F-16 Living Legacy

Lockheed Martin delivered the 4,500th F-16 Fighting Falcon in March 2012. Follow this aircraft's amazing legacy of nearly four decades of defending freedom around the globe.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[XKS99]

It's amazing how far the F-16 has come since the Fighter Mafia days with today's advanced radars and long range air to air missiles. Sprey must be pretty pissed with the viper being kitted out like a mini F-15 these days.

The F-35 with its massive range, powerful sensors, stealth, and huge external warload capabilities when needed is a true successor to the F-16, and sure to be built in even greater numbers.

[XKS99]

Also, thrust to weight ratios are deceptive. An F-35 carries MUCH more fuel internally than an F-16, nearly 8500 kg, compared to 2600 kg. At 50% fuel, it matches the 1.1 thrust to weight ratio of the F-16 but still is carrying 2 times as much fuel. Sprey and the APA twist the strengths of the airplane and falsely make them into weaknesses to support their agenda. Sprey especially hates the F-35 because of how wrong he was about how the hi-tech F-15 would do in 1991 over Iraq.

[XKS99]

As per recent released documents the F-35A is 8 seconds slower than a buck naked F-16 through mach 0.8 to 1.2. Load the F-16 down with weapons and it becomes a complete dog. Pilots say the F-35 energy-maneuverability diagrams match a clean F-18 - short wings or not. F-105 shot down 27 migs for 22 losses, but most of its losses were to AAA, not something maneuver would have helped with, but precision munitions and 360 degree god like vision would. No Mig can outmaneuver an AIM-9X Block II.

[incar95678]

I hope it can, it'll be in BIG trouble if it can't. 

[incar95678]

Dr Strangelove film with the B52s on base, "Peace is our Profession!" Classic :-)

[incar95678]

Yep, Fair enough - Cheers! :-)

[biglou117]

Bringing up a fairly old comment lol

But regardless, I was just saying what they thought :)

[incar95678]

Yep, because it still makes a lot of sense.

[incar95678]

Strongly object!

[incar95678]

The only thing to do to an F-16 is to remove a lot of the junk/weight thats been added for the last 35 years and stick the current F16E 32,000 Ib engine it it. Vertical takeoff is a gimmick so don't even bother.