100 Sqn RAF F-16`s....!!!

[tc2324]

From 1982 onwards, 100 Squadron had operated the Canberra at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire as a target facilities unit which it had operated as since 1972. By late 1987 the MOD announced the out of service date for the Canberra T Mk.17 fleet and shortly after started to look for a replacement aircraft that was cheap to operate and had better handling qualities. (An extra requirement for the new type would be Dissimilar Air Combat Training).

Attention was soon drawn to Europe and the abilities of the export version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon now serving with many NATO members. At the same time and purely by chance, the first two of an intended complement of eighteen F-16Cs arrived at RAF Bentwaters on 14 June 1988 as the 527th Aggressor Squadron started to upgrade their aging F-5 Tiger fleet.
 
After three visits to the base to assess the new aircraft in the Aggressor role, Washington was approached for the procurement of seven F-16A fighters to eventually equip 100 Sqn by early 1991.

However, with the collapse of the Warsaw Pact in 1989 and a reduction of defense spending by the US, the decision was made to terminate the entire USAF aggressor program. This had a knock on effect with the UK`s F-16 order in that the US now offered to downgrade seven of the 527th F-16C`s to A standard instead of offering seven new build `A`s. With defense cost implications now coming into effect due to the Soviet collapse, the MOD accepted the revised offer.

Pilot conversion training started shortly after at Bentwaters and within the year all 100 Sqn aircrew were now current on the F-16. One unique aspect of the conversion training was the practice of in flight refueling using the US boom type. While today’s main mission parameters include the use of under wing fuel tanks, 100 Sqn aircrew are the only RAF aircrew that regularly practice this type of Air to Air Refueling with the US KC-135`s from Mildenhall.

In June 1990, 100 squadron took delivery of it`s `new` F-16`s and operate from RAF Leeming. The serial numbers allocated to the airframes are VX401 through to VX407. (Note that airframe VX406 was heavily damaged on a landing mishap in 2011 and is at present stored at St Athan awaiting repair).

[GTX_Admin]

Very nice.

*JMN Hat On* I don't think it is possible to downgrade a C model to an A - if anything one would forget the A's and go all C's * JMN Hat Off*

Ignore that foolish comment though - the model is superb! :)

[Tophe]

beautiful

[Litvyak]

I'm not the biggest Falcon fan but that looks superb!

[Brian da Basher]

Cool as the other side of my pillow (as my buddy at work used to say)!

Looks especially good in all black. Why does RAF stuff look so hot in black?

Anyway, that's one worthy of being the center of attention!

Nice work!

Brian da Basher

[ChrisF]

Lovely job !!! :)