Preorder Expected Arrival - MARCH 2025

On August 24, 2023, Ukraine's Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the country would soon receive F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies. Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were key nations pledging the jets, with training for Ukrainian pilots already underway. The introduction of the F-16s is expected to enhance Ukraine's ability to counter Russian air superiority and bolster its defense strategies.

These F-16s will be fitted with an advanced countermeasures system called PIDS+ (Pylon Integrated Dispenser System Plus). The system is integrated into the jet's pylons, allowing it to carry and deploy electronic countermeasures, such as flares and chaff, which help confuse or mislead enemy tracking systems. For Ukraine, the incorporation of PIDS+ with the F-16s could significantly enhance the survivability of its aircraft, increasing their effectiveness against Russian air defense systems while conducting operations in contested airspace.

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.

Info: F-16AM Fighting Falcon - Ukrainian Air Force, UA24-3596, Ukraine, August 2024