Kitbash Viper XI & XII from the same F-16 model kit

[YOULI]

Here is a special project started 3 years ago.
I found two "donor kits" for my various kitbashes projects. I discovered that two F-16 kits were actually issued on the very same mold. One should be a bootleg I think.
The idea was to develop two different viper-like one-man starships from the very same kit. In fact simply take what parts was needed for one and for another.

Here is what I ended up with...



Here are the model kits boxes, 1/72. Those are very gross, and ugly kits but that's the perfect opportunity to a kitbash ! No moral questions. No hesitation what'so ever...



Kit parts. Note the dark F-16 already started...



I start by cutting the F-16 still on the sprue. I thought to gather the two parts (the edges of the cockpit) to build the nose. I will change my mind, the general line would have been too thin !



I use some sprue to build the nose part. The back is cut to complete the Engine Area.



The other F-16 get the two air entries, all for itself, and I really love the look of it.



Problem of scale. 1/72 ? 1/48 ? 1/60 ? What's the more logical ?



The two birdies are almost done in their general line. What I didn't use for one, is use for the other. That's the purpose and the logic in that "excercise". Some kits parts, and other sources will be added like the rocket engines, but for the most parts, only the two F-16 were used here.




Some check phase to determine what wings to use here. The F-16 wings are too common and too heavy. I have to give it an elegant look, a dynamic design. I've got the little wings of the F-16, some VF-0 stuff, i've done some pictures to the front and to the rear to find out if a YF-19 look would be fine here. That would defenitly give a Sci-fi look too...
But I will first add some parts and details on the engine block. Some VT-1 parts, even Strike Gundam weapons...



All of this could have been fine but I choose to complicate things with parts from a WWII plane, the Black Widow, that could be, once cut, the answer of what I need.



With this paper sheet to hide the rear part, you'll see what I see...



The result once cut.



The two birdies took form... They already have a very different look...



The Viper XI is like a dart. I will add the back wings of the F-16, that will give him a "Matsumoto" look, a design i really appreciate.



Here we can see the black widow parts, that seems the perfect fit for this one. The more you use parts like this, the less you use putty or resin to fill the gap. Plus, it's certainly is the perfect answer to glue on the future wings.



Here is the Viper XI with its wings and the Viper XII with a nose done with Valkyrie VT-1 arm, and a up version with F-16 wings. More "wipeout" like, but I really like the result... Will check on it later...



As usual, stay tune folks !

 

[Grendels]

Nice work, one of them reminds me of a show I watched long ago called Galaxy Rangers.

 

[YOULI]

Galaxy Rangers... 1985 or 1986 maybe... Remember the TV show, got several action figures, even the cybernetic horses, don't have a clue of what they had as starships

 

[Grendels]

Here is a link to a scratch build of one of the star ships. This one is the interceptor:

http://www.therpf.com/f11/galaxy-rangers-interceptor-completed-140043/

 

[YOULI]

Excellent !

 

[YOULI]

As planned a lot of mastic and sanding, but some detailing too...

Let's go for pictures and some comments.

I work on two kitbashes at once with the very same F-16 model kit. That's for fun, but I can also study the way I build them, take a look at what I do in parallel. That's the fun part...
Here they are, putty has been applyed and the N°XI wings has been chosen : it's Sukhoi 1/72 back wings. It's a perfect fit and even with limited glue points, it will stay in the desired angle.



The back of the thrusters are done with the two F-16 engine plus the VT-1 engine, with a circle taken from a tank, while I modified some bottle caps (toothpaste) that will be there shortly.



The wings are glued and while it dry all that will be place on a good stand for no shaking surprises.



But first let's sand a lot to gain some level with the nose, done with Valkyrie arms.



I'm pleased with the result but something is missing. I work on the edges with sprues from the VT-1. There will be less putty needed to obtain the edges I want. Then some detail in the nose (sorry, no picture).



The cockpit is detailed and the pilot will be the horrible one from the big AMT X-wing. The canopy is the one from the VT-1.



The glue point is fine, but I will add some sprues parts and F-15 kit parts. The rest of the kit will be useful in order to do some X-303 from Stargate. Since the n°XI look like the Wraith Dart, it's only logical don't you think ?



N°XII is peaceful, but not for long. Putty and mastic plastic has been applied, and it needed to dry much longer.
The little canard wings pleased me, but the engine area will be completed, the F-15 thrusters are glued, and some parts from the FG 1/144 Strike gundam give an entirely new design dynamic. SOme sanding to do for the afternoon...

 

[Grendels]

I love where you are going with this!

 

[YOULI]

I loved it too...
Too bad I never really finished it. I transported them for a Local exhibition and then let them in boxes, one has been crushed (the first "big" kitbashes, N°3 and 4 that I will present you sooner or later, along with Leukirix Viper, a Kitbash that was made to complete a scratch kit built by a friend...) and therefore I felt sorry for me.

My Viper n°14 actually cheer me up and made me wonder how to finish my previous kitbashes, or fix them.

This posts of mine, showing what i've done this past few years, in a matter of days, is a way, somehow, to motivate me fixing my kits.

 

[YOULI]

Let's consolidate the parts, the XI's wings, the gaps on the XII's nose.

And putty, and sanding, and putty again, and sandin (repeat it twice ! )



The Thrusters of XII has been placed and painted with a spray can in aluminum and then a coat of clear orange (just for fun, no real reason, found it nice).





It's a bit messy, but that will be solved after more detailing and sanding.

 

[YOULI]

Get more putty, liquid type, (Mr Surfacer) on the kitbashes and let it dry a bit.



Then I go for adding some metal (photo-etch leftovers bought to a British guy at a local Model kit convention, I've got enough to play with for years), and scrib a little... I really don't like this kind of exercise, and the result is, to say the least, bad IMHO...
I add some plastic strips too (the one you use to hang up wires you know... I found this kind on the ground all the time...).

 

[YOULI]

At "Fête du mini" at Saint Fargeau, a local Model kit convention in 2009, where folks building "common" planes, tanks and cars, welcomed us with a lot of curiosity and interest. Sci-fi is still an uncommon hobby in France. People are not used to see that much of model kit on that subject.



(if you want to see the all album, follow this link http://burogu.makotoworkshop.org/index.php?post/2009/07/13/Expo-%3A-La-F%C3%AAte-du-Mini-2- )


At CHibi Japan Expo in November 2010 it was exhibit "as is " in order to do some conference about kitbashes.



There is 8 kitbashes here, the "little" ones next to the Star Destroyer (AMT) I heavily moified, and a modified Facon (AMT).
There is still one I need to show you, made from an Etendard Fighter, a french plane, 1/72 from Academy. There is some small kit parts used to resume the detailing on my Star Destroyer. I wanted badly to share this knowledge about Kitbash with everyone, but this kind of convention don't allow you to retain attention for too long. Even with images, a big screen and a microphone, it's still hard to have someone paying attention to what you have to say. A pity, but my fault, since it's not the kinda public interested in this.

And that's it for the moment, but it's not the end of it...