Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon – 555th FS Triple Nickel, 31st FW, USAF, Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA38007: Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon #89-2035 of 555th FS Triple Nickel, 31st FW, USAF, Operation Iraqi Freedom 2004. Production run of 600 models.

Length 8.25 inches Wingspan 5.25 inches

Between December 2003 and March 2004 the 555th FS “Triple Nickel” / 31st FW was deployed in support of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” while flying from Aviano AB, Italy. On April 1, 1994 the 555th became part of the 31st FW newly based at Aviano. The 31st FW maintains two F-16 fighter squadrons, the 555th Fighter Squadron and the 510th Fighter Squadron. The F-16s came from the 512th and 526th FSs when they were disbanded in Germany. F-16CG 89-2035 was assigned to the 555th Commander.

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.