Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series HA38045 Lockheed F-16D Fighting Falcon Diecast Model USAF Thunderbirds, #7, Buzz Aldrin, Kennedy Space Center, FL, 2017. Lockheed F-16D Fighting Falcon. The Thunderbirds Aerobatic Team began using the F-16 in 1983. While the demsontrations themselves are typically performed using single-seat F-16C variants, the team also includes two-seat F-16Ds that are used for press-flights and to serve as back-up aircraft. In 2017, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, then 87, flew with the U. Air Force Thunderbirds at Kennedy Space Center. The flight celebrated his legendary career and contributions to space exploration. Aldrin, a former fighter pilot, experienced aerobatic maneuvers, including high-speed rolls and loops. The Thunderbirds honored him with a personalized flight suit and helmet. Despite his age, Aldrin handled the intense G-forces with enthusiasm, showcasing his enduring passion for aviation. The event coincided with the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, reinforcing his legacy as a space and aviation icon. Designed by General Dynamics as a lightweight, daytime USAF air-combat fighter, the F-16 was first flown on January 20th, 1974. This single-engine, supersonic aircraft has, over the years, evolved into a multirole aircraft. It has a frameless bubble canopy-giving its pilot superior visibility-and it uses advanced aerodynamics. The F-16 was one of the first designs to use a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire system, which helps it pull 9-g maneuvers and achieve speeds of more than Mach 2. Called “Viper” by its pilots, the F-16 is considered one of the most successful aircraft designs of the Cold War, with 4,400+ aircraft built since 1976. Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale F-16 is constructed using an intelligent mix of diecast metal and plastic, which allows for the greatest possible detail. Among this model’s most remarkable features are an articulating hinged opening canopy that closes with almost no visible gap and landing gear that has been constructed as subassemblies for easy configuration. It also includes a large number of pad-printed flight instruments and a rudder and engine intake that are accurately replicated in plastic. The models in this series cover early variants to the most advanced later variants featuring conformal fuel tanks as well as both single and two seat variants. Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series. The Hobby Master “1:72 Air Power Series” range presents detailed, ready-made diecast models of military aircraft. Hobby Master “1:72 Air Power Series” diecast airplanes feature. Diecast metal construction with some plastic components. Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details. Pad printed markings and placards that won’t fade or peel like decals. Presentation stand to display the aircraft “in flight”. Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.
