Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon – Red 01 / Blue Flanker, 64th AGRS USAF, Nellis 2012

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA38032: Lockheed F-16C Fighting Falcon Red 01 / Blue Flanker #84-1301 64th AGRS, 57th WG, USAF, Nellis AFB, NV, 2012. Production run of 500 models

Length 8.25 inches Wingspan 5.25 inches

The 64th Aggressor Squadron is assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft, painted in camouflage schemes identical to those observed on Russian-manufactured aircraft, providing Air Combat Manoeuvring training to USAF and other aviation forces in conjunction with Red Flag exercises. The unit operates in conjunction with the 65th Aggressor Squadron, currently flying the F-35A Lightning II. The purpose of the squadron is to teach adversarial tactics and provide dissimilar air combat training to US Air Force flying units.

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 manoeuvres 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.