Hobby Master 1/72 F-16I Sufa "Operation Outside the Box" No.470, 253 Squadron, 2022

The F-16 Fighting Falcon was produced by General Dynamics who became Lockheed who then merged with Martin Marietta to become Lockheed Martin. The F-16 entered service in January 1979 as a multi-role jet fighter that evolved into an all-weather multi-role aircraft capable of sustaining 9-g turns. The F-16 is relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain so the U.S. and 25 other countries added it to their inventory. The Fighting Falcon is referred to by its pilots as the "Viper"; and will remain in USAF service until 2025.

With tension in the Middle East always being very high and with the thought of Syria having nuclear capabilities the Israelis decided they had to do something to prevent this. So 30 minutes prior to midnight on September 5, 2007 8 Israeli aircraft from Squadron 69, Squadron 119 and 253 departed for the al-Kibar nuclear facility. After flying over Lebanon and the full length of Syria the aircraft located the objective and dropped 17 tons of PGBs on the site. At 2:30 AM September 6 the target was confirmed destroyed without Israeli losses.

Role:	Multi-role fighter
Manufacturer :	General Dynamics Corp. / Lockheed Martin Corp
Initial Unit cost :	F-16C/D, $20 million plus
First Deployed :	January 1979
(F-16A)Crew :	1 x F-16C / 1 or 2 x F-16D
Power Plant :	F-16C/D
	1 x Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or
	1 x General Electric F110-GE-100/129
Thrust :	F-16C/D / 27,000 lb (12,150 kg)
Length:	49 ft, 5 in (14.8 m)
Wingspan	32 ft 8 in (9.8 m)
Height:	16 ft (4.8 m)
Speed:	1,500 mph (Mach 2 @ altitude)
Ceiling:	Above 50,000 (15 km)
Maximum Takeoff Weight:	37,500 lb (16,875 kg)
Range:	Greater than 2,425 mi (2,100 nm / 3,900 km)
Combat Radius:	F-16C 851.6 mi (1,370 km / 740 nm) w/ 2 x 2,000 lb bombs + 2 x AIM-9 + 1,040 U.S. gal external tanks
	391.3 mi (630 km / 340 nm) w/ 4 x 2,000 lb bombs + 2 x AIM-9 + 340 U.S. gal external tanks
	230.2 mi (370 km / 200 nm) + 2 hr. 10 min. patrol w/ 2 x AIM-7 + 2 x AIM-9 + 1,040 lb U.S. gal external tanks
Armament:	1 x M-61A1 20mm multi-barrel cannon with 500 rounds
	1 x M-61A1 20mm multi-barrel cannon with 500 rounds
	External stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles
	Conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions
	Electronic countermeasure pods.