So we finally come to the meat and potato parts of the build: painting and finishing. I begin with a base coat of Mr Hobby Black Surfacer 1500 thinned with Mr Leveling Thinner which results in a smooth and semi-gloss surface. This is now my go-to base coat when I can spray outdoors. For the …...

It’s been a long WIP but it’s finally the last post for this one. The kit only comes with decals for the console details although it comes with detailed foot pedals. Very odd choice by Academy. There’s no open canopy option although I’ve always intended to keep this one closed anyway so I’ll live with...

Since I took the time to correct 1 aspect of the kit, I inevitably had to go ahead and try to correct the other more obvious ones. Unlike the Hasegawa kit, the missile rails here are separate but was designed to fit in a strange way with the connecting point being visible. The tab also …...

Work continues wiith corrections and making my life easier after assembly. The Aggressor F-16A usually flies clean without any pylons and stores. The kit comes with the holes for the pylons already open and will need to be filled. First I closed up the holes from the inside with plastic plates. I then inserted sprues …...

More work with plastic plates in this post. Let’s get to it. The gearbays on this kit are all bare. This is especially obvious when comparing them to the ones on the Tamiya kit. The intake when fitted leaves a noticeable step on the port side joint. Luckily it’s only a matter of trimming the …...

Seeing as how badly I’d done my 414th CTS F-16C and how it has fallen apart, I’ve decided to have another go at an F-16 for this year’s annual Aggressor build. Based on some research, I thought the Academy would be a simplified version of the Hasegawa kit and therefore would be a quick build. …...