Hasegawa 1:72 Scale F-16D Fighting Falcon Model Kit

This is one of Hasegawa’s older kits, but it builds quite well. The kit comes with one pilot figure, three drop tanks, two BL-755 cluster bombs, two AIM-9J sidewinders and two AIM-9M sidewinders. I used the drop tanks and one of each of the AIM-9s. I replaced the cluster bombs with SUU-20 practice bomb dispensers from the Hasegawa weapons set and used custom printed aftermarket decals for a specific aircraft I wanted to model. The build itself was hassle free, highly recommended.

I have built this kit before, so I already knew that it was a great 1/72nd scale kit to build. The kit came with all of it's parts, so I am very happy with the company that I purchased it from.

This is a great kit. The parts fit and assemble without having to work at it.

Hasegawa's 1/72 F-16D represent one of two F-16Ds stationed in Japan circa 1987 (Early Block 30/35). The copyright labels on the sprues date the tooling of this kit to the same year. As such, some of the equipment and markings are rather dated, including a pair of old-style high-drag bombs and older AIM-9 sidewinder models. You have the option to build the plane with either choice of engine - both the GE and P&W nozzles are supplied.The fit is fairly good, with the exception of the cockpit area - you only get one pilot figure for this two-seater trainer and the figure is oversized, meaning you'll need to sand his legs down quite significantly for him to fit. Cockpit detail is adequate but otherwise unimpressive at 1/72. Thankfully, the flat control panel surfaces mean that installation of a photoetch cockpit set shouldn't be too difficult.The exterior will require a little work - this kit shares much of its tooling with Hasegawa's other 1/72 F-16C with the exception of the upper fuselage, which has naturally been reshaped to accommodate the real seat. You'll need to saw or file off some details used on the F-16C but not the F-16D. it's not a terribly difficult modification, but it's a little unsettling if you're used to modern kits where this detail would be represented by an additional part added later, rather than molded on to the fuselage itself.The stores included in the kit contain a centerline fuel tank, two larger wing fuel tanks, four sidewinders (2 AIM-9J and 2 AIM-9Ls), and two old-style high drag gravity bombs.The most difficult and annoying part of the kit is by far the undercarriage. The detail is good, but some of the struts are easily damaged when attempting to remove them from the sprue, and the pins that hold the parts in the slots in the landing gear bay are too small. This resulted in my build tilting a bit to one side. Not the worst thing in the world, but noticeable.

I worked on this specific aircraft in real life when stationed at Misawa in the US Air Force. Building the kit is itself enjoyable and brings back good memories. I think it’s pretty darn accurate, right down to the chaff and flare dispensers.

Needs more variety with ordnance/missiles. One option is to leave an empty pylon