Kinetic 48005 1/48 Mô Hình Máy Bay - Lockheed-Martin F-16NG or F-16NJ 'USAF Viper' Block 4

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

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

Lucky Model was kind enough to forward samples of this F-16DG/F-16DJ and the F-16AM releases for review and we did pour through the F-16AM kit in our review here. On opening the box, you'll see some serious details and tooling that are are not available in any other F-16D kit. We won't waste time rehashing the comparison of the Tamiya and Hasegawa kits, you can read all of that here). Let's quickly review the different USAF designations that are used interchangeably (and somewhat confusingly) with this subject:

The F-16A and F-16C are single-seat fighters. The F-16B and F-16D are the two-seat trainers. These trainers have all of the same combat capabilities of their single-seat counterparts save one - range. The second seat is occupying space that would have been one of the main body fuel tanks.

The F-16CG and F-16DG refer to the single- and two-seat (respectively) night-attack variants of the Viper in which the LANTIRN pods were developed to provide these aircraft with night vision. The advent of more modern pods and night vision goggles have given other Viper variants even better night attack capabilities now than the F-16CG/DG, but these are slated for CCIP upgrades once the F-16CJ/DJ have completed their upgrade cycles. The F-16CG/DG are also referred to as Block 40 and Block 42. Block 40 means that the F-16CG or F-16DG is powered by the GE F110 engine with the widemouth inlet, while the Block 42 designation means that the aircraft is Pratt-powered and has the narrow-mouth inlet.

The F-16CJ and F-16DJ refer to the SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) versions of the Viper in which the aircraft is fitted with the HARM Targeting System (HTS) pod on the starboard side of the inlet and armed with the AGM-88 HARM missiles. Block 50 F-16CJ/DJ Vipers are GE-powered with the widemouth inlets and the Block 52 F-16CJ/DJ Vipers are Pratt-powered with the narrow-mouth inlets.

The F-16 CCIP (common configuration implementation program) is a series of upgrades to the F-16CJ/DJ to modernize the avionics and weapons capabilities and add night attack capabilities. CCIP Vipers have the distinctive 'bird cutter' IFF antennas ahead of the windscreen and a number of subtle upgrades around the airframe and cockpit. These versions can retain the SEAD mission and still perform night attack by moving the HTS pod to the port (station 5L) side of the inlet and mounting LITENING or SNIPER on station 5R, or simply use one or the other as mission requirements dictate. F-16CG/DG Vipers are completing their own CCIP upgrades which will give them improved night attack as well as SEAD capabilities.

So what does all of that have to do with this kit? Kinetic has released this kit which represents the Block 40, Block 50, and the CCIP Block 40/50 variants, all in this one box. You can only build one variant from this kit, but you have lots of choices. The instructions have you build the Block 50 in the CCIP configuration and the Block 40 without CCIP, but you can do Block 40 with/without CCIP and ditto the Block 50.

The kit is molded in medium gray styrene and presented on 19 parts trees, plus two trees of clear parts. The breakdown of the kit is similar to Tamiya except they haven't tackled a two-seater (yet). The only F-16D prior to this release was from Hasegawa.

If you've seen the F-16AM review, you know that Kinetic produced a nice upper fuselage half, but for some unknown reason (to me), they did another one that has the same two upper fuselage panels molded separately from the starboard side below the vertical stab. Do any of you know of a reason why these panels would be molded separately? I haven't any idea.