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F-16 Fighting Falcon
First Flight
January 20, 1974
Location
Main Hangar
Dimensions & Capacity
Crew: 1
Length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
Wingspan: 64 ft 1.5 in (19.545 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
Height: 16 ft (4.9 m)
Empty Weight: 18,900 lb (8,573 kg)
Max Take Off Weight: 42,300 lb (19,187 kg)
Performance
Speed: Maximum – Mach 2.05 at altitude, clean, Cruise – 0.75 Mach
Service Ceiling: 50, 000 ft (15,000 m)
Range: 2,277 nmi (2,620 mi, 4,217 km) with drop tanks
Airworthiness
Static Aircraft
Armament
Guns: 1x 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan, 578 rds
Hardpoints: 9 (2 wingtips, 4 under-wing, 3 under-fuselage), 13,700 lb capacity. Can carry:
Rockets: 2.75 in Hydra 70, 5 in Zuni
Air-to-Air Missiles: Various (e.g., 2x AIM-9 wingtips, up to 8x AIM-9/AIM-120, 2x AIM-7/AIM-120)
Air-to-Surface Missiles: Various (e.g., 4x AGM-65, AGM-84H/K, AGM-88, AGM-154, AGM-158, Taurus)
Anti-Ship Missile: AGM-84 Harpoon
Bombs: Various (e.g., B83/B61 nukes, JDAM, Paveway, Mk 80 series, CBU-78/87/97, Mk 20, MK-77)
Other: ADM-141 TALD, SUU-42A/A, ECM pod, various targeting pods (e.g., AN/AAS-38, AN/ASQ-228, LITENING), up to 3x 330 US gal drop tanks
Loan Status
This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a 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. Over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are 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’s key features include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, 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 which helps to make it an agile 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 Colonial Viper starfighter on Battlestar Galactica which aired at the time the F-16 entered service. 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 USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy. The F-16 has also been procured to serve in the air forces of 25 other nations. As of 2015, it is the world’s most numerous fixed-wing aircraft in military service.
Our F-16 Viper's History
Our F-16 example – 78-0025 has the following history:
30 Oct 1979 – Built as F-16A Block 5
31 Oct 1979 – Assigned to USAF 34 TFS ‘HL’
April 1981 – Assigned to USAF 4 TFS ‘HL’
October 1981 – Assigned to USAF 57 FWW ‘WA’
Feb 1984 – Assigned to USAF 466 TFS ‘HI’
1 Feb 1992 – Assigned to USAF 466 FS ‘HI’
Feb 1994 – Assigned to WA – Nellis AFB (Instructional Airframe)
October 2000 – Assigned to Burlington IAP (Instructional Airframe)
Aug 2006 – Assigned Gate Guard at Burlington IAP – Painted as 80th TFS Jet
18 Dec 2013 – Received by Valiant Air Command Museum