While much of the focus on the Middle East has either been about the War in Gaza or Iran’s teetering nuclear program, an important headline surfaced last week that seems to have eluded many. Giora Epstein, known by aviation enthusiasts as the “Ace of Aces”, passed away at the age of 87. Having been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, Epstein, later known as Giora Even, was an Israeli Air Force (IAF) officer and a fighter ace credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets and one against an Egyptian Mi-8 helicopter, making Epstein the ace of aces of supersonic fighter jets and of the Israeli Air Force. Epstein was an active IAF pilot from 1961 until May 26th, 1997, when he retired at age 59. Like many retired IAF flyers, he later worked as a pilot for El Al Airlines.

Israeli Defense Force Dassault-Breguet Mirage IIICJ Fighter – “Black 56”, Giora Epstein, 101 Squadron “First Jet Squadron”, Hatzor Air Base, Israel, 1967 (1:72 Scale)

After we learned of his passing, we brought this news to the attention of Hobby Master and they confirmed that they already had a 1:72 scale replica of Epstein’s Mirage in the works. According to William Liu, head of development at Hobby Master, Epstein’s Mirage will probably come to fruition in early 2026. There’s also a good chance that the Company will make a 1:72 scale take on his F-16 Viper, although Epstein was never impressed by the plane since much of the emphasis on the F-16 was on the aircraft’s fly-by-wire capabilities, thereby making the jet less of an actual aircraft and more of a computer, as he himself explains in the accompany video.