Lockheed Martin F-16 MLU “Tigermeet 09"

[Paul A H]

Lockheed Martin F-16 MLU “Tigermeet 09”

1:72 Revell

Originally designed by General Dynamics as a lightweight fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force, the F-16 has become one of the most produced jet fighters in history. Nearly 4500 examples have rolled off the production lines and the type is in service with no fewer than 25 national air forces worldwide, many of whom have deployed the aircraft on combat operations. The MLU, or Mid-Life Update, is an upgrade programme for the F-16A/B that includes structural repairs to the airframe and significantly updated and upgraded avionics.

First produced in 2000, Revell’s F-16 has earned itself a reputation as one of the best kits of the type available in 1:72. Numerous versions have been released in over the years, the latest of which is part of Revell’s Model Set range. As such, it includes a tube of their rather excellent Contacta adhesive, four miniature tubs of acrylic paint and a funky, double-ended paint brush. Inside the box are three sprues of grey plastic, one of clear plastic and a very large decal sheet. The quality of the mouldings is really excellent; surface structures are finely engraved and there is plenty of nice detail packed in where you would expect. There is a little light flash here and there, but nothing that a few swipes with a sanding stick or scalpel won’t solve.

In keeping with the rest of the kit, the cockpit is very nicely represented. The side consoles and instrument panel feature delicate, raised detail and a separate side-stick and throttle are provided. The ACES II ejector seat is moulded in three parts and looks really nice. A small transparent part is provided for the Head-up display. All-in-all it should look great under the large, clear canopy. Both the nose gear bay and the large main gear bay feature pretty respectable detail, as does the undercarriage itself. Thanks to the sleek shape of the F-16, there will be few seams to clean up during construction; the complete wing is moulded in one piece with the rear upper fuselage. One minor niggle is that the upper fuselage is moulded in two parts in order to allow the twin seat B version to be produced from the same moulds. This will require careful alignment in order to cut down on clean-up afterwards.

Plenty of lumps, bumps and aerials are provided, as is a decent weapon loadout comprised of two drop tanks, two AIM 120 AMRAAMs and two AIM 9 Sidewinders. As mentioned above, the canopy is thin and clear and as a bonus does not have any awkward mould seam to clean up. Just one colour option is provided for the striking scheme used by 31 Squadron of the Belgian Air Force for Tigermeet 2009. The decal sheet, designed by DACO and printed in Italy, looks absolutely superb but being very large has been curved (although not folded) in order to fit it into the box. Those not wishing to build their kit straight away may wish to remove the sheet from the box and store it separately in order to avoid damage over the long-term.

Conclusion

Revell’s F-16 is a great little kit and can be highly recommended to anyone interested in building a model of the type. The decal sheet looks fantastic and, as can be seen from the built examples on this very site, will result in a very striking model.

Review sample courtesy of

[Julien]

Now that looks nice,

great decal sheet,

Julien

[jimbuna]

Yeah...the decal sheet looks good.

[Basosz]

I have the non-gift-set boxing of this kit and I am pretty sure I will be building this pretty soon cause it looks really, really good. The decal sheet is absolutely huge but is gorgeous!