Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon
The success of the original F-16A/B Falcon design led to the next stage of development, the F-16C/D. The new model incorporated all improvements in the F-16A, with substantial additions: a redesigned and more “pilot-friendly” cockpit with wide-angle HUD and relocated radar scope, improved avionics and flight computer, a more powerful Hughes APG-68 radar, and AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-120 AMRAAM capability, though the latter would not enter service until eight years after the F-16C made its debut in June 1984.
The most visible difference between the A and C models, however, was the enlarged base of the tail and a small blade antenna where the tail joined the fuselage; this was for an internal ECM suite that was never fitted, but nonetheless all F-16C/Ds retain the antenna.
The majority of early F-16Cs were standard Block 30/32 variants, but lacking a true night-capable strike aircraft aside from the F-111 Aardvark, a significant number of Block 40/42 “Night Falcons” were also produced. These aircraft had provision for LANTIRN all-weather navigation and target designation pods on the intake, which necessitated a slight redesign of the forward landing gear. Block 30/32 aircraft were modified with a “big mouth” intake to accept either the standard Pratt and Whitney F100 turbofan, or the more powerful General Electric F110.
Following the First Gulf War and the gradual retirement of the F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel anti-SAM aircraft, Lockheed Martin also began production of the AGM-88 HARM and GPS capable Block 50/52 F-16C/D series. Designated F-16CG/DG in USAF service (non-HARM capable Falcons are designated F-16CJ/DJ), these are the main Wild Weasel aircraft in service today. Since the Second Gulf War began in 2003, the F-16 fleet worldwide has been modified to one extent or another, most receiving helmet-mounted sights; the USAF and NATO F-16s are capable of dropping JDAM, JSOW, and other newer precision-guided weapons and bombs.
Still in production, the F-16C/D series is the most prolific Western fighter and is rivaled only by the Russian MiG-29. It is operated by twelve countries and license-produced in Turkey and South Korea. (This is in addition to 13 other nations which operate F-16A/Bs or F-16E/Fs; some nations, namely Egypt and Israel, operate a mix of A/B and C/D models.)
Another of Dad's "Desert Horizons" models featuring characters from his novel, he used the Hasegawa 1/48 scale F-16C to build an aggressor aircraft of the 64th Aggressor Squadron of the 57th Wing assigned to Nellis AFB, NV. This particular aircraft, 86-0251 is a real aircraft and is painted in MiG-29 style camouflage of overall light gray and Russian gray-green. The character, Christine "Chris" Beleos is fictional. It is equipped for a Red Flag mission over the Nevada ranges, with a dummy AIM-9 Sidewinder and a DACT instrumentation pod.
Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon
The success of the original F-16A/B Falcon design led to the next stage of development, the F-16C/D. The new model incorporated all improvements in the F-16A, with substantial additions: a redesigned and more “pilot-friendly” cockpit with wide-angle HUD and relocated radar scope, improved avionics and flight computer, a more powerful Hughes APG-68 radar, and AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-120 AMRAAM capability, though the latter would not enter service until eight years after the F-16C made its debut in June 1984.
The most visible difference between the A and C models, however, was the enlarged base of the tail and a small blade antenna where the tail joined the fuselage; this was for an internal ECM suite that was never fitted, but nonetheless all F-16C/Ds retain the antenna.
The majority of early F-16Cs were standard Block 30/32 variants, but lacking a true night-capable strike aircraft aside from the F-111 Aardvark, a significant number of Block 40/42 “Night Falcons” were also produced. These aircraft had provision for LANTIRN all-weather navigation and target designation pods on the intake, which necessitated a slight redesign of the forward landing gear. Block 30/32 aircraft were modified with a “big mouth” intake to accept either the standard Pratt and Whitney F100 turbofan, or the more powerful General Electric F110.
Following the First Gulf War and the gradual retirement of the F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel anti-SAM aircraft, Lockheed Martin also began production of the AGM-88 HARM and GPS capable Block 50/52 F-16C/D series. Designated F-16CG/DG in USAF service (non-HARM capable Falcons are designated F-16CJ/DJ), these are the main Wild Weasel aircraft in service today. Since the Second Gulf War began in 2003, the F-16 fleet worldwide has been modified to one extent or another, most receiving helmet-mounted sights; the USAF and NATO F-16s are capable of dropping JDAM, JSOW, and other newer precision-guided weapons and bombs.
Still in production, the F-16C/D series is the most prolific Western fighter and is rivaled only by the Russian MiG-29. It is operated by twelve countries and license-produced in Turkey and South Korea. (This is in addition to 13 other nations which operate F-16A/Bs or F-16E/Fs; some nations, namely Egypt and Israel, operate a mix of A/B and C/D models.)
Another of Dad's "Desert Horizons" models featuring characters from his novel, he used the Hasegawa 1/48 scale F-16C to build an aggressor aircraft of the 64th Aggressor Squadron of the 57th Wing assigned to Nellis AFB, NV. This particular aircraft, 86-0251 is a real aircraft and is painted in MiG-29 style camouflage of overall light gray and Russian gray-green. The character, Christine "Chris" Beleos is fictional. It is equipped for a Red Flag mission over the Nevada ranges, with a dummy AIM-9 Sidewinder and a DACT instrumentation pod.