Lockheed F-16D Fighting Falcon – 336 Mira Tigers, Hellenic Air Force, Araxos AB, Greece, 2017

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA3888: Lockheed F-16D Fighting Falcon #029 of 336 Mira Tigers, Hellenic Air Force, Araxos AB, Greece, 2017

Length 8.25 inches Wingspan 5.25 inches

Formed on October 10, 1941 the 335th Mira (callsign Tigers) is the oldest active Hellenic Air Force squadron. The unit is part of the 116 Combat Wing stationed at Araxos AB and in 1993 after the First Gulf War, received 62 surplus USAF A-7H Corsairs. These aircraft were used until 2008 when the 335 Mira began receiving the new F-16D and became operational in 2010 as a multi-role squadron. In 1972 335 Mira became a member of the NATO Tiger Association and are called “Aegean Tigers”.

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.