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I recently got the plans for the Centuri F-16 Fighter from the "Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe" website as I want to clone this kit. I built one when I was a kid in the late 70's.

Then I started to look for picture references and stumbled on something interesting when I checked the old catalogs on Ninfinger: I noticed some differences between the original three kits issued in early 1976 and the later kits. The first thing I noticed was that on the Centuri 1976 catalog, all three kits (F-4, F-15, and F-16) had the "drop fuel" pods with "semi-pointy" nose cones at both ends. On subsequent catalogs all kits (including the newer kits) were shown with a more "rounded" nose cone and with a "pointy / two wing" tail.

The F-4 Phantom on the 1976 catalog is shown with only two missiles at the bottom and with what looks like the launch lug between them. Also the pod supports look small. On later catalogs it has the newer "rounded NC / winged" fuel tanks mounted on longer, more angled pod supports. The missiles have been relocated further out and in their original location are two fins. I can only guess those two fins were later added and the pod supports were longer to add flight stability to the kit.

The F-15 Eagle is shown on the 1976 catalog with no fins at the bottom and with short pod supports. On later catalogs two fins were added to the bottom of the kit and the pod supports seem to be longer and more angled as well. Again, probably to add flight stability.

Besides the change in drop fuel pods, looks like there were no other changes to the F-16 .

My question are:
Did Centuri actually sell kits as they were originally shown in their first 1976 catalog?
Did anyone build a kit as it was originally shown in that 1976 catalog?

I know there are kits as they were shown in later catalogs as I had the F-16 and it was as it was shown in later catalogs. Inquiring minds would like to know...

Attached find pictures of the kits as they appear in the Ninfinger website. Gotta love the prices then...

BTW, anyone has one of these kits built and can post a clear close up of the drop tanks and the missiles? I want to try to recreate these and 3D print them for my clone.

V/R,

R_R