Academy 1/72 Lockheed Martin KF-16C Korean Air Force 12418
One of the key factors in a modern combat aircraft is versatility. A plane able to serve in a variety of roles can reduce the overall cost of operations by limiting the number of components needed for maintance. If one type plane can serve effectively in fighter, bomber or reconnaissance roles, that is one thing, but if it only requires the mounting of detachable pods or racks without changing the machine itself, you have a virtual one-plane air force. The nimble General Dynamics F-16 fighting Falcon is just that machine. Winner of a light-weight fighter competition in 1975, the F-16 has become one of the most successful combat plane in history. It can carry more than thirty different types of offensive or defensive weapons and eletronics pods in combinations weighting up to ten tons. It is permanently armed with a 20mm M61A rotary cannon located in the fuselage and usually carries a pair of AIM-9 sidewinder air to air missiles attached to it's wingtips.
The F-16 is one of the few post-Vietnam fighters to have engaged in combat, and it has proven to be as dffective as it was intended. One of the most notable uses of the little fighter was in the bombing attack on Iraq's nuclear weapons plant, destroying the operation before it could become a force of destruction. The nimble maneuverability of the Fighting Falcon makes it the ideal mount for the famous U.S.Air Force Thunderbird acrobatic demonstration team. At the peak of its performance it can exceed mach 2, yet it can twist and turn so tightly it can turn inside many modern jet adversaries. This permits it to perform the spectacular maneuvers that excite the air show crowds. The effectiveness of this little fighter has led to its use by NATO forces alongside the larger F-15Eagle. Besides the U.S.Air Force and navy, the F-16 is operated by a dozen other countries.
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