ESCI – 9026 – F-16A Fighting Falcon

Description:

F-16A Fighting Falcon

ESCI tooled this kit in 1983 and at the time publications like Verlinden magazine catalogued it as the best F-16 kit in 1/72 scale, which in 1983 it means that was better than the Revell, Monogram, Hasegawa, Matchbox and Italeri (1980) tooled in the 70s and Airfix from 1981. Is not a small achieve.

Of course, the F-16 has been subject of several other new tools after 1988. Fujimi tooled a new one in 1984 but is not considered better, Hasegawa also tooled again in 1985 and it’s considered paired or slightly better, and much more brands tooled later, but focused in more recent variants, not A, so ESCI remains as top kit for an F-16A kit in 1/72 scale when almost 40 years of the release passed.

This release included a big decal sheet with six markings, from Belgium to Norwegian cross U.S, Israel, Netherlands and Danish.

The F-16A included a not bad payload, including three external tanks, under wings and under fuselage, Sidewinders (AIM 9 x 4) and bombs (Gbu 12 x 2). The kit is appropriate for a F-16A block 5 or block 10.

After the ESCI Ertl, the kit lived under AMT/Ertl with several payloads updates till 1999. This updates are exclusive of the AMT kits, not in ESCI kits.