the widemouth inlet and GE nozzle, so you're looking at Block 30/40/50 potential. The kit also includes both panels ahead of the windscreen - the blank panel and the one with the advanced IFF system as fitted to MLU/CCIP Vipers as well as other 'advanced' airframes.

What is different in this box is a single tree of parts that have the alternative side nose panels with the distinctive sensor bulges that are larger than the standard F-16. There are also a set of four countermeasures devices that are fitted around and just forward of the engine nozzle. The kit also retains the standard side nose panels should you want to build a non-Israeli Viper. The kit also has the extended fin base with the parachute housing that is alternatively used to house additional avionics.

The kit cockpit is nicely done, and there is a wide variety of aftermarket options available for this kit as well as the Kinetic line of Vipers to choose from should you wish to add more details than are already here.

The kit features a full intake duct with some really nice details that go into the main wheel wells, as well as a nice afterburner chamber.

This kit molds the wheel hubs and tires separately. Finally, a set of wheels easy to paint! Two different styles of wheel hubs are provided, so check your references.

The leading edge flaps are molded separately as are the trailing edge flaps, so you can pose this model in-flight with everything 'hanging out'.

The canopy is as clear as I've ever seen in a kit. It does have the slight mold seam that plagues all F-16 kits, but this one will be easy to clean.

As with the previous releases in this series, this kit provides a wealth of external stores options:

• 2 x 370 gallon tanks for stations 4/6
• 1 x 300 gallon centerline tank
• 1 x AAQ-28 LITENING
• 2 x Python 4
• 4 x AIM-9M Sidewinder
• 4 x AIM-9X Sidewinder
• 4 x AIM-120B AMRAAM
• 4 x AIM-120C AMRAAM
• 2 x AGM-65 Maverick
• 4 x Mk.82 (slicks)
• 4 x GBU-12 Paveway II
• 2 x GBU-24 Paveway III
• 2 x GBU-31 JDAM
• 4 x GBU-38 JDAM
• 4 x CBU-87
• 1 x Rafael Spice

This is a nice array of external stores that will leave you external stores to arm this F-16, an A-10, and still have left-overs! What's nice to see is Kinetic listening to its customers and including additional sprues that were developed in their Skunkworks release of IDF weapons.

This release includes markings for four examples:

• F-16C, 535, 105 Sqn 'Scorpion', Hatzor AB, 2009
• F-16C, 534, 101 Sqn, Hatzor AB, 2005
• F-16C, 355, 117 Sqn 'First Jet', Ramat David AB, 2008
• F-16C, 348, 117 Sqn 'First Jet', Ramat David AB, 2007

The decal sheet provides a nice array of airframe and weapons stenciling as well as the aircraft markings.

This is nice release from Italeri and we have not only the nice Kinetic kit, but some nice improvements since that original release.

My sincere thanks to MRC for this review sample!

References:

• F-16 Fighting Falcon Online References