1/72 F-16A No.322 Sqn RNLAF "40th Anniversary"
I had this Hasegawa ‘F-16A-Plus' Kit 601 partially built for some time and decided to finish it, but I wasn't sure which scheme to choose for painting.
Checking my decal stash, I found 'ModelDecal' Set #74 which features F-16A J-252 No.322 Sqn KLu. 1983 with its Special 40th Anniversary Scheme. The decals seemed thick at first but they went on quite well. They had a lot of glue on the back which was washed off prior to application. Decals were complimented from leftovers from an ESCI F-16A build.
Doing some quick (and not too complicated) math, it turns out its the "40th Anniversary" of their "40th Anniversary". Squadron moto is 'Niet Praten Maar Doen' which Google translated to 'Don't Talk But Do' or else 'Deeds Not Words'
Looking through my spare parts box, I happened to find original stabilizer tail plane pieces (probably from the old Revel F-16 kit H-222 which I had build back in the 1980's).
Following the F.S. numbers, Vallejo and AK Acrylics were used (I still need to apply the Micro Satin finish as a final coat).
The base stand was made in MS PowerPoint with items 'found' on the internet. Label was printed on a sticky pad and stuck to a wooden disc base then sprayed with Future/Pledge.
Online sources indicate J-252 was ex-USAF 78-0252, delivered 15 January 1982.
Same source recorded that J-252 had an unfortunate accident in October 1983. A Heron was ingested during take off, resulting in a crash which destroyed the front half of the aircraft and killed pilot Cpt J.C. De Vries.
Looks good in this livery, George, and the stand sets it off very effectively.
Thanks George @chinesegeorge), the red tail definite grabbed my attention.
Really nice result, George @georgeswork
You don't often see Dutch anniversary liveries. It turned out very good, as does the stand.
Thanks John (@johnb), in the last little while I found a few Dutch schemes decals - KLu 75 from ‘88 and the Diana Tail from ‘99. Now I wish I had purchased them.
Fantastic job, George! A beautiful scheme, perfectly rendered!
Thank you Spiros (@fiveten), I thought the double grey scheme wasn’t flashy enough - but that tail certainly brightens things up.
Very attractive display, George.
Thanks John (@j-healy), searching for images and designing the display base adds to the fun of finishing this build.
Hello George,
Excellent finish on this 1/72 scale F-16 from the "Koninklijke Luchtmacht". Over the years, there has been quite some special liveries applied to all kinds of aircraft in the inventory of the RNLAF.
"Niet praten maar doen" (Don't talk but do) is the "We can" mentality of the military in general (world wide)
"veel praten maar niets doen" (Months of talking but nothing gets done) is the motto from the politicians in The Netherlands. That is why these two groups do not mingle to well.
Thank you Dirk (@orion), I was a little nervous using the ModelDecal set, but was a little excited making a not too common finish. You’re correct about the special liveries - many to choose from if you can find the decals.
This website was a great source of info:
http://www.supercruise.nl/Articels/20%20years%20of%20special%20F-16/article__20_years_of_special%20F-16.html
Nice bright tail on that Falcon! Nicely done.
Thanks Greg (@gkittinger), I almost finish it with ‘wheels up’ but I caved to the old routine. I think I can fit more planes on my shelves using stands of different heights.
Nicely done George, I like anniversary schemes.
Thank you Allan (@kalamazoo), they certainly do add a splash of colour.
Super build George, she looks great! The base label is super nice too. 👍
Thanks Bob (@v1pro), happy I found these decals and they worked very well.
very atractive paiting! I like it!
Thank you Lis (@lis), glad you like it.
The simple red tail definitely improves the simple grey pattern.