F-16 50 years since its first flight.

[bcp]

Viper Demo Team Secretly Painted Jet In YF-16 Scheme To Celebrate Type's 50th Anniversary

The USAF's F-16 single-ship demo team set out on a secret mission to paint their jet just like the first F-16 that ever flew.

www.twz.com

"The most successful 4th generation fighter of all time with nearly 5,000 jets produced just marked 50 years since its first flight."


Bruce

Read More

 

[Aero Denezol]

5,000 built, wow. That is like WWII production numbers. Compare to less than 200 F-22s that were built.

 

[nammac]

Long live the F-16, the backbone of America's air dominance. It's going to be at the Hillsboro International Air Show this weekend.

Might just have to buy a ticket this year to see it and FEMA.

 

[Ura-Ki]

She only gets better with age, and she was already a winner right off the start! The World changed when the F-16 first flew, and everyone else was in a panic to try and catch up, few ever did, and to this day, the F-16 remains one of the best there ever was! Production numbers are nearly that of the Legend it's self, the F-4, and THAT is saying something!

 

[gmerkt]

Every once in a while, the aerospace defense establishment hits the ball out of the park. This was one such. Since shortly before WW2, the US has done multi-track system procurement. In case one or the other doesn't work out. And surely not all do work out. A few work out very well.

less than 200 F-22s that were built.

Considering the price per unit, this is understandable.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Every once in a while, the aerospace defense establishment hits the ball out of the park. This was one such. Since shortly before WW2, the US has done multi-track system procurement. In case one or the other doesn't work out. And surely not all do work out. A few work out very well.


Considering the price per unit, this is understandable.

Correct, and further more, not only did the "Multi Track" work out extremely well with the F-16, but it led directly to what would become the F/A-18 Hornet, and now, Super Hornet! One could argue that the F-18 was even better, but that's neither here or there, the F-16 went on to become THE fighter to beat, and has remained the Gold Standard all these years later! Every once in a while, the American Aviation industry knocks one out of the park, and I would say, both the F-16 and F/A-18 were it!

 

[Bacchus]

You guys must all be from Texas.

The USAF is (per Wikipedia) no longer purchasing the F-16, but it was a great plane in its time and for its role. As I understand it, it was much cheaper than the F-18 and F-15, but those were more of a premium fighter or attack jet, while the F-16 could be bought in much bigger numbers as it was way cheaper. Per the link, the F-16 was at one time sold to at least half a dozen other countries (including Iran while the Shah was in power) and is still sold for export.

 

[Aero Denezol]

The early F-18 was a Northrup product which lost head to head in a fly-off against the F-16. Later on McDonnell Douglas took over the F-18 and developed it for the Navy.

My adoptive grandfather spent his career with Northrup and they believed the whole flyoff and subsequent McDD involvement was rigged. Corruption was not uncommon in those days for the Aerospace Industry.

To take nothing away from the F-16, which was remarkable in its own right. But worth mentioning.

 

[DB is Here]

Pretty impressive, good old American ingenuity.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Corruption was not uncommon in those days for the Aerospace Industry.

Same sort of thing that prevented the F-20 from becoming a thing because the DOD wanted to export the F-16 over the F-20

 

[CamoDeafie]

Compare to less than 200 F-22s that were built.

Considering the price per unit, this is understandable.

Blame Congress for balking at buying enough F-22s to replace active F-15s that USAF wanted in the first place. Price per Raptor would have amortized with continued production numbers to match the number of Eagles in service (currently 460 all models)

 

[Bacchus]

The early F-18 was a Northrup product which lost head to head in a fly-off against the F-16.

Interesting. I didn't know either of those two facts. You must go way back, even farther back than me.

 

[Knobgoblin]

5,000 built, wow. That is like WWII production numbers. Compare to less than 200 F-22s that were built.

Exports might explain the high production number.

 

[kmk1012]

I grew up watching the F16 dominate the planet and have a lot of respect for it. On the other hand, the F22 is something on another level. Has anyone seen the documentary about it with Tom Cruise?

 

[CamoDeafie]

Interesting. I didn't know either of those two facts. You must go way back, even farther back than me.

The YF-17 prototype grew out of studies based on the F-5G/F-20 designs for a larger but lightweight fighter. It evolved under McDD to the bigger F/A-18A/B/C/D, then under Boeing? To the even bigger Super Hornet of the F/A-18E+

 

[thorborg]

Haven't any experience with F16's. But looks impressive from the specs I just read. The carrier I was on (CVAN 65) had A3 vigilantes and F4 phantoms. F4's were the cats meow at the time. It was a an F4 that had a rocket discharged into another loaded plane that wreaked the death and destruction havoc during my billet and still travels through my mind from time to time. A couple years later I was lucky enough to comshaw myself a ride on an F4 while at the Subic bay from a plane that was doing touch and goes. Another excitement I'll never forget.

 

[Aero Denezol]

Same sort of thing that prevented the F-20 from becoming a thing because the DOD wanted to export the F-16 over the F-20

Correct. There was a lot on international interest in the Tigershark.

Interesting. I didn't know either of those two facts. You must go way back, even farther back than me.

I'm on the wrong side of 50 but mostly just grew up hearing stories from the old guys around the kitchen table. Donald Douglas, Howard Hughes, Jack Northrup.. These kinds of interests are developed when children are still little. My parents always took me to airshows back when airshows were affordable for the whole family. I used to build models. I still have a few diecasts, mostly of WWII stuff.

 

[Bacchus]

when airshows were affordable for the whole family.

Aren't airshows free if you stand back far enough?

I remember when Massachusetts wanted to tax airlines that flew through "their" airspace.