General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft with over 4,600 built since 1976.^[4] Although no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation,^[5] which became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.^[6]

"F16" and "F-16 Fighting Falcon" redirect here. For the video game, see Falcon (video game series). For other uses, see F16 (disambiguation).

The Fighting Falcon's key features include a frameless bubble canopy for enhanced cockpit visibility, a side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, an ejection seat reclined 30 degrees from vertical 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 helps to make it an agile aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 hardpoints.

In addition to active duty in the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard units, the aircraft is also used by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, the US Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team,^[7] and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy. The F-16 has also been procured by the air forces of 25 other nations.^[8] As of 2023, it is the world's most common fixed-wing aircraft in military service, with 2145 F-16s operational.^[9]

– Royal Danish Air Force sold 24 F-16s to Argentine Air Force in 2024.^[257] Donating rest of the fleet of 19 F-16s to Ukrainian Air Force.^[258]

Denmark

– Italian Air Force used up to 30 F-16As and 4 F-16Bs of the Block 15 ADF variant, leased from the United States Air Force, from 2003 to 2012.^[259]

Italy

– Royal Netherlands Air Force sold 6 F-16s to Royal Jordanian Air Force^[260] and 36 F-16s to Chilean Air Force in 2005.^[261] Donating rest of the fleet of 42 aircraft to Ukraine.^[262]

Netherlands

– Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) on 6 January 2022, Norway announced that all F-16s had been retired and replaced with the F-35.^[263] The RNoAF sold 32 of their F-16s to Romanian Air Force, with the remaining operational aircraft being donated to Ukraine.^[264]^[265]^[266]

Norway

On 8 May 1975, while practicing a 9-g aerial display maneuver with the second YF-16 (tail number 72-1568) at , prior to being sent to the Paris Air Show, one of the main landing gears jammed. The test pilot, Neil Anderson, had to perform an emergency gear-up landing and chose to do so in the grass, hoping to minimize damage and avoid injuring any observers. The aircraft was only slightly damaged, but because of the mishap, the first prototype was sent to the Paris Air Show in its place.^[277]

Fort Worth, Texas

On 15 November 1982, while on a training flight outside in South Korea, USAF Captain Ted Harduvel died when he crashed inverted into a mountain ridge. In 1985, Harduvel's widow filed a lawsuit against General Dynamics claiming an electrical malfunction, not pilot error, as the cause; a jury awarded the plaintiff $3.4 million in damages. However, in 1989, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the contractor had immunity to lawsuits, overturning the previous judgment. The court remanded the case to the trial court "for entry of judgment in favor of General Dynamics".^[278] The accident and subsequent trial was the subject of the 1992 film Afterburn.^[279]^[280]

Kunsan Air Base

On 23 March 1994, during a joint Army-Air Force exercise at , North Carolina, F-16D (AF Serial No. 88-0171) of the 23d Fighter Wing / 74th Fighter Squadron was simulating an engine-out approach when it collided with a USAF C-130E. Both F-16 crew members ejected, but their aircraft, on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp and struck a USAF C-141 that was being boarded by US Army paratroopers. This accident resulted in 24 fatalities and at least 100 others injured.^[281] It has since been known as the "Green Ramp disaster".^[282]

Pope AFB

On 15 September 2003, a F-16C crashed during an air show at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Captain Christopher Stricklin attempted a "split S" maneuver based on an incorrect mean-sea-level altitude of the airfield. Climbing to only 1,670 ft (510 m) above ground level instead of 2,500 ft (760 m), Stricklin had insufficient altitude to complete the maneuver, but was able to guide the aircraft away from spectators and ejected less than one second before impact. Stricklin survived with only minor injuries; the aircraft was destroyed. USAF procedure for demonstration "Split-S" maneuvers was changed, requiring both pilots and controllers to use above-ground-level (AGL) altitudes.^[283]^[284]

USAF Thunderbirds

On 26 January 2015, a Greek F-16D while performing a NATO training exercise in Albacete, Spain. Both crew members and nine French soldiers on the ground died when it crashed in the flight line, destroying or damaging two Italian AMXs, two French Alpha jets, and one French Mirage 2000.^[285]^[286] Investigations suggested that the accident was due to an erroneous rudder setting that was caused by loose papers in the cockpit.^[287]

crashed

On 7 July 2015, an F-16CJ with a Cessna 150M over Moncks Corner, South Carolina, U.S. The pilot of the F-16 ejected safely, but both people in the Cessna were killed.^[288]

collided

On 11 October 2018, an F-16 MLU from the of the Belgian Air Component, on the apron at Florennes Air Station, was hit by a gun burst from a nearby F-16, whose cannon was fired inadvertently during maintenance. The aircraft caught fire and was burned to the ground, while two other F-16s were damaged and two maintenance personnel were treated for aural trauma.^[289]

2nd Tactical Wing

On 11 March 2020, a Pakistani F-16AM (Serial No. 92730) of the crashed in the Shakarparian area of Islamabad during rehearsals for the Pakistan Day Parade. The plane crashed when the F-16 was executing an aerobatic loop. As a result, the pilot of the F-16, Wing Commander Noman Akram, who was also the Commanding Officer of the No. 9 Squadron "Griffins", lost his life. A board of inquiry ordered by the Pakistan Air Force later revealed that the pilot had every chance to eject but opted not to and tried his best to save the aircraft and avoid civilian casualties on the ground. Videos taken by locals on the ground show his F-16AM crashing into some woods. He was hailed a hero by Pakistanis while also gaining some attention internationally.^[290]

No. 9 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)

On 6 May 2023, a U.S. Air Force F-16C belonging to the crashed in a field near Osan Air Base in South Korea during a daytime training sortie. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft.^[291]

8th Fighter Wing

On 8 May 2024, an F-16 of the crashed during take-off within Tengah Air Base. The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft without major injuries.^[292] The cause was later identified to be due to a malfunction of all four pitch rate gyroscopes on the aircraft, which was noted to be a "very rare occurrence".^[293]

Republic of Singapore Air Force

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__heading--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__description--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__heading--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__description--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

The F-16 has been involved in over 670 hull-loss accidents as of January 2020.^[275]^[276]

Crew: 1

Length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)

Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)

Height: 16 ft (4.9 m)

Wing area: 300 sq ft (28 m²)

: NACA 64A204^[295]

Airfoil

Empty weight: 18,900 lb (8,573 kg)

Gross weight: 26,500 lb (12,020 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (19,187 kg)

Fuel capacity: 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) internal

[67]

Powerplant: 1 × for Block 50 aircraft , 17,155 lbf (76.31 kN) thrust dry, 29,500 lbf (131 kN) with afterburner
(1 × Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 for Block 52 aircraft, 17,800 lbf (79 kN) thrust dry and 29,160 lbf (129.7 kN) with afterburner.)

General Electric F110-GE-129

Data from USAF sheet,^[67] International Directory of Military Aircraft,^[76] Flight Manual for F-16C/D Block 50/52+^[294]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Avionics

Aircraft in fiction#F-16 Fighting Falcon

Fourth-generation fighter

Green Ramp disaster

(General Dynamics' CEO during formative period for F-16)

David S. Lewis

– F-16 Aerobatic Team

RSAF Black Knights

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Drendel, Lou. F-16 Fighting Falcon – Walk Around No. 1. : Squadron/Signal Books, 1993. ISBN 0-89747-307-8.

Carrollton, Texas

. United States Military Aircraft of the 20th century London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1984. ISBN 0-86101-163-5.

Gunston, Bill

Jenkins, Dennis R. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, Supreme Heavy-Weight Fighter. : Aerofax, 1998. ISBN 1-85780-081-8.

Arlington, Texas

. Supersonic Fighters: The F-16 Fighting Falcons. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2008. ISBN 1-4296-1315-7.

Sweetman, Bill

Williams, Anthony G. and Dr. Emmanuel Gustin. Flying Guns: The Modern Era. Ramsbury, UK: The , 2004. ISBN 1-86126-655-3.