F-16C Fighting Falcon U.S. Air Force “Vipers,” USAF HA3816 1:72

Hobby Master F-16C Fighting Falcon Close Air Support (CAS), “Vipers,” USAF. Item: HA3816 Scale: 1:72 True 1/72 scale. Professionally painted. Great attention to detail. All markings are Tampoed (pad applied). The F-16 Fighting Falcon was produced by General Dynamics who became Lockheed who then merged with Martin Marietta to become Lockheed Martin. The F-16 entered service in January 1979 as a multi-role jet fighter that evolved into an all-weather multi-role aircraft capable of sustaining 9-g turns. The F-16 is relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain so the U.S. and 25 other countries added it to their inventory. The Fighting Falcon is referred to by its pilots as the “Viper” and will remain in USAF service until 2025. An attempt to replace the A-10 Thunderbolt II with a modified version of the F-16 was started in the 1980’s. Seven Block F-16Cs were set aside and painted in a charcoal lizard scheme, 83-1128 was one of these aircraft. The aircraft would be designated A-16 and would be a dedicated to CAS (Close Air Support) and BAI (Battlefield Air Interdiction). The A-16 was to be equipped with a 30mm cannon and strengthened wing structures to accommodate 7.62 mm mini-pods or other anti-tank weapons. The 30 mm gun produced so much heat that it singed the interior components on the left side of the fuselage and the project ended.