General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon – Esk 727, Royal Danish Air Force, Flyvestation Skrydstrup, Denmark, Danish Air Force 66th Anniversary 2016

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA3881: Lockheed F-16AM Fighting Falcon E-008 of Eskadrille 727, Royal Danish Air Force, Flyvestation Skrydstrup, Denmark, Danish Air Force 66th Anniversary 2016. Production run of only 500 models.

Length 8.25 inches Wingspan 5.25 inches

In 2016 F-16AM E-0008 was given a special paint scheme on the tail to mark the “66th Anniversary of the Royal Danish Air Force”. The aircraft began construction in 1987 as 87-0008 U.S. serial and delivered to the RDAF in April 1989 with serial E-0008. Esk (Eskadrille) 727 located at Skrydstrup; was the first Danish squadron to receive the F-16. Being the first meant Esk 727 would become the training squadron. When Esk 730 also completed transitioning to the F-16 Esk 727 duties for training were given to Esk 723.

Designed by General Dynamics as a lightweight, daytime USAF air-combat fighter, the F-16 was first flown on January 20th, 1974. This single-engine, supersonic aircraft has, over the years, evolved into a multirole aircraft. It has a frameless bubble canopy-giving its pilot superior visibility-and it uses advanced aerodynamics. The F-16 was one of the first designs to use a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire system, which helps it pull 9-g maneuvers and achieve speeds of more than Mach 2. Called “Viper” by its pilots, the F-16 is considered one of the most successful aircraft designs of the Cold War, with 4,400+ aircraft built since 1976.