1:72 F-16AM Falcon FA-134 Solo Display 2009 Belgian AF

A Belgian Falcon from a European production line

The machines that carry fuselage numbers with the prefix FA in Belgian service do not come from an American factory. In the 1970s the European customers negotiated assembly on their own territory and the Belgian examples came about near Charleroi, while a parallel line ran in the Netherlands. The difference from the American aircraft lies in the suppliers of subassemblies, not in the design: it is the same single-engined fighter with a fixed air intake under the fuselage and with a high-set canopy without a transverse brace.

The ergonomics of the cabin were radical for their time. The seat is reclined backward by thirty degrees so that the pilot can take higher load factors, and a side stick with minimal travel replaced the classic control column. The view backward over the shoulder, which earlier fighters with a braced frame did not allow, comes out of the combat experience of the previous generation and is among the reasons why the type lasted in service for so many decades.

The letter A marks the single-seat form, B is the two-seat one; the added M refers to the later re-equipment of the onboard electronics, after which the aircraft gained a new ability to work with medium-range weapons. The example named in the designation flew the display program for a single season, 2009, so its finish had a markedly shorter life than schemes carried for two seasons in a row.

The paints under the print belong on a smooth glossy surface. The film releases in a lukewarm bath and is slid into place; once dry, the motif is overcoated with varnish according to the degree of sheen wanted.