Paint and markings for an early F16-A ?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

While I know it’s fraught with danger to use box art as a painting guide, the old ESCI kit I am working on at the moment has as box art: All-over one colour grey (topside and underside) High-viz stars and bars, and a black radome cone. None of the paint scemes in the instructions are close. Low viz stars and bars, two-tone light ghost grey and medium ghost grey, with a darker grey for the radome. Could the box art be accurate ? IIRC, USAF changed to low-viz markings in the early 80’s ? and the F16 was already in service before then. As for a single colour scheme, I can only find it on european examples.

2

The development F-16s went thru numerous paint schemes before the three tone gray was finally settled upon. Nearly all were low vis but there were a few monotone or two tone schemes. I have most of them in some old IPMS Quarterlies from back then (late 70s early 80s) I’ll take a look later tonite and see if I can dig up any montone gray if that is what youa re looking for. And, yes, as far as I know, Norway is the only country who went with an overall single gray on their operational F-16s.

3

I can’t find my old Air Force Almanac from 1980 but here is a link that might be able to answer your question.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewforum-f-15-sid-826467d53da34ab27c950ec001378022.html

4

I had a look in the old IPMS Quarterly library of mine. The first five production F-16As were painted Neutral Gray 36270 overall with a black radome. Markings were subdued in Dark Gull Gray, according to the article. All this was around 1978 or so. (the F-16 prototypes were rolled out in Bicentenial colors of Red/White/Blue around 1976 IIRC)

5

Thanks Stik, looks like it is feasable then. I’ll just stick with low-viz stars and bars.

Appreciate it.

6

This pic may also help

http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item16785.html

The four on the left appear to be overall single-tone grey with black radomes.

7

Your welcome there. I have the serial numbers if you want them and are going for 100% marking accuracy. These were strictly developmental birds, probably flown at Edwards AFB for flight/weapons testing, not operational fighter squadron ones.