F-16 Falcon
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A USAF F-16C over Iraq in 2008 | |
| Role | Multirole fighter, air superiority fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer |
General Dynamics Lockheed Martin Aeronautics |
| First flight | 20 January 1974 |
| Introduction | 17 August 1978 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users |
United States Air Force 25 other users (see operators page) |
| Produced | 1973–present |
| Number built | 4,573 (July 2016) |
| Unit cost | |
| Variants | General Dynamics F-16 VISTA |
| Developed into |
Vought Model 1600 General Dynamics F-16XL Mitsubishi F-2 |
| Lockheed F-16E Block 60 Fighting Falcon Cutaway | |
 Lockheed F-16E Block 60 Fighting Falcon Cutaway from Flightglobal.com
|
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the United States 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. Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are still being built for export customers. 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 has key features 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 which helps to make it a nimble aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons and other mission equipment. The F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", but "Viper" is commonly used by its pilots and crews, due to a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper starfighter.
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