Airplane Model*Hobby Master HA4901 1:72 S-3B Viking “Fighting Redtails” – Miniature Marvels: Airplane Models & Painted Dice

Hobby Master HA4901 1:72 S-3B Viking USS Independence 160131 VS-21 “Fighting Redtails”, US NAVY, 1990s.

In 1974 the Lockheed S-3 Viking entered service with the USN as a twin-engine jet aircraft usedfor enemy submarine warfare. By the late 1990s the role shifted to surface warfare providing thecarrier battle group with long range surveillance capabilities and aerial refueling. The S-3 was inproduction from 1974 until 1978 with 186 (187) aircraft completed. Most airframes saw upgradesto the S-3B and sixteen became ES-3A Shadow electronic intelligence collection aircraft. Thelow pitch sound of the engines earned the S-3 the nickname Hoover after the vacuum cleaner.

Lockheed aircraft 160131 was manufactured as an S-3A and later converted to an S-3B. It wasassigned to VS-21Fighting Redtails. On July 4, 1950 it was the first carrier based squadron toleave the USA for the Korean War. In 1974 VS-21 was the first to receive the Lockheed S-3AViking and in April 1991 the first Pacific Fleet squadron to get the S-3B. August 1991 saw VS-21join CVW-5 at NAF Atsugi, Japan and deployed on USS Independence until 1995. 160131 wassent TO AMARC on May 26, 2004.