The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the US Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,500 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.
The Fighting Falcon is a fighter with numerous innovations including a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, a seat reclined 30 degrees to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot, and the first use of a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight control system that makes it a highly nimble aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and has 11 hardpoints for mounting weapons and other mission equipment. Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as after the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper starfighter.
In addition to active duty USAF, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard units, the aircraft is used by the USAF aerial demonstration team, the US Air Force Thunderbirds, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the US Navy. Although no longer being purchased by the USAF, improved versions are still being built for the air forces of 25 other nations.
The F-16 first flew on 2 February 1974 and entered service on 17 August 1978. USAF s/n 81-0721 is one of over 4,500 F-16s built by General Dynamics. Delivered in 1982, it was assigned to the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AB, West Germany. It was later transferred to the 125th Fighter Interceptor Group, Florida Air National Guard, in 1987 and retired in 1993.
Specifications:
Crew: 1
Power Plant: 1× 17,155 lbf GE F110-GE-100 turbofan 28,600 lbf w/afterburner
Dimensions:
- Span: 32' 8"
- Length: 49' 5"
- Height: 16' 0"
Weight:
- Empty: 18,900 lb
- Maximum: 42,300 lb
Performance:
- Speed:
- - Max: 915 mph @ sea level
- - Max: 1,500 mph @ altitude (clean)
- - Cruise: mph
- Range: 2,620 miles
- Ceiling: 60,000 ft
- Climb: 50,000 fpm
Armament:
- Guns: 1× 20mm M61 Vulcan 6-barreled gatling cannon, 511 rounds
- Hardpoints: max of 17,000 lb of payload
- - Wing Tips: 2× Air-to-air missile launch rails
- - Wing: 6× pylon stations
- - Fuselage: 3× pylon stations
- Rockets:
- - 4× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (19×/7× Hydra 70mm rockets each) or
- - 4× LAU-5003 rocket pods (19× CRV7 70mm rockets each) or
- - 4× LAU-10 rocket pods (4× Zuni 127mm rockets each)
- Missiles:
- - Air-to-air missiles:
- - - 2× AIM-7 Sparrow or
- - - 6× AIM-9 Sidewinder or
- - - 6× IRIS-T or
- - - 6× AIM-120 AMRAAM or
- - - 6× Python-4
- - Air-to-ground missiles:
- - - 6× AGM-45 Shrike or
- - - 6× AGM-65 Maverick or
- - - 4× AGM-88 HARM
- - Anti-ship missiles:
- - - 2× AGM-84 Harpoon or
- - - 4× AGM-119 Penguin
- Bombs:
- - 8× CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
- - 8× CBU-89 Gator mine
- - 8× CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
- - Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser capable
- - 4× GBU-10 Paveway II
- - 6× GBU-12 Paveway II
- - 4× JDAM
- - 4× Mk 84 general-purpose bombs
- - 8× Mk 83 GP bombs
- - 12× Mk 82 GP bombs
- - 8× Small Diameter Bomb
- - 3× B61 nuclear bomb
- Others:
- - SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
- - AN/ALQ-131 & AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods or
- - LANTIRN, Lockheed Martin Sniper XR & LITENING targeting pods or
- - up to 3× 300/330/370 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time.
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