STILL THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE FIGHTER: F-16 FIGHTING FALCON VIDEO KIT-BUILD

NEARLY 4600 F-16 FIGHTING FALCONS have been built since 1973. Today the US Air Force still flies the F-16, as do 25 other air arms. And that ubiquity is matched by model manufacturers, including Hasegawa.

F-16 VERTICAL CLIMB OFF THE DECK: ZERO TO 15,000 FEET IN 45 SECONDS

WE LIKE FLIGHT AND FLYING so offer no excuses for showing this short-short movie clip, shot on a GoPro from the front seat of an F-16 Fighting Falcon combat jet.

LIVE FIRING: TARGET SHOOT WITH A SIDEWINDER MISSILE

You keen on modelling the F-16? Ever spent time painting and positioning the wingtip missiles? Well, here's a chance to see what one looks like for real as it flies 'off the rail' at a target.

VIDEO AD - ROBOT vs. F-16 DOGFIGHT IN TURKISH AIRSPACE

SMN couch potato time:

This is ‘sorta amazing’ as advertising concepts go and it’s also a creative take on the many Japanese transformer toys and model kits available. Here we have a Turkish Air Force jet-jockette (and, it has to be said, very fetching) mother who manages to leave her coffee mug at home before the day’s mission.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIGHTING FALCON - THE F-16 FIRST FLEW 37 YEARS AGO

The General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon first flew on February 2, 1974, and since its active entry in August four years later, has been in continuous service ever since.

From lightweight fighter to heavyweight attacker

The F-16 was developed originally as a lightweight day fighter, but has evolved into a much bigger, heavier, and more powerful beast since then - it’s now a highly successful all-weather multirole machine  that is flown by the air arms of some 26 different countries. For a jet fighter, production numbers are eyebrow-raising at 4450 manufactured so far, with more orders to come. However, to put that production number into perspective, Russia’s MiG-15 tops the charts with a likely total of some 18,000-plus, though a precise figure doesn’t seem to be available.

1:48 scale F-16 kits to buy

There are more F-16 kits than you can shake a stick at, so we’re just going to pick three of our faves - they come from Hasegawa, and are in big scales. The 1:48 scale F-16E Limited Edition has 146 components, including the conformal fuel tanks that give the aircraft much added range. Aesthetically, they don’t add the the F-16’s dainty looks, but to our eyes, the bumps, blisters, sensors, and other military extras give the aircraft a tough appeal of its own.

F-16 at Red Flag

The Hasegawa F-16i is an Israeli version, also in 1:48 scale. Like the original it has those conformal fuel tanks, very noticeable in the pic above, where you can see a pair of these jets, flying at the 2009 Red Flag combat-training exercise in the skies of the US Nevada Test and Training Range.

‘SPECIAL COLORS’ F-16 FIGHTING FALCON FROM ITALERI

David Jefferis reports
The first production-standard F-16 fighter jet flew 36 years ago this month, and the type is still in front-line service across the world, with more than 4400 having been built, and customers still lining up for new ones. The basic design has been improved vastly over the years, especially where electronics and mission capabilities are concerned, but the basic shape and size remains much the same, a testament to the General Dynamics team that designed the aircraft back in the 1970s.

New markings from Italeri
Model manufacturers number the F-16 as one of their most popular modern jet subjects, and new kits continue to be released. This time it’s a very neat Italeri 1:48 scale offering, and it’s been given an excellent set of markings, called ‘Special Colors’ on the box. The decals are quite excellent, neatly and accurately printed, and give you a choice of tails - we rate the brooding tiger especially - or green-and-black chequerboard display markings.

In the box
As for the kit itself, Italeri claim it’s ‘new’ but we’re not quite sure how much of the kit is actually brand-new tooling. No matter - the parts are cleanly pressed, with tidy detail throughout, though a word of warning. The F-16’s canopy is a frameless design that gives the pilot unparalleled all-round vision, but the modelmaker has to be very careful indeed when removing this clear part from the runner. Take your time, use the sharpest blade possible, and be prepared for some gentle polishing to keep that canopy sparkling clear.  

On the video
The aerobatics on the video were flown in the grey and claggy skies of Europe by Belgian Air Force Commander ‘Mickey’ Artiges of the Belgian Air Force. Note the condensation trails coming off the leading edges of the wings as Artiges pulls gee in turns. It’s an inspiring display of expert flying, filmed by the Euro video producer Pro-Wing.


Visit Italeri here.

And lots more F-16s here.

Pictures courtesy Italeri.