How to apply the reinforcement plates

on your F-16A/B MLU

All NATO F-16A/B MLU have special shaped reinforcement plates in front of the tail.
None of the F-16 kits supply these reinforcement plates yet, and although these are quite thin (8 mm in real, or 0,110 mm in 1/72 // 0,165 mm in 1/48), they are quite noticeable on the aircraft & model.
These reinforcement plates are designed based on the real shape, so not based on the fuel panels of the various F-16A/B models.

DACO supplies these reinforcement plates as free bonus with the new F-16A/B MLU decal sheets.

1/72:

1/48:

(different branded vinyl to respect the respective thickness in scale)

 

As they are quite small and fragile, please follow these steps to get them on your model:

Step 1: Peel off the outer vinyl, leaving the reinforcement plates on their place:

 

Step 2: Take a piece of tape, place it on your skin to reduce the sticking of it, and stick it on one set of the reinforcement plates:

 

Step 3: Make the fuel plates more visible and mark the center of the fuselage, so you can align the reinforcement plates on their correct place:

 

Step 4: Remove the tape, and press the reinforcement plates on the model.
For the 1/72nd scale version you can go slightly with fine sandpaper over it to reduce the gloss surface, so the paint will stick better.
The 1/48 has already a matt surface, so using sandpaper won't be needed here

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