F-16C "Black Knights" In-box Review

Published on
November 13, 2015
Review Author(s)
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$52.99
Product / Stock #
07395
Company: Hasegawa - Website: Visit Site
Provided by: Hasegawa - Website: Visit Site
Box Art

In-box Review

Hasegawa’s 48th scale F-16s have been around for some time now. Although they are not the newest F-16s on the block, they are still venerable kits. This boxing is the upgraded F-16C Block 50/52 with markings for the Singaporean Air Force Black Knights demonstration team.

The kit consists of 121 pieces on 14 grey sprues and one clear sprue. Despite most of the kit being over 10 years old. The parts are relatively flash free and have nice recessed details. The detail overall on the kit is mixed. In some areas, like the cockpit and landing gear, you have relatively nice details. However, other areas, like the wheel wells and Pratt & Whitney engine nozzles leave a little to be desired. In any case, it is a great basis for building a 48th scale F-16C.

Included in the kit is everything you need to build the only decal option in the box: Singaporean Air Force Black Knights. While some minor details are left off the kit, like the AOA sensors on the nose (small pitot tubes essentially), Hasegawa does provide the smoke generator tube for the aft part of the fuselage. Hasegawa also provides four AIM-120s (two of the old tooling and two of the new tooling), two AIM-9M/L, two wing tanks, one centerline tank, and a travel pod. Other highlights are the inclusion of the big mouth and small mouth intakes, P&W and GE engine nozzles, bulged main landing gear doors, and a nice pilot figure with updated helmet/mask.

The clear parts are pretty clear. In order to get the bubble canopy look, Hasegawa had to use a two-part mold like most manufacturers. This results in a seam running down the outside of the canopy. This is typically easily cleaned up and polished. The decals provide options for every single-seat Black Knights aircraft. To my surprise, the white on the decals looks amazingly white. In the past, the Hasegawa decals I’ve seen had the white as an almost off-white. Kudos to Hasegawa for correcting their decal printing.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a nice representation of the F-16C. With a little research, you may be able to build a few different blocks of F-16C out of this box. The decals look great and will make for a sharp looking display aircraft. A special “Thank You” goes to Hobbico and Hasegawa for providing this kit and also to IPMS/USA for allowing me to provide an in-box review!

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