Flown by more than 15 countries, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon continues to be one of the hottest sellers in the export market, still winning competitions against the latest planes from the factories of Europe.
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One of the products of the competition that led to the McDonnell Douglas F-15 was a heated debate within the United States Air Force on the need to have a "lightweight" fighter. Led by the so-called "fighter mafia," the program set a goal to have a less expensive, almost equally capable fighter built in greater numbers than would be possible with the pricey F-15.
The Air Force resisted at first, then capitulated, agreeing to have a fighter competition that resulted in a fly-off between the Northrop YF-17 and the General Dynamics YF-16 in 1974. The YF-16 won the competition, but the YF-17 became the basis for the Navy's McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. Four NATO countries (Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway) announced that the F-16 would also be their fighter of choice, leading to joint production efforts and a worldwide market.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon had many advanced features, including a blended wing and fuselage design, fly-by-wire (electronic) controls, absolutely splendid visibility, and superb maneuverability. First flown on January 20, 1974, by Phil Oestricher, the F-16 soon demonstrated amazing performance and began to receive additional orders from a previously reluctant USAF.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon has experienced some problems with its engine, not yet entirely solved, and there have been a number of losses of Falcons over the years. Despite this, the performance of the F-16 has gained it a reputation as the most important current fighter in the West.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon -- more often called the "Electric Jet" than the "Fighting Falcon" -- was designed to take advantage of improvements in equipment as they became available. The result is that many of the F-16s in service are fully modernized with the latest radars, night-vision equipment, and missiles.
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Specifications
- Wingspan: 31 ft.
- Length: 49 ft. 4 in.
- Height: 16 ft. 8-1/2 in.
- Empty Weight: 18,280 lbs
- Gross Weight: 42,300 lbs
- Top Speed: 1,333 mph
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft.-plus
- Range: 1,050 miles
- Engine/Thrust: One Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan; or one General Electric F110 turbofan/29,000 lbs
- Crew: 1
- Armament: One MA61A1 20-mm six-barreled cannon; two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles or two AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles
- Ordnance: Up to 12,000 lbs of external load
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