The Lockheed Martin F-16 is a single engine light weight multirole fighter. Originally design as an outright fighter, many multirole capabilities were added to it. The F-16 was produced to support the heavy weight F-15, as a result of heavy-light combination strategy adopted by the USAF.

F-16 is one of the most maneuverable fighter in the world. The F-16 was the first aircraft that was able to pull 9G, and to fly above Mach 2. F-16 is much smaller and agile that its predecessor, but has better avionics and can more armaments.The General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan engine is one the most reliable engine in the world. The F-16 being more reliable, yet cheaper than most single engine fighter, is one most sold fighters in the world. Nations around the globe have F-16 in their airforces. The F-16 is described as the Porshe of the flying world. Continuously upgraded, F-16 Block 70/72 is the lastest version of the F-16. The USAF recently signed a deal with Lockheed Martin for support of its F-16 fleet until 2050s. This means the USAF is going to operate the F-16 for almost 3 decades more.

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
Height: 16 ft (4.88 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A204 root and tip
Empty weight: 18,900 lb (8,570 kg)
Loaded weight: 26,500 lb (12,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (19,200 kg)
Internal fuel: 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F110-GE-129 (for F-16C/D Block 30-40-50) or Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220/220E afterburning turbofan
- Dry thrust: 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN)
- Thrust with afterburner: 28,600 lbf (127 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed:
- At sea level: Mach 1.2 (915 mph, 1,470 km/h)
- At altitude: Mach 2 (1,320 mph; 2,120 km/h) clean configuration
Combat radius: 340 mi (295 nmi; 550 km) on a hi-lo-hi mission with four 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
Ferry range: 2,280 nmi (2,620 mi; 4,220 km) with drop tanks
Service ceiling: 50,000+ ft (15,240+ m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
Wing loading: 88.3 lb/ft² (431 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 1.095 (1.24 with loaded weight & 50% internal fuel)
Maximum g-load: +9.0 g