Ø The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a
single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by
General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) for the United States Air Force (USAF).
Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful
all-weather multirole aircraft.
Ø The
Fighting Falcon's key features include a frameless bubble canopy for better
visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, a
seat reclined 30 degrees 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 a nimble aircraft.
Role
|
Multirole
fighter, air superiority fighter
|
National
origin
|
United
States
|
Manufacturer
|
General
Dynamics (Lockheed Martin)
|
First
flight
|
20
January 1974
|
Introduction
|
17
August 1978
|
Status
|
In
service
|
Primary
users
|
United
States Air Force
|
Produced
|
1973–present
|
Number
built
|
4,573
(July 2016)
|
Unit
cost
|
F-16A/B:
US$14.6 million (1998)
|
General characteristics
Ø Crew:
1
Ø Length:
49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
Ø Wingspan:
32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
Ø Height:
16 ft (4.88 m)
Ø Wing
area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Ø Airfoil:
NACA 64A204 root and tip
Ø Empty
weight: 18,900 lb (8,570 kg)
Ø Loaded
weight: 26,500 lb (12,000 kg)
Ø Max.
takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (19,200 kg)
Ø Internal
fuel: 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)[2]
Ø Powerplant:
1 × General Electric F110-GE-129 (for F-16C/D Block 30-40- 50) or Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220/220E
afterburning turbofan
Ø Dry
thrust: 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN)
Ø Thrust
with afterburner: 28,600 lbf (127 kN)
Performance
Ø Maximum
speed:
· At
sea level: Mach 1.2 (915 mph, 1,470 km/h)
· At
altitude: Mach 2[2] (1,320 mph; 2,120 km/h)
Ø Combat
radius: 340 mi (295 nmi; 550 km) on a hi-lo-hi mission with four 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
Ø Ferry
range: 2,280 nmi (2,620 mi; 4,220 km) with drop tanks
Ø Service
ceiling: 50,000+ ft (15,240+ m)
Ø Rate
of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
Ø Wing
loading: 88.3 lb/ft² (431 kg/m²)
Ø Thrust/weight:
1.095 (1.24 with loaded weight & 50% internal fuel)
Ø Maximum
g-load: +9.0 g
Armament
Ø Guns:
1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon, 511 rounds
Ø Hardpoints:
2 × wing-tip air-to-air missile launch rails, 6 × under-wing, and 3 ×
under-fuselage pylon (2 of 3 for sensors) stations with a capacity of up to
17,000 lb (7,700 kg) of stores
Ø Rockets:
§ 4
× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19/7 × Hydra 70 mm/APKWS rockets,
respectively)
§ 4
× LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19 × CRV7 70 mm rockets)
§ 4
× LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4 × Zuni 127 mm rockets)
Ø Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
· 2
× AIM-7 Sparrow
· 6
× AIM-9 Sidewinder
· 6
× AIM-120 AMRAAM
· 6
× IRIS-T
· 6
× Python-4
· 6
× Python-5
Air-to-surface
missiles:
·
6 × AGM-65 Maverick
·
4 × AGM-88 HARM
·
AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff
Missile (JASSM)
Anti-ship missiles:
·
2 × AGM-84 Harpoon
·
4 × AGM-119 Penguin
Bombs:
·
8 × CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
·
8 × CBU-89 Gator mine
·
8 × CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
·
4 × Mark 84 general-purpose bombs
·
8 × Mark 83 GP bombs
·
12 × Mark 82 GP bombs
·
8 × GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
·
4 × GBU-10 Paveway II
·
6 × GBU-12 Paveway II
·
4 × GBU-24 Paveway III
·
4 × GBU-27 Paveway III
·
4 × Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
series
·
4 × AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
· Wind
Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)
· B61
nuclear bomb
· B83
nuclear bomb
·
Avionics
Ø AN/APG-68
radar
