Even at the ripe old age of 20, the F-16 Falcon remains a fast and potent favorite among fighter pilots, and one of the best fighters in its class. Designed originally as a no-frills, single-engine "hot rod", the addition of improved radar and weaponry have made the Falcon a super, lightweight jet. Used mainly as a bomber, the Fighting Falcon can also turn-and-burn with unbridled fury when provoked. It is also one of the first operational fly-by-wire aircraft; its flight controls being electronically operated and computer controlled. A 20mm cannon, Maverick missiles, and laser-guided bombs make the F-16 a potent multi-role fighter. However, it's light weight, speed and agility make it the choice of the US Air Force's Thunderbirds aerobatic team.

The F-16C (single seat) and F-16D (two seat) variants entered production in 1984. The first C/D version was the Block 25 with improved cockpit avionics and radar which added all-weather capability with beyond-visual-range (BVR) AIM-7 and AIM-120 air-air missiles. Block 30/32, 40/42, and 50/52 were later C/D versions. The F-16C/D had a unit cost of US$18.8 million (1998). Operational cost per flight hour has been estimated at $7,000 to $22,470 or $24,000, depending on calculation method.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale diecast replica of a F-16C Viper fighter that was attached to the 93rd Fighter Squadron "Makos", 482nd Fighter Wing, then deployed to Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, during 2025. Comes in a Have Glass paint scheme. "Have Glass" is a series of radar-absorbent material (RAM) coatings applied to F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to reduce their radar cross-section (RCS) and enhance survivability. The coating, often featuring a dark gray, metallic, or "dirty" appearance (specifically Have Glass V), contains microscopic metal particles and includes a gold-tinted cockpit canopy to deflect radar signals. Pre-order! Ship Date: October 2026.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 7-inches
Length: 8-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Makos" - The 93rd Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Makos, is part of the Air Force Reserve Command's 482nd Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. Originally formed in June 1943 as the 93rd Troop Carrier Squadron, the squadron participated on the Western Front flying Douglas C-47 Skytrains dropping paratroopers and releasing gliders during Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden and the Siege of Bastogne before being inactivated in June 1946. The Makos were reactivated as a reserve squadron in June 1949, which they continue to be as of 2019. Between 1949 and 1989, the squadron flew a variety of types such as the Curtiss C-46 Commando, Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star and McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. Since 1995, the Makos have flown the General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, in which they have conducted air superiority missions over Iraq as part of Operation Northern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom.