General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

F-16 Fighting Falcon

A USAF F-16C over Iraq in 2008

Role Multirole fighter aircraft

National origin United States

Manufacturer General DynamicsLockheed Martin

First flight 20 January 1974

Introduction 17 August 1978

Status In service

Primary users United States Air Force25 other users (see operators page)

Produced 1973present

Number built 4,500+

Unit cost F-16A/B: US$14.6 million (1998dollars)[1]

F-16C/D: US$18.8 million (1998dollars)[1]

Variants General Dynamics F-16 VISTA

Developed into Vought Model 1600General Dynamics F-16XLMitsubishi F-2

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting FalconFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from F-16 Fighting Falcon)

The General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighteraircraft originally developed by General Dynamics forthe United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an airsuperiority day fighter, it evolved into a successfulall-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,500 aircraft havebeen built since production was approved in 1976.[2]

Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. AirForce, improved versions are still being built for exportcustomers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraftmanufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation,[3]

which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a1995 merger with Martin Marietta.[4]

The Fighting Falcon is a fighter with numerousinnovations including a frameless bubble canopy forbetter visibility, side-mounted control stick to easecontrol while maneuvering, a seat reclined 30 degrees toreduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot, and the first useof a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight controlsystem helps to make it a nimble aircraft. The F-16 hasan internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations formounting weapons and other mission equipment. TheF-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", but "Viper" iscommonly used by its pilots, due to a perceivedresemblance to a viper snake as well as the BattlestarGalactica Colonial Viper starfighter.[5][6]

In addition to active duty U.S. Air Force, Air ForceReserve Command, and Air National Guard units, theaircraft is also used by the USAF aerial demonstrationteam, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and as anadversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy.The F-16 has also been procured to serve in the air forcesof 25 other nations.[7]

Contents

1 Development1.1 Lightweight Fighter Program1.2 Air Combat Fighter competition1.3 Into production1.4 Improvements and upgrades1.5 Continued production

2 Design

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon - Wikipedia, the free encyclo... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-16_Fighting_Falcon

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2.1 Overview2.2 General configuration2.3 Negative stability and fly-by-wire2.4 Cockpit and ergonomics2.5 Fire-control radar2.6 Propulsion

3 Operational history3.1 United States3.2 Israel3.3 Pakistan3.4 Turkey3.5 Others

4 Variants5 Operators

5.1 Former operators6 Notable accidents and incidents7 Aircraft on display8 Specifications (F-16C Block 50)9 Notable appearances in media10 See also11 References

11.1 Notes11.2 Bibliography

12 Further reading13 External links

Development

Lightweight Fighter Program

Main article: Lightweight Fighter program

Experience in the Vietnam War revealed the need for air superiority fighters and better air-to-air training forfighter pilots.[8] Based on his experiences in the Korean War and as a fighter tactics instructor in the early1960s Colonel John Boyd with mathematician Thomas Christie developed the Energy-Maneuverabilitytheory to model a fighter aircraft's performance in combat. Boyd's work called for a small, lightweightaircraft that could maneuver with the minimum possible energy loss, and which also incorporated anincreased thrust-to-weight ratio.[9][10] In the late 1960s, Boyd gathered a group of like-minded innovatorsthat became known as the Fighter Mafia and in 1969 they secured DoD funding for General Dynamics andNorthrop to study design concepts based on the theory.[11][12]

Air Force F-X proponents remained hostile to the concept because they perceived it as a threat to the F-15program. However, the Air Force's leadership understood that its budget would not allow it to purchaseenough F-15 aircraft to satisfy all of its missions.[13] The Advanced Day Fighter concept, renamed F-XX,gained civilian political support under the reform-minded Deputy Secretary of Defense David Packard, whofavored the idea of competitive prototyping. As a result in May 1971, the Air Force Prototype Study Groupwas established, with Boyd a key member, and two of its six proposals would be funded, one being theLightweight Fighter (LWF). The Request for Proposals issued on 6 January 1972 called for a 20,000-pound(9,100 kg) class air-to-air day fighter with a good turn rate, acceleration and range, and optimized for


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A right side view of a YF-16(foreground) and a Northrop YF-17,each armed with AIM-9 Sidewindermissiles.

combat at speeds of Mach 0.61.6 and altitudes of 30,00040,000 feet (9,10012,000 m). This was theregion where USAF studies predicted most future air combat would occur. The anticipated average flyawaycost of a production version was $3 million. This production plan, though, was only notional as the USAFhad no firm plans to procure the winner.[14][15]

Finalists selected and flyoff

Five companies responded and in 1972, the Air Staff selectedGeneral Dynamics' Model 401 and Northrop's P-600 for thefollow-on prototype development and testing phase. GD andNorthrop were awarded contracts worth $37.9 million and$39.8 million to produce the YF-16 and YF-17, respectively, withfirst flights of both prototypes planned for early 1974. To overcomeresistance in the Air Force hierarchy, the Fighter Mafia and otherLWF proponents successfully advocated the idea of complementaryfighters in a high-cost/low-cost force mix. The "high/low mix" wouldallow the USAF to be able to afford sufficient fighters for its overallfighter force structure requirements. The mix gained broadacceptance by the time of the prototypes' flyoff, defining therelationship of the LWF and the F-15.[16][17]

The YF-16 was developed by a team of General Dynamics engineersled by Robert H. Widmer.[18] The first YF-16 was rolled out on 13December 1973, and its 90-minute maiden flight was made at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) atEdwards AFB, California, on 2 February 1974. Its actual first flight occurred accidentally during ahigh-speed taxi test on 20 January 1974. While gathering speed, a roll-control oscillation caused a fin of theport-side wingtip-mounted missile and then the starboard stabilator to scrape the ground, and the aircraftthen began to veer off the runway. The GD test pilot, Phil Oestricher, decided to lift off to avoid crashing themachine, and safely landed it six minutes later. The slight damage was quickly repaired and the official firstflight occurred on time. The YF-16's first supersonic flight was accomplished on 5 February 1974, and thesecond YF-16 prototype first flew on 9 May 1974. This was followed by the first flights of the Northrop'sYF-17 prototypes on 9 June and 21 August 1974, respectively. During the flyoff, the YF-16s completed 330sorties for a total of 417 flight hours;[19] the YF-17s flew 288 sorties, covering 345 hours.[20]

Air Combat Fighter competition

Increased interest would turn the LWF into a serious acquisition program. North Atlantic TreatyOrganization (NATO) allies Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were seeking to replace theirF-104G fighter-bombers.[21] In early 1974, they reached an agreement with the U.S. that if the USAFordered the LWF winner, they would consider ordering it as well. The USAF also needed to replace itsF-105 and F-4 fighter-bombers. The U.S. Congress sought greater commonality in fighter procurements bythe Air Force and Navy, and in August 1974 redirected Navy funds to a new Navy Air Combat Fighter(NACF) program that would be a navalized fighter-bomber variant of the LWF. The four NATO allies hadformed the "Multinational Fighter Program Group" (MFPG) and pressed for a U.S. decision by December1974; thus the USAF accelerated testing.[22][23][24]

To reflect this more serious intent to procure a new fighter-bomber design, the LWF program was rolled intoa new Air Combat Fighter (ACF) competition in an announcement by U.S. Secretary of Defense James R.Schlesinger in April 1974. Schlesinger also made it clear that any ACF order would be for aircraft inaddition to the F-15, which extinguished opposition to the LWF.[23][24] ACF also raised the stakes for GDand Northrop because it brought in competitors intent on securing what was touted at the time as "the armsdeal of the century".[25] These were Dassault-Breguet's proposed Mirage F1M-53, the SEPECAT Jaguar,


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YF-16 on display at the Virginia Airand Space Center

A F-16C of the Colorado AirNational Guard with AIM-9Sidewinder missiles and acenterline fuel tank (300 galcapacity) after disengagingfrom a refueling boom.

and the proposed Saab 37E "Eurofighter". Northrop offered theP-530 Cobra, which was similar to the YF-17. The Jaguar and Cobrawere dropped by the MFPG early on, leaving two European and thetwo U.S. candidates. On 11 September 1974, the U.S. Air Forceconfirmed plans to place an order for the winning ACF design toequip five tactical fighter wings. Though computer modelingpredicted a close contest, the YF-16 proved significantly quickergoing from one maneuver to the next, and was the unanimous choiceof those pilots that flew both aircraft.[26] On 13 January 1975,Secretary of the Air Force John L. McLucas announced the YF-16 asthe winner of the ACF competition.[27]

The chief reasons given by the Secretary were the YF-16's lower operating costs, greater range, andmaneuver performance that was "significantly better" than that of the YF-17, especially at supersonicspeeds. Another advantage of the YF-16 unlike the YF-17 was its use of the Pratt & Whitney F100turbofan engine, the same powerplant used by the F-15; such commonality would lower the cost of enginesfor both programs.[28] Secretary McLucas announced that the USAF planned to order at least 650, possiblyup to 1,400 production F-16s. In the Navy Air Combat Fighter (NACF) competition, on 2 May 1975 theNavy selected the YF-17 as the basis for what would become the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.[29][30]

Into production

The U.S. Air Force initially ordered 15 "Full-Scale Development" (FSD)aircraft (11 single-seat and four two-seat models) for its flight test program,but this was reduced to eight (six F-16A single-seaters and two F-16Btwo-seaters).[31] The YF-16 design was altered for the production F-16. Thefuselage was lengthened by 10.6 in (0.269 m), a larger nose radome wasfitted for the AN/APG-66 radar, wing area was increased from 280 sq ft(26 m2) to 300 sq ft (28 m2), the tailfin height was decreased, the ventral finswere enlarged, two more stores stations were added, and a single doorreplaced the original nosewheel double doors. The F-16's weight wasincreased by 25% over the YF-16 by these modifications.[32][33]

The FSD F-16s were manufactured at General Dynamics' Fort Worth, Texasplant in late 1975; the first F-16A rolled out on 20 October 1976 and firstflew on 8 December. The initial two-seat model achieved its first flight on 8August 1977. The initial production-standard F-16A flew for the first time on7 August 1978 and its delivery was accepted by the USAF on 6 January1979. The F-16 was given its formal nickname of "Fighting Falcon" on 21July 1980, entering USAF operational service with the 34th Tactical FighterSquadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill AFB on 1 October 1980.[34]

On 7 June 1975, the four European partners, now known as the European Participation Group, signed up for348 aircraft at the Paris Air Show. This was split among the European Participation Air Forces (EPAF) as116 for Belgium, 58 for Denmark, 102 for the Netherlands, and 72 for Norway. There would be twoEuropean production lines, one in the Netherlands at Fokker's Schiphol-Oost facility and the other atSABCA's Gossellies plant in Belgium; production would be divided among them as 184 and 164 units,respectively. Norway's Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk and Denmark's Terma A/S also manufactured parts andsubassemblies for EPAF aircraft. European co-production was officially launched on 1 July 1977 at theFokker factory. Beginning in November 1977, Fokker-produced components were sent to Fort Worth forfuselage assembly, which were in turn shipped back to Europe for final assembly of EPAF aircraft at theBelgian plant on 15 February 1978, with deliveries to the Belgian Air Force from January 1979. The Dutch


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line started up in April 1978 and delivered its first aircraft to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in June 1979.In 1980 the first aircraft were delivered to the Royal Norwegian Air Force by SABCA and to the RoyalDanish Air Force by Fokker.[35][36]

During the late 1980s and 1990s, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) produced 232 Block 30/40/50 F-16son a production line in Ankara under license for the Turkish Air Force. TAI also produced 30 Block 50 from2010, and built 46 Block 40s for Egypt in the mid-1990s. Korean Aerospace Industries opened a domesticproduction line for the KF-16 program, producing 140 Block 52s from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s(decade). If India had selected the F-16IN for its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft procurement, a sixthF-16 production line would be built in India.[37]

Improvements and upgrades

One change made during production was augmented pitch control to avoid deep stall conditions at highangles of attack. The stall issue had been raised during development, but had originally been discounted inthe early design stages. Model tests of the YF-16 conducted by the Langley Research Center revealed apotential problem, but no other laboratory was able to duplicate it. YF-16 flight tests were not sufficient toexpose the issue; it required later flight testing on the FSD aircraft to demonstrate there was a real concern.In response, the areas of the horizontal stabilizer were increased 25% on the Block 15 aircraft in 1981 andretrofitted later on to earlier aircraft. In addition, a manual override switch to disable the horizontal stabilizerflight limiter was placed more prominently on the control console, allowing the pilot to regain control of thehorizontal stabilizers (which the flight limiters otherwise lock in place) and recover. Besides a significantreduction in the risk of deep stalls, the larger horizontal tail also improved stability and permitted fastertakeoff rotation.[38][39]

In the 1980s, the Multinational Staged Improvement Program (MSIP) was conducted to evolve newcapabilities for the F-16, mitigate risks during technology development, and ensure the aircraft's worth. Theprogram upgraded the F-16 in three stages. The MSIP process permitted the introduction of new capabilitiesquicker, at lower costs and with reduced risks, compared to traditional independent programs to upgrade andmodernize aircraft.[40] Other upgrade programs, including service life extensions, have been conducted onthe F-16.[41]

Due to the slow pace of F-35 development, the USAF will spend $2.8 billion to upgrade and retain 350F-16s.[42] The more versatile multirole F-16s are being retained as the USAF reduces more focusedplatforms such as the A-10.[43] One limitation on the upgrades has been the limited power and coolingcapabilities of the aircraft, which have been stretched thinner in more advanced variants with more powerhungry avionics.[44]

While Lockheed has won many of the contracts to upgrade F-16s for different countries, BAE Systemsgained the South Korean upgrade order in July 2012, and since then additional orders have been receivedfrom the Government of Oman, Turkey, and the US Air National Guard.[45][46][47] In the fall of 2012, theUSAF assigned the total upgrade contract to Lockheed Martin, bundling in the radar selection in order tohave a more cohesive package.[48] This includes Raytheons Center Display Unit, which will replace severalanalog flight instruments in a single digital display.[49] However budget sequestration in 2013 has cast doubton the USAF's ability to complete the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES), which ispart of secondary programs such as the Taiwan F-16 upgrade.[50] ACC's General Hostage stated that if heonly had money for SLEP or CAPES, he would apply it to SLEP to keep the aircraft flying.[51] LockheedMartin responded to talk of CAPES cancellation with a fixed-price upgrade package for foreign users,[52]

and CAPES was not included in the Pentagon's 2015 budget request.[53]

In order to save money on replacement aircraft due to controlled flight into terrain, the USAF will be


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Comparison between F-16's inset cannons; earlyaircraft had four vents, while later aircraft had two.

installing auto-GCAS on all of its fighters, starting with the F-16.[54]

Continued production

In May 2013, Lockheed Martin stated it has enough orders to keep producing F-16s until 2017, with moreorders possible.[55]

Design

Overview

The F-16 is a single-engine, very maneuverable,supersonic, multi-role tactical fighter aircraft; it wasdesigned to be a cost-effective combat "workhorse" thatcan perform various missions and maintain around-the-clock readiness. It is much smaller and lighter thanpredecessors, but uses advanced aerodynamics andavionics, including the first use of a relaxed staticstability/fly-by-wire (RSS/FBW) flight control system,to achieve enhanced maneuver performance. Highlynimble, the F-16 was the first fighter aircraftpurpose-built to pull 9-g maneuvers and can reach amaximum speed of over Mach 2. Innovations include aframeless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick, and reclined seat to reduce g-forceeffects on the pilot. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon in the left wing root and has multiplelocations for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one,providing power to climb and accelerate vertically.[1]

The F-16 was designed to be relatively inexpensive to build and simpler to maintain than earlier-generationfighters. The airframe is built with about 80% aviation-grade aluminum alloys, 8% steel, 3% composites,and 1.5% titanium. The leading-edge flaps, tailerons, and ventral fins make use of bonded aluminumhoneycomb structures and graphite epoxy laminate coatings. The number of lubrication points, fuel lineconnections, and replaceable modules is significantly lower than predecessors; 80% of access panels can beaccessed without stands.[37] The air intake was designed: "far enough forward to allow a gradual bend in theair duct up to the engine face to minimize flow losses and far enough aft so it wouldn't weigh too much or betoo draggy or destabilizing."[56]

Although the LWF program called for a structural life of 4,000 flight hours, capable of achieving 7.33 g with80% internal fuel; GD's engineers decided to design the F-16's airframe life for 8,000 hours and for 9-gmaneuvers on full internal fuel. This proved advantageous when the aircraft's mission changed from solelyair-to-air combat to multi-role operations. Changes in operational use and additional systems have increasedweight, necessitating multiple structural strengthening programs.[57]

General configuration

The F-16 has a cropped-delta planform incorporating wing-fuselage blending and forebody vortex-controlstrakes; a fixed-geometry, underslung air intake to the single turbofan jet engine; a conventional tri-planeempennage arrangement with all-moving horizontal "stabilator" tailplanes; a pair of ventral fins beneath thefuselage aft of the wing's trailing edge; and a tricycle landing gear configuration with the aft-retracting,steerable nose gear deploying a short distance behind the inlet lip. There is a boom-style aerial refuelingreceptacle located behind the single-piece "bubble" canopy of the cockpit. Split-flap speedbrakes are located


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F-16CJ of the 20th Fighter Wing atShaw AFB, South Carolina, armedwith a mix of air-to-air missiles,anti-radiation missiles, external fueltanks and support equipment

F-16C of the South Carolina AirNational Guard in-flight over NorthCarolina equipped with air-to-airmissiles, bomb rack, targeting podsand Electronic Counter Measurespods

at the aft end of the wing-body fairing, and an arrestor hook ismounted underneath the fuselage. A fairing beneath the rudder oftenhouses ECM equipment or a drag chute. Later F-16 models feature along dorsal fairing along the fuselage's "spine", housing additionalequipment or fuel.[37][58]

Aerodynamic studies in the 1960s demonstrated that the "vortex lift"phenomenon could be harnessed by highly swept wingconfigurations to reach higher angles of attack, using leading edgevortex flow off a slender lifting surface. As the F-16 was beingoptimized for high combat agility, GD's designers chose a slendercropped-delta wing with a leading edge sweep of 40 and a straighttrailing edge. To improve maneuverability, a variable-camber wingwith a NACA 64A-204 airfoil was selected; the camber is adjustedby leading-edge and trailing edge flaperons linked to a digital flightcontrol system (FCS) regulating the flight envelope.[37][57] The F-16has a moderate wing loading, reduced by fuselage lift.[59] The vortex lift effect is increased by leading edgeextensions, known as strakes. Strakes act as additional short-span, triangular wings running from the wingroot (the juncture with the fuselage) to a point further forward on the fuselage. Blended into the fuselage andalong the wing root, the strake generates a high-speed vortex that remains attached to the top of the wing asthe angle of attack increases, generating additional lift and allowing greater angles of attack without stalling.Strakes allow a smaller, lower-aspect-ratio wing, which increases roll rates and directional stability whiledecreasing weight. Deeper wingroots also increase structural strength and internal fuel volume.[57]

Early F-16s could be armed with up to six AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking short-range air-to-air missiles(AAM), including rail launchers on each wingtip. Some F-16s can employ the AIM-7 Sparrowmedium-range AAM; more recent versions can equip the AIM-120 AMRAAM. It can also carry otherAAM; a wide variety of air-to-ground missiles, rockets or bombs; electronic countermeasures (ECM),navigation, targeting or weapons pods; and fuel tanks on 9 hardpoints six under the wings, two onwingtips, and one under the fuselage; two other locations under the fuselage are available for sensor or radarpods.[60]

Negative stability and fly-by-wire

The F-16 was the first production fighter aircraft intentionallydesigned to be slightly aerodynamically unstable, also known as"relaxed static stability" (RSS), to improve maneuverability.[61] Mostaircraft are designed with positive static stability, which inducesaircraft to return to straight and level flight attitude if the pilotreleases the controls. This reduces maneuverability as the aircraftmust overcome its inherent stability in order to maneuver. Aircraftwith negative stability are designed to deviate from controlled flightand thus be more maneuverable. At supersonic speeds the F-16 gainsstability (eventually positive) due to changes in aerodynamic forces.[62][63]

To counter the tendency to depart from controlled flightand avoidthe need for constant trim inputs by the pilot, the F-16 has aquadruplex (four-channel) fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system(FLCS). The flight control computer (FLCC) accepts pilot input fromthe stick and rudder controls, and manipulates the control surfaces in such a way as to produce the desiredresult without inducing control loss. The FLCC conducts thousands of measurements per second on the


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F-16 ground trainer cockpit (F-16MLU)

aircraft's flight attitude to automatically counter deviations from the pilot-set flight path; leading to acommon aphorism among pilots: "You don't fly an F-16; it flies you."[64]

The FLCC further incorporates limiters governing movement in the three main axes based on attitude,airspeed and angle of attack (AOA); these prevent control surfaces from inducing instability such as slips orskids, or a high AOA inducing a stall. The limiters also prevent maneuvers that would exert more than a 9 gload.[65] Flight testing has revealed that "assaulting" multiple limiters at high AOA and low speed can resultin an AOA far exceeding the 25 limit, colloquially referred to as "departing"; this causes a deep stall; anear-freefall at 50 to 60 AOA, either upright or inverted. While at a very high AOA, the aircraft's attitudeis stable but control surfaces are ineffective and the aircraft's pitch limiter locks the stabilators at an extremepitch-up or pitch-down attempting to recover; the pitch-limiting can be overridden so the pilot can "rock" thenose via pitch control to recover.[66]

Unlike the YF-17, which had hydromechanical controls serving as a backup to the FBW, General Dynamicstook the innovative step of eliminating mechanical linkages between the control stick and rudder pedals, andthe aerodynamic control surfaces. The F-16 is entirely reliant on its electrical systems to relay flightcommands, instead of traditional mechanically-linked controls, leading to the early moniker of "the electricjet". The quadruplex design permits "graceful degradation" in flight control response in that the loss of onechannel renders the FLCS a "triplex" system.[67] The FLCC began as an analog system on the A/B variants,but has been supplanted by a digital computer system beginning with the F-16C/D Block 40.[68][69] TheF-16's controls suffered from a sensitivity to static electricity or electrostatic discharge (ESD). Up to7080% of the C/D models' electronics were vulnerable to ESD.[70]

Cockpit and ergonomics

One feature of the F-16 for air-to-air combat performance is thecockpit's exceptional field of view. The single-piece, bird-proofpolycarbonate bubble canopy provides 360 all-round visibility, witha 40 look-down angle over the side of the aircraft, and 15 downover the nose (compared to the more common 1213 of precedingaircraft); the pilot's seat is elevated for this purpose. Furthermore, theF-16's canopy lacks the forward bow frame found on many fighters,which is an obstruction to a pilot's forward vision.[37][71] The F-16'sACES II zero/zero ejection seat is reclined at an unusual tilt-backangle of 30; most fighters have a tilted seat at 1315. The tiltedseat can accommodate taller pilots and increases G-force tolerance;however it has been associated with reports of neck ache, possiblycaused by incorrect head-rest usage.[72] Subsequent U.S. fightershave adopted more modest tilt-back angles of 20.[37][73] Due to the seat angle and the canopy's thickness,the F-16's ejection seat lacks steel canopy-breakers for emergency egress; instead the entire canopy isjettisoned prior to the seat's rocket firing.[74]

The pilot flies primarily by means of an armrest-mounted side-stick controller (instead of a traditionalcenter-mounted stick) and an engine throttle; conventional rudder pedals are also employed. To enhance thepilot's degree of control of the aircraft during high-g combat maneuvers, various switches and functioncontrols were moved to centralised "hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS)" controls upon both thecontrollers and the throttle. Hand pressure on the side-stick controller is transmitted by electrical signals viathe FBW system to adjust various flight control surfaces to maneuver the F-16. Originally the side-stickcontroller was non-moving, but this proved uncomfortable and difficult for pilots to adjust to, sometimesresulting in a tendency to "over-rotate" during takeoffs, so the control stick was given a small amount of"play". Since introduction on the F-16, HOTAS controls have become a standard feature on modernfighters.[75]


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A F-16 "Aggressor" flying over theAlaska Range in April 2010

The F-16 has a head-up display (HUD), which projects visual flight and combat information in front of thepilot without obstructing the view; being able to keep his head "out of the cockpit" improves a pilot'ssituational awareness.[76] Further flight and systems information are displayed on multi-function displays(MFD). The left-hand MFD is the primary flight display (PFD), typically showing radar and moving-maps;the right-hand MFD is the system display (SD), presenting information about the engine, landing gear, slatand flap settings, and fuel and weapons status. Initially, the F-16A/B had monochrome cathode ray tube(CRT) displays; replaced by color liquid crystal displays on the Block 50/52.[37][77] The MLU introducedcompatibility with night-vision goggles (NVG). The Boeing Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System(JHMCS) is available from Block 40 onwards, for targeting based on where the pilot's head faces,unrestricted by the HUD, using high-off-boresight missiles like the AIM-9X.[78]

Fire-control radar

The F-16A/B was originally equipped with the WestinghouseAN/APG-66 fire-control radar. Its slotted planar-array antenna wasdesigned to be compact to fit into the F-16's relatively small nose. Inuplook mode, the APG-66 uses a low pulse-repetition frequency(PRF) for medium- and high-altitude target detection in a low-clutterenvironment, and in downlook employs a medium PRF for heavyclutter environments. It has four operating frequencies within the Xband, and provides four air-to-air and seven air-to-ground operatingmodes for combat, even at night or in bad weather. The Block 15'sAPG-66(V)2 model added a more powerful signal processor, higheroutput power, improved reliability and increased range in cluttered or jamming environments. The Mid-LifeUpdate (MLU) program introduced a new model, APG-66(V)2A, which features higher speed and morememory.[79]

The AN/APG-68, an evolution of the APG-66, was introduced with the F-16C/D Block 25. The APG-68 hasgreater range and resolution, as well as 25 operating modes, including ground-mapping, Dopplerbeam-sharpening, ground moving target, sea target, and track-while-scan (TWS) for up to 10 targets. TheBlock 40/42's APG-68(V)1 model added full compatibility with Lockheed Martin Low-Altitude Navigationand Targeting Infra-Red for Night (LANTIRN) pods, and a high-PRF pulse-Doppler track mode to providecontinuous-wave (CW) target illumination for semi-active radar-homing (SARH) missiles like the AIM-7Sparrow. Block 50/52 F-16s initially used the more reliable APG-68(V)5 which has a programmable signalprocessor employing Very-High-Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) technology. The Advanced Block 50/52(or 50+/52+) are equipped with the APG-68(V)9 radar, with a 30% greater air-to-air detection range and asynthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode for high-resolution mapping and target detection-recognition. InAugust 2004, Northrop Grumman were contracted to upgrade the APG-68 radars of Block 40/42/50/52aircraft to the (V)10 standard, providing all-weather autonomous detection and targeting for GlobalPositioning System (GPS)-aided precision weapons, SAR mapping and terrain-following (TF) modes, aswell as interleaving of all modes.[37]

The F-16E/F is outfitted with Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-80 Active Electronically Scanned Array(AESA) radar.[80] Northrop Grumman developed the latest AESA radar upgrade for the F-16 (selected forUSAF and Taiwan Air Force F-16 upgrades), named the Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR).[81] In July2007, Raytheon announced that it was developing a Next Generation Radar (RANGR) based on its earlierAN/APG-79 AESA radar as a competitor to Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-68 and AN/APG-80 for theF-16.[37]

Propulsion

The powerplant first selected for the single-engined F-16 was the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200


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Mechanics actuating an F-16 exhaustnozzle.

afterburning turbofan, a slightly modified version of theF100-PW-100 used by the F-15. It was rated at 23,830 lbf (106.0 kN)thrust. When the firstF-16s were flown in testing, its pilots found theengine prone to compressor stalls and "rollbacks," wherein theengine's thrust would spontaneously reduce to idle. Until theseproblems were fixed, the Air Force ordered F-16s to be operatedwithin "dead-stick landing" distance of its air bases.[82] This engine itwas the standard F-16 engine through the Block 25, except fornew-build Block 15s with the Operational Capability Upgrade(OCU). The OCU introduced the 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN)F100-PW-220, which was also installed on Block 32 and 42 aircraft:the main advance being a Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC)unit, which improved engine reliability and reduced stall occurrence.Added to the production line in 1988 the "-220" also supplanted theF-15's "-100", for commonality. Many of the "-220" engines onBlock 25 and later aircraft were upgraded from mid-1997 to the"-220E" standard, which enhanced reliability and maintainability,unscheduled engine removals were reduced by 35%.[83][84]

The F100-PW-220/220E was the result of the USAF's AlternateFighter Engine (AFE) program (colloquially known as "the GreatEngine War"), which also saw the entry of General Electric as an F-16 engine provider. Its F110-GE-100turbofan was limited by the original inlet to thrust of 25,735 lbf (114.5 kN), the Modular Common Inlet Ductallowed the F110 to achieve its maximum thrust of 28,984 lbf (128.9 kN). (To distinguish between aircraftequipped with these two engines and inlets, from the Block 30 series on, blocks ending in "0" (e.g., Block30) are powered by GE, and blocks ending in "2" (e.g., Block 32) are fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines.)[83][85]

The Increased Performance Engine (IPE) program led to the 29,588 lbf (131.6 kN) F110-GE-129 on theBlock 50 and 29,160 lbf (129.4 kN) F100-PW-229 on the Block 52. F-16s began flying with these IPEengines in the early 1990s. Altogether, of the 1,446 F-16C/Ds ordered by the USAF, 556 were fitted withF100-series engines and 890 with F110s.[37] The United Arab Emirates Block 60 is powered by the GeneralElectric F110-GE-132 turbofan, which is rated at a maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (144.6 kN), the highest

developed for the F-16.[86][87]

Operational history

Main article: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operational history

Due to their ubiquity, F-16s have participated in numerous conflicts, most of them in the Middle East.

United States

The F-16 is being used by the active duty USAF, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units, theUSAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and as an adversary-aggressor aircraft bythe United States Navy at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center.

The U.S. Air Force, including the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, has flown the F-16 incombat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and in the Balkans later in the 1990s. F-16s also patrolledthe no-fly zones in Iraq during Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch and served during the wars


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Wisconsin ANG F-16s over Madison,Wisconsin. The tail of the formation'slead ship features a special 60thAnniversary scheme for the 115thFighter Wing.

Israeli Air Force F-16A Netz 107 with 6.5kill marks of other aircraft and one killmark of a Iraqi nuclear reactor

The Pakistan Air Force's new F-16DBlock 52+ fighters withinternal/integrated Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) systems undergoingflight testing

in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and Iraq (OperationIraqi Freedom) from 2001. Most recently, the U.S. has deployedthem to enforce the no-fly zone in Libya.

The F-16 was scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Forceuntil 2025.[88] The planned replacement was to be the F-35A versionof the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which would graduallybegin replacing a number of multi-role aircraft among the program'smember nations. However due to delays in the JSF program, allUSAF F-16s will get service life extension upgrades.[89]

Israel

The F-16's first air-to-aircombat success wasachieved by the IsraeliAir Force (IAF) over the

Bekaa Valley on 28 April 1981, against a Syrian Mi-8helicopter, which was downed with cannon fire.[90] On 7 June1981, eight Israeli F-16s, escorted by F-15s, executed OperationOpera, their first employment in a significant air-to-groundoperation. This raid severely damaged Osirak, an Iraqi nuclearreactor under construction near Baghdad, to prevent the regimeof Saddam Hussein from using the reactor for the creation ofnuclear weapons.[91]

The following year, during the 1982 Lebanon War Israeli F-16s engaged Syrian aircraft in one of the largestair battles involving jet aircraft, which began on 9 June and continued for two more days. Israeli Air ForceF-16s were credited with 44 air-to-air kills during the conflict.[90][92] F-16s were also used in their ground-attack role for strikes against targets in Lebanon. IAF F-16s participated in the 2006 Lebanon War andduring the attacks in the Gaza strip in December 2008.[93] During and after 2006 Lebanon war, IAF F-16sshot down Iranian-made UAV drones launched by Hezbollah, using Rafael Python 5 air-to-air missile.[94][95]

Pakistan

During the Soviet-Afghan war, between May 1986 and January 1989,Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16s defended against intruders fromAfghanistan, while losing one F-16 to Afghan fire.[96]

The Pakistan Air Force has used its F-16s in various foreign andinternal military exercises, such as the "Indus Vipers" exercise in2008 conducted jointly with Turkey.[97] Since May 2009, the PAFhas also been using their F-16 fleet to attack militant positions andsupport the Pakistan Army's operations in North-West Pakistanagainst the Taliban insurgency.[98] As of November 2011, PAF F-16have launched 5,500 sorties in operations. More than 80% of thedropped munitions were laser-guided bombs.[99]

PAF F-16s patrolled the Indian border during the Kargil Conflict andduring the 2008 tension[100] with India.


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Remains of downed F-16C duringoperation Desert Storm

Turkey

The Turkish Air Force acquired its first F-16s in 1987. Turkish AirForce F-16 units participated in the Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovosince 1993 in support of United Nations resolutions.[101]

On 18 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F-1 crashed during dogfight with aTurkish F-16 Block 30 Fighting Falcon.[102][103][104]

On 8 February 1995, a Turkish F-16 crashed into the Aegean afterbeing intercepted by Greek Mirage F1 fighters.[105][106][107]

On 8 October 1996, 7 months after the escalation over Imia a GreekMirage 2000 fired an R.550 Magic II missile and shot down aTurkish F-16D[108] over the Aegean Sea. The Turkish pilot died, while the co-pilot ejected and was rescuedby Greek forces.[104][109] In August 2012, after the downing of a RF-4E on the Syrian Coast, TurkishDefence Minister smet Ylmaz confirmed that the Turkish F-16D was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000with an R.550 Magic II in 1996 after violating Greek airspace near Chios island.[110]

On 23 May 2006, two Greek F-16 Block 52+ jets were scrambled to intercept a Turkish RF-4reconnaissance aircraft and its two F-16 escorts off the coast of the Greek island of Karpathos, within theAthens FIR. A mock dogfight ensued between the two sides' F-16s, which ended in a midair collisionbetween a Turkish F-16 and a Greek F-16. The Turkish pilot ejected safely after his jet was destroyed, butthe Greek pilot died when his canopy and cockpit were destroyed during the collision.[111][112]

Turkey has used its F-16s extensively in its conflict with separatist Kurds in Kurdish parts of Turkey andIraq. Most notably during winter bombing campaign of 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq whereTurkey launched its first cross-border raid on 16 December 2007, involving 50 fighters before OperationSun. This was the first time Turkey had mounted a night-bombing operation on a massive scale, and also thelargest operation conducted by Turkish Air Force.[113]

Others

The Royal Netherlands Air Force, Belgian Air Force, Royal Danish Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force,Pakistan Air Force, and Venezuela have flown the F-16 on combat missions.[114][115] A Serbian MiG-29 wasshot down by a Dutch F-16AM during the Kosovo War in 1999.[116] Belgian and Danish F-16s alsoparticipated in joint operations over Kosovo during the war.[116] Belgian F-16s were deployed during the2011 intervention in Libya and in Afghanistan.[117]

Variants

Main article: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants

F-16 models are denoted by increasing block numbers to denote upgrades. The blocks cover both single- andtwo-seat versions. A variety of software, hardware, systems, weapons compatibility, and structuralenhancements have been instituted over the years to gradually upgrade production models and retrofitdelivered aircraft.

While many F-16s were produced according to these block designs, there have been many other variantswith significant changes, usually due to modification programs. Other changes have resulted inrole-specialization, such as the close air support and reconnaissance variants. Several models were also


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A Portuguese Air Force F-16Aoutfitted with AIM-9 Sidewindermissiles, AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod,and external fuel tanks.

An Israeli F-16I (Block 52) withconformal fuel tanks (CFTs),internal/integrated Electronic CounterMeasures, and other external storesduring a Red Flag exercise at NellisAFB, NV, July 2009

A United Arab Emirates Air ForceF-16E Block 60 with the NorthropGrumman IFTS pod, Conformal FuelTanks, and various external armamenttaking off from the Lockheed Martinplant in Fort Worth, Texas.

developed to test new technology. The F-16 design also inspired thedesign of other aircraft, which are considered derivatives. OlderF-16s are being converted into QF-16 drone targets.[118]

F-16A/BThe F-16A (single seat) and F-16B (two seat) were initialproduction variants. These variants include the Block 1, 5, 10and 20 versions. Block 15 was the first major change to theF-16 with larger horizontal stabilizers. It is the most numerousF-16 variant with 475 produced.[119]

F-16C/DThe F-16C (single seat) and F-16D (two seat) variants enteredproduction in 1984. The first C/D version was the Block 25with improved cockpit avionics and radar which addedall-weather capability with beyond-visual-range (BVR) AIM-7and AIM-120 air-air missiles. Block 30/32, 40/42, and 50/52were later C/D versions.[120] The F-16C/D had a unit cost ofUS$18.8 million (1998).[1] Operational cost per flight hour hasbeen estimated at $7,000[121] to $22,470[122] or $24,000,depending on calculation method.[123]

F-16E/FThe F-16E (single seat) and F-16F (two seat) are newer F-16variants. The Block 60 version is based on the F-16C/D Block50/52 and has been developed especially for the United ArabEmirates (UAE). It features improved AN/APG-80 ActiveElectronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, avionics,conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), and the more powerful GEF110-132 engine.[124][125]

F-16INFor the Indian MRCA competition for the Indian Air Force,Lockheed Martin offered the F-16IN Super Viper.[126] The F-16IN isbased on the F-16E/F Block 60 and features conformal fuel tanks;AN/APG-80 AESA radar, GE F110-132A engine with FADECcontrols; electronic warfare suite and infra-red searching (IRST);updated glass cockpit; and a helmet-mounted cueing system.[127] Asof 2011, the F-16IN is no longer in the competition.[128]

F-16IQIn September 2010, the Defense Security Cooperation Agencyinformed the United States Congress of a possible Foreign MilitarySale of 18 F-16IQ aircraft along with the associated equipment andservices to the newly reformed Iraqi Air Force. Total value of sale isestimated at US$4.2 billion.[129]

F-16NThe F-16N is an adversary aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy. It is based on the standard F-16C/DBlock 30 and is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine. However, the F-16N has astrengthened wing and is capable of carrying an Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI)


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A USAF QF-16A, on its firstunmanned test flight, over the Gulf ofMexico

F-16 operators (former operators in red)

pod on the starboard wingtip. Although the single-seat F-16Ns and twin-seat (T)F-16Ns are based onthe early-production small-inlet Block 30 F-16C/D airframe, they retain the APG-66 radar of theF-16A/B. In addition, the aircraft's 20 mm cannon has been removed, as has the ASPJ, and they carryno missiles. Their EW fit consists of an ALR-69 radar warning receiver (RWR) and an ALE-40chaff/flare dispenser. The F-16Ns and (T)F-16Ns have the standard Air Force tailhook andundercarriage and are not carrier capable. Production totaled 26 airframes, of which 22 are single-seatF-16Ns and 4 are twin-seat TF-16Ns. The initial batch of aircraft were in service between 1988 and1998. At that time, hairline cracks were discovered in several bulkheads and the Navy didn't have theresources to replace them, so the aircraft were eventually retired and placed in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, ultimately being replaced by embargoed ex-Pakistani F-16C/Ds in 2003. F-16Ns werepreviously operated by adversary squadrons at NAS Oceana, Virginia; NAS Key West, Florida and theformer NAS Miramar, California. They are operated by the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center atNAS Fallon, Nevada.[130]

F-16VLockheed Martin unveiled plans for a new variant of F-16(which carries a V suffix, referencing to its Viper nickname) atthe 2012 Singapore Air Show. George Standridge,vice-president of business development at Lockheed MartinAeronautics, was quoted to say that the new variant willfeature an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, anew mission computer and various cockpit improvements;further details revealed that this package can be retrofitted toprevious F-16s as well, making these aircraft comparable tothe Block 60 variant.[131]

QF-16In September 2013, an empty F-16 tested by Boeing and US Air Force, with two US Air Force pilotscontrolling the plane from the ground as it flew from Tyndall AFB over the Gulf of Mexico.[132][133]

The QF-16, having previously been mothballed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, flew at an altitudeof 40,000 ft (12.2 km), a speed of Mach 1.47 (1,119 mph/1,800 km/h) and reportedly reached 7 g.[134]

Operators

Main article: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators

4,500 F-16s had been delivered by July 2010.[135]

Bahrain Belgium Chile Denmark Egypt Greece Indonesia Iraq Israel Jordan Morocco

Norway Oman Pakistan Poland Portugal

Republic ofChina(Taiwan)

Singapore


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A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilotejects from his F-16 at an air show inSeptember 2003

Netherlands SouthKorea

Thailand Turkey United

ArabEmirates

UnitedStates

Venezuela

Former operators

Italy Italian Air Force leased 30 F-16As and 4 F-16Bs from the USAF from 2001 until2012.[136]

United States AeroGroup, a private American commercial company, performed F-16 trainingservices and support for the Dutch, Italian and Belgian Air Forces.[137][138][139] AeroGroup [5](http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article2908.html) is a private commercial company located in theUSA that are known as being the first private commercial company to operate and train F-16pilots.[140]

Notable accidents and incidents

On 8 May 1975, while practicing a 9-g aerial display maneuverwith the second YF-16 (tail number 72-1568) at Fort Worth,prior to being sent to the Paris Air Show, one of the mainlanding gear jammed. The test pilot, Neil Anderson, had toperform an emergency gear-up landing and chose to do so inthe grass, hoping to minimize damage and to avoid injuringany observers. The aircraft was only slightly damaged, but dueto the mishap the first prototype was sent to the Paris Air Showin its place.[141]

On 15 November 1982, outside Kunsan Air Base in SouthKorea, during a training mission, USAF Captain Ted Harduvelcrashed inverted into a mountain ridge and died. In 1985,Harduvel's widow filed a lawsuit against General Dynamicsclaiming an electrical malfunction, not pilot error as the causeaccording to the USAF; a jury awarded the plaintiff $3.4million in damages. However in 1989, the United States Courtof Appeals ruled the contractor had immunity to lawsuits,overturning the previous judgment. The court did remand theplaintiff's claim of electrical malfunction as the cause, noting that General Dynamics and the USAFknew about chafing of instrumentation wiring, but had not disclosed initially.[142] The accident andsubsequent trial was the subject of the 1992 film Afterburn.[143][144]

On 23 March 1994, during a joint Army-Air Force exercise being conducted at Pope AFB, NorthCarolina, F-16D (AF Serial No. 88-0171) of the 23d Fighter Wing / 74th Fighter Squadron was


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simulating an engine-out approach when it collided with a USAF C-130E. Both F-16 crew membersejected, but their aircraft, on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp and struck aUSAF C-141 that was embarking US Army paratroopers. This accident resulted in 24 fatalities and atleast 80 others injured. It has since been known as the "Green Ramp disaster".[145]

On 15 September 2003, a USAF Thunderbird F-16C crashed during a Mountain Home AFB, Idaho,air show. Captain Christopher Stricklin attempted a "Split S" maneuver based on an incorrectmean-sea-level altitude of the airfield. Climbing to only 1,670 ft (510 m) above ground level insteadof 2,500 ft (760 m), Stricklin had insufficient altitude to complete the maneuver, but was able to guidethe aircraft away from spectators and ejected less than one second before impact. Stricklin survivedwith only minor injuries; the aircraft was destroyed. USAF procedure for demonstration "Split-S"maneuvers was changed, requiring both pilots and controllers to use above mean-sea-level altitudes.[146][147]

Aircraft on display

YF-16

72-1567 Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton, Virginia[148]

YF-16B

75-0752 Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, Texas[149]

F-16A

75-0746 Pylon-mounted gate guard, McEntire Air National Guard Base, South Carolina[150]

75-0746 Cadet Area Quadrangle, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado[151]

75-0750 On display at the Experimental Aircraft Display Hangar, National Museum of the UnitedStates Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio[152]

78-0001 Langley AFB Memorial Park, Langley AFB, Virginia. First production model F-16Adelivered to USAF.[153]

78-0005 162d Fighter Wing Park, Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona[154]

78-0025 Gate guard, Burlington Air National Guard Base, Vermont[155]

78-0042 Gate guard, Montgomery Air National Guard Base/Dannelly Field, Alabama[156]

78-0052 Eielson AFB Heritage Park, Eielson AFB, Alaska[157]

78-0053 Pylon display at Misawa AB, Japan[158]

78-0057 Pylon display at Spangdahlem AB, Germany[159]

78-0059 Selfridge Military Air Museum and Air Park, Selfridge ANGB, Michigan[160]

78-0065 388th Fighter Wing and 419th Fighter Wing combined Headquarters, Hill AFB, Utah[161]

78-0066 On display in Kansas Air National Guard Memorial Park area, McConnell AFB,Kansas[162]

79-0290 On display at Great Falls Air National Guard Base, Montana.[163]

79-0296 Gate guard, Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Florida[164]

79-0307 On display at Cannon AFB Air Park, Cannon AFB, New Mexico[165]

79-0309 Base park area adjacent to USAFCENT Headquarters, Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Paintedas 20th Fighter Wing F-16C 93-0534. Memorial to Maj Brinson Phillips, 20 FW, killed 19 Mar 2000while flying F-16C 93-0534[166]

79-0312 On pylon display, Veterans Memorial Park, Douglas, Arizona[167]


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79-0326 Gate guard, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida[168]

79-0327 Pedestal mounted memorial, Luke AFB, Arizona. Painted in 302d Fighter Squadronmarkings, to include World War II Tuskegee Airmen "Red Tails" empennage[169]

79-0334 USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama[170]

79-0337 Ground-mobile static display aircraft, normally located at Hancock Field Air NationalGuard Base, New York. Utilized by New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing (former 174thFighter Wing) at fairs and expositions for Air National Guard recruiting.[171]

79-0352 On static display with 23d Wing at Moody AFB, Georgia[172]

79-0366 Memorial park static display, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho[173]

79-0388 Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah[174]

79-0373 On display at Buckley AFB, Colorado. Aircraft painted in markings of Colorado AirNational Guard's 140th Fighter Wing based at Buckley AFB.[175]

79-0402 Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah[176]

79-0403 Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York City, New York[177]

80-0481 Display on Parade Ground, Sheppard AFB, Texas.[178]

80-0527 Former Arizona Air National Guard 162d Fighter Wing aircraft destined for transferto/display at the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.[179]

80-0538 City park in Pinellas Park, Florida. Painted in markings of 56th Tactical TrainingWing-cum-56th Fighter Wing, previously assigned to nearby MacDill AFB in the 1980s and early1990s.[180]

80-0573 Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Florida.[181]

80-0612 Memorial park static display at Puerto Rico National Guard's Camp Santiago, Salinas,Puerto Rico. Former Puerto Rico Air National Guard F-16ADF, painted in markings of PRANG'sformer 198th Fighter Squadron, but marked as 81612.[182]

81-0663 On display in United States Air Force Thunderbirds markings at the National Museum ofthe United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.[183]

81-0676 Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, Warner Robins, Georgia[184]

81-0721 MacDill AFB Memorial Park, MacDill AFB, Florida. Former Florida Air National Guard125th Fighter Wing F-16ADF repainted in markings of a 56th Fighter Wing F-16A previouslyassigned to MacDill in the 1980s.[185]

82-0930 On display at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas[186]

FA-01 On display at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels,Belgium[187]

F-16B

78-0088 On display at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May CountyAirport, New Jersey[188]

78-0107 On display adjacent to Parade Ground, Lackland AFB, Texas[189]

79-0430 Stafford Air & Space Museum, Weatherford, Oklahoma[190]

81-0816 Pylon display gate guard, Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey[191]

F-16C

83-1126 Pylon display at Hill Memorial Park, Hill AFB, Utah[192]

84-1264 Air park display, Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Indiana. Aircraft retains AirForce Heritage paint scheme honoring 358th Fighter Group during World War II.[193]

84-1393 Pylon display at Texas National Guard's Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas. Former Texas Air


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Testing of the F-35 diverterlesssupersonic inlet on an F-16 testbed.The original intake is shown in thetop image.

National Guard 147th Fighter Wing/111th Fighter Squadron aircraft.[194]

85-1469 Static display at Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station, South Dakota[195]

87-0323 Preserved as Thunderbird 1 in front of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron/UnitedStates Air Force Thunderbirds hangar, Nellis AFB, Nevada. Assigned to Thunderbirds in the19922008 timeframe. Had number 1 attached on 11 Jun 1999; number 2 in the 2004 season; number3 on 3 Mar 2003 and number 4 on 1 Apr 2005.[196]

F-16N

163269 San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego, California[197]

163271 Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa, California[198]

163277 Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, California[199]

163572 National Naval Aviation Museum, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola, Florida[200]

163576 Air Power Park, Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada[201]

Specifications (F-16C Block 50)

Data from USAF sheet,[1] International Directory ofMilitary Aircraft[61]

General characteristics

Crew: 1Length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)Height: 16 ft (4.88 m)Wing area: 300 ft (27.87 m)Airfoil: NACA 64A204 root and tipEmpty weight: 18,900 lb (8,570 kg)Loaded weight: 26,500 lb (12,000 kg)Max. takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (19,200 kg)Powerplant: 1 F110-GE-100 afterburning turbofan

Dry thrust: 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN)Thrust with afterburner: 28,600 lbf (127 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed:At sea level: Mach 1.2 (915 mph, 1,470 km/h)[61]

At altitude: Mach 2[1] (1,320 mph, 2,120 km/h) cleanconfiguration

Combat radius: 340 mi (295 nmi, 550 km) on a hi-lo-himission with four 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombsFerry range: 2,280 nmi (2,620 mi, 4,220 km) with drop tanksService ceiling: 50,000+ ft[1] (15,240+ m)Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)Wing loading: 88.3 lb/ft (431 kg/m)Thrust/weight: 1.095

Armament


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F-16C block 52 of the Hellenic AirForce with conformal fuel tanks andAIFF.

M61A1 on display.

Guns: 1 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatlingcannon, 511 roundsHardpoints: 2 wing-tip Air-to-air missile launch rails, 6under-wing & 3 under-fuselage pylon stations holding up to17,000 lb (7,700 kg) of disposable storesRockets:

4LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19 /7Hydra 70 mm rockets, respectively)4LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19 CRV7 70 mmrockets)4LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4 Zuni 127 mmrockets)

Missiles:Air-to-air missiles:

2 AIM-7 Sparrow6 AIM-9 Sidewinder6 AIM-120 AMRAAM6 IRIS-T6 Python-4

Air-to-ground missiles:6 AGM-65 Maverick4 AGM-88 HARMAGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile(JASSM)

Anti-ship missiles:2 AGM-84 Harpoon4 AGM-119 Penguin

Bombs:8 CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition8 CBU-89 Gator mine8 CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon4 Mark 84 general-purpose bombs8 Mark 83 GP bombs12 Mark 82 GP bombs8 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)4 GBU-10 Paveway II6 GBU-12 Paveway II4 GBU-24 Paveway III4 GBU-27 Paveway III4 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) series4 AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)B61 nuclear bomb

Others:SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod orAN/ALQ-131 & AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods orLANTIRN, Lockheed Martin Sniper XR & LITENING targeting pods orup to 3 300/330/370/600 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight/extendedrange/loitering time orUTC Aerospace DB-110 long range EO/IR sensor pod on centerline


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Avionics

AN/APG-68 radarMIL-STD-1553 bus [6] (http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Connector_1553.html)

Notable appearances in media

Main article: F-16 Fighting Falcon in fiction

See also

4th generation jet fighterGreen Ramp disasterDavid S. Lewis (General Dynamics' CEO during formative period for F-16)

Related development

Vought Model 1600General Dynamics F-16 VISTAGeneral Dynamics F-16XLKAI T-50 Golden EagleMitsubishi F-2

Related lists

List of active United States military aircraftList of fighter aircraft

References

Notes

^ a b c d e f g "F-16 Fact Sheet." (http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104505/f-16-fighting-falcon.aspx) U.S. Air Force, Retrieved: 4 September 2013.

1.

^ "Lockheed Martin to deliver 4,500th F-16 fighter" (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/04/02/143842/lockheed-martin-to-deliver-4500th.html). mcclatchydc.com, April 2012. Retrieved: 3 April 2012.

2.

^ Rosenwald, Michael S. "Downside of Dominance? Popularity of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Makes Its F-35Stealth Jet a Tough Sell." (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601522.html) Washington Post, updated 17 December 2007. Retrieved: 11 July 2008.

3.

^ "Company Histories Lockheed Martin Corporation." (http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Lockheed-Martin-Corporation-Company-History.html) Funding Universe. Retrieved: 11 July 2008.

4.

^ Aleshire 2005, p. xxii.5.^ Peacock 1997, p. 100.6.^ Stout, Joe and Laurie Quincy. "United States Government Awards Lockheed Martin Contract to BeginProduction of Advanced F-16 Aircraft for Morocco." (http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2008/060608ae_f16morocco.html) Lockheed Martin press release, 8 June 2008. Retrieved: 11 July 2008.

7.

^ Spick 2000, p. 190.8.^ Hillaker, Harry. "John Boyd, USAF Retired, Father of the F-16." (http://web.archive.org/web/20090601193605/http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/1997/articles/jul_97/july2a_97.html) Code One: An AirpowerProjection Magazine, April/July 1997. Retrieved 21 August 2011.

9.

^ Code One, April & July 1991. Retrieved 21 August 2011.10.^ Richardson 1990, pp. 78.11.^ Coram 2002, pp. 24546.12.


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