F-16 Fighting Falcon

The F-16 was designed in 1974 as a lightweight, multi-role fighter for the U.S. Air Force. The Falcon is the largest Western jet fighter program and it’s versatility is the main reason it has been so successful worldwide–with over 4,400 built, it is used by 24 countries. The Falcon is famous for being used by the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds air demonstration team.

Image Description: An F-16 Fighting Falcon used by the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds air demonstration team.

FACTS & STATS:

First Flown	1974
Range	1,480 miles (2,383 km)
Length	49 ft 4 in (15.04 m)
Engine	One 29,100 lb (13,200 kg) Pratt & Whitney F-100-PW-220 or one 29,588 lb (13,421 kg) General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan
Wingspan	31 ft (9.45 m)
Max Speed	Mach 2+ (1,500 mph; 2,415 kmh)
Ceiling	60,000+ ft (18,000+ m)
Weight	Empty: 19,517 lb (8,853 kg); Loaded: 37,500 lb (17,010 kg)
Number Built	Over 4,400
Armament	One 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling gun with 515 rounds; two wing-tip air-to-air missile launch rails, six under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations holding up to 20,450 lb (9,276 kg) of payload; bombs; missiles; rockets

Image Description: US F-16 Fighting Falcon flies towards Rimini, Italy to join with the Italian air force in a training mission.

The F-16A served as the technology demonstrator aircraft for the NASA Advanced Fighter Technology Integration program, which was conducted at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Facility to implement new aircraft technologies.

Image Description: The F-16A served as the technology demonstrator aircraft for the NASA Advanced Fighter Technology Integration program, which was conducted at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Facility to implement new aircraft technologies.