American multi-role fighter aircraft F-16C Fighting Falcon COBI 5910 - Armed Forces 1:48

Did you know:

• In 1967, forward-thinking Colonel John Boyn assembled a team of outstanding designers, called the "Fighter Mafia", to prepare a lighter, more maneuverable, and cheaper aircraft to replace the aging F-104.
• During the development of the aircraft, the theory of "Energy and Maneuverability" by the brilliant mathematician Thomas Christie was taken into account.
• When the right people come together, the right thing emerges — and that was the versatile F-16 fighter, which at the time of its induction into the U.S. arsenal had no rival.
• Immediately after the first tests, it was clear that the designers had succeeded in building an extraordinary aircraft that has maintained air superiority even more than 50 years after its first flight.
• The fighter was designed to be deployed in any weather, day or night.
• The fighter’s structure withstands overloads of 9G, even with full fuel tanks.
• The production of a single F-16 requires 2,500 working hours (assembly + testing). Each aircraft contains 45,000 meters of electrical and optical cables.
• The C version is equipped with a modern AN/APG-68 radar, which enables combat beyond visual range.
• The Falcon is fitted with an advanced enemy weapons jamming system. So far, more than 4,500 units have been produced in various versions.
• The price of one aircraft, depending on its equipment, is around 500 million CZK.
• The Polish Air Force operates 36 F-16 aircraft in the most modern version, capable of carrying cruise missiles, plus another 12 training-combat F-16Ds.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: wingspan 9.8 m, length 14.8 m, height 4.8 m
• weight: 8,272 kg empty and 16,875 kg maximum
• powerplant: General Electric F100-PW-220 jet engine with thrust of 64.9 kN (max. 105.7 kN)
• fuel tank capacity: 3,104 kg
• maximum speed: 2,145 km/h
• rate of climb: 255 m/s
• maximum service ceiling: 18,500 m
• combat radius: 550 km
• maximum range: 4,800 km
  
• armament: built-in M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon, 20 mm caliber (510 rounds) + missiles on hardpoints up to 7,711 kg
• crew: 1 person

From the memories of Lt. J. Jernigan, Gulf War pilot:

“Our F-16 faced heavy anti-aircraft defenses during a mission over Kuwait. Iraqi air defenses fired 40 SA-2, SA-6, and SA-9 missiles at us within nine minutes. We managed to evade all of them and neutralized some. During the mission, our squadron destroyed ten SAM systems, and the path was clear for the bombers.”