F16 Falcon 50 Anniversary   1/32

The General Dynamics F-16 Falcon is an American single-engine, multirole light fighter and stormtrooper. Work on the F-16 project began in 1971 at the General Dynamics group (which became part of the Lockheed Martin giant in 1993) and was part of a competition for a light multirole fighter (LWF) for the U.S. Air Force. The F-16 prototype first flew on February 2, 1974. A technical breakthrough was the use of an automated electric fly-by-wire control system, which allowed for the reduction of the wing and tail area and thus the weight of the entire aircraft. The F-16 was the first fighter in the world to use such a system. Early versions were constructed largely of aluminum alloys (approximately 83% of the total structure), but over time composites were used. The various versions of the F-16 are powered by three engine versions: the Pratt-Whitney F-100-PW-200, the General Electric F-110-GE100, and the Pratt-Whitney F-100-PW-2020. The "brain" of the guidance system was the APG-66 radar, later replaced by the APG-68(V) radar. It is worth noting that the YF-16 design proved so successful that it not only won the LWF competition in the US (competing with the Northrop YF-17 aircraft) but also won a 100-year contract for a multi-role fighter for European NATO countries. Its rivals were the Dassault Mirage F.1 and SAAB J-37 Viggen aircraft. Serial production of the F-16 began in 1975. It was also adopted by European NATO countries, for whom it provided an injection of new aviation technologies. Final assembly was carried out in the US, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The first serial F-16A Fighting Falcon flew on August 7, 1978. It is an attack version of the F-16, primarily intended to engage ground targets. The F-16 also proved itself in combat, with a series of aerial victories in the Lebanon War (1982) and during Operation Desert Storm (1991). By the end of the 20th century, more than 4,000 of this successful aircraft had been produced. There were six basic versions of the F-16, designated A, C, E (single-seater) and B, D, F (two-seater). Based on these six models, numerous upgrades were made, usually associated with the replacement of the avionics, designated "Blok." Since 2006, the F-16 has also served in Polish aviation. The Polish Ministry of Defense decided that the F-16 would be the backbone of its modernized air force and rejected offers from Dessault and SAAB, although in this case they were Mirrage F2000 and JAS-39 Grippen fighters. This was undoubtedly the highest amount proposed by the American company as part of the so-called counter-transaction. Technical specifications: Maximum speed: 2,170 km/h, rate of climb: 254 m/s, maximum ceiling: 15,240 m, maximum range: 3,890 km, armament: fixed - a 20mm six-barrel M61A-1 cannon, suspended - up to 9,275 kg payload.