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F-111A. C.N. 93. Original A model converted to EF-111A by Grumman, (C.N. 34). 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford, (1 July, 1983 - 1 July, 1992). Withdrawn from service to AMARC 7 April, 1998 as AA FV0316. Departed AMARC to HVF West LLC Gov't Demil 15 March, 2011 (scrapped). Photo Credit's: Unknown to me (Reprint Scan)
F-111E. C.N. E-203. 79th TFS at RAF Upper Heyford. Withdrawn from service to AMARC 17 November, 1993 as AA FV0195. Departed AMARC to HVF West Yard 5 January, 2012 (scrapped probably in June 2012). Photo is credited to a Mr. K. Darling (Reprint Scan) 1991 photo.
What would become arguably the most successful fighter aircraft since World War II started modestly, and like many late 20th-Century fighter designs, as a result of lessons learned in the Vietnam War. Among those lessons was that large, heavy fighters were not always the answer: the F-4 Phantom II, while a superlative aircraft, had often found itself outclassed by smaller, more nimble North Vietnamese MiG-17s and MiG-21s. The call for the US Air Force to develop its own lightweight fighter was spearheaded by fighter pilot and air combat theorist John Boyd. At first, Boyd’s proposals were dismissed by the USAF, who feared losing funding for the F-15 Eagle then in development. Boyd and others were able to convince the USAF of the usefulness of a light, cheap fighter as a complement to the heavy, expensive F-15, and finally the USAF agreed to issue a requirement for a Lightweight Fighter (LWF)—though with no guarantee that it would actually buy it.
Both General Dynamics and Northrop responded with designs, which would become the YF-16 and YF-17 Cobra. The first YF-16 was rolled out in December 1973, and first flew in January of the next year—accidentally, as the prototype veered off the runway and the test pilot felt it safer to takeoff rather than try to steer it back. The YF-16 won the flyoff against the YF-17, and the USAF selected it to go into service as the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Simultaneously, the YF-16 won a flyoff for the Multinational Fighter; the MNF was planned to be the successor to a number of aircraft in NATO service, and the competition between the YF-16, YF-17, France’s Mirage F.1M, and the SEPECAT Jaguar was fierce. Once selected, production of the F-16 would be vastly expanded, with it not only being produced in the United States, but also in the Netherlands and Belgium as well (to be followed later by Turkey and South Korea). In a short time, the F-16 had come a long way.
Production F-16s differed from the prototype by being slightly larger and heavier, though the initial production batch retained the “small tail” tailplanes of the prototype. Though heftier than the prototype, the F-16 retained the basis of Boyd’s ideal lightweight fighter: it was extremely maneuverable, to the point that a number of early F-16s crashed as the aircraft could take more than the pilot. Its maneuverability is due both to a favorable thrust-weight ratio and its deliberately unstable design: the F-16 was one of the first fighters to employ a wholly-fly-by-wire control system, with the hydraulic controls of older fighters being replaced by microprocessors controlled by a central computer. The microprocessors are able to make the dozens of decisions per second required by the design. For this reason, the F-16 is also known as the “Electric Jet.” General Dynamics had attempted to mitigate these effects on the pilot by reclining the ejection seat backwards and moving the control stick to the side. The pilot also has superb visibility due to the F-16’s bubble canopy.
The Fighting Falcon’s baptism of fire would not take long. Israel, which had been among the first to purchase the F-16, scored the type’s first air-to-air kill over Lebanon in 1981, as well as its first significant strike mission, the raid on Iraq’s Osirak reactor. In the following year, Israeli F-16s scored possibly as many as 30 victories over Syrian MiGs during the 1982 Lebanon War. Pakistani F-16s were to see limited action during the Soviet-Afghan War, shooting down 10 Afghani and Soviet aircraft that strayed into Pakistan’s airspace. For the United States, the F-16 would see its first action in the First Gulf War, though here the USAF used the Falcon’s large payload in strike missions; USAF F-16s saw no aerial action during this conflict.
By the early 1990s, the USAF relegated its F-16A models to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, reequipping its units with later mark F-16Cs. Many of the ANG’s F-16As were upgraded to ADF standard. The last USAF F-16A left service around 2000; aircraft not placed in storage at AMARC in Arizona have been sold to other nations, while some are scheduled for conversion to QF-16 drones.
F-16As are among the most prolific fighters in the world, in service worldwide, flown by ten nations, three of which are in NATO. These aircraft (save those flown by Venezuela) have been significantly upgraded to F-16 MLU (Mid-Life Upgrade) standard, making them equivalent to F-16Cs. Besides Israeli and Pakistani kills in the type, a Dutch F-16AM shot down a Serbian MiG-29 during the Kosovo War in 1999. Other NATO F-16AMs have seen service over Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. These older models of F-16s will remain in service until probably 2020 at least, to be replaced by the F-35A Lightning II.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) was among the last to get the F-16A model when the ROCAF ordered 150 Block 20 F-16A/Bs in 1992. Due to upgrades, these are actually close to (if not equal to) F-16C standard. Because of the congested airspace over Taiwan, the ROCAF's F-16 training is done at Luke AFB, Arizona, with the 21st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Operations Group. Though these F-16s wear USAF insignia, they are actually owned by the ROCAF.
93-0721 is the "boss bird" of the 21st FS, with an appropriately colorful tail emblem--this shows off the 21st's nickname and squadron patch ("Gamblers") and their motto, "We Play to Win." The 56th OG's patch is carried on the intake and the luggage pod under the starboard wing.
While seeing F-16s at the Wings Over the Falls airshow at Great Falls, Montana in July 2017 was not much of a surprise, seeing this aircraft was a pleasant one--and quite a change from the usual F-16 markings.
Piction ID: 83794543 Tomahawk with inert warhead scores direct hit 1981--Please tag these photos so information can be recorded.---Note: This material may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.)--Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
F-111E. C.N. E-233. Reached the 6000 Hour milestone on 22 April 1993. Withdrawn from service to AMARC 17 November, 1993 as AA FV0196. Departed AMARC on 4 March, 2009 to HVF West LLC Gov't Demil. Scrapped probably in June 2012. Photo Credit's: Unknown to me (Kodachrome Slide dated March, 1992)
F-111F. C.N. 106. 494th TFS at RAF Lakenheath. Crashed 26 April 1983 in the North Sea off Germany, Borkum Island (Niedersachsen) Both crew killed. 188 had accumulated 512 flights and 1,407.1 flight hours when it crashed. Photo Credit's: Unknown to me (Kodachrome Slide dated 29 May 1982 at RAF Mildenhall)
F-16C of 512nd Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Dragons' overshooting Ramstein. Note the still filled bomb dispenser. 85-1471 is now part of 93rd FS at Homestead AFB.
Photo taken 22 September 1989.
General Dynamics F-16C "Fighting Falcon" 85-1547 (ED)
416th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Operations Group, Air Force Material Command, Edwards Air Force Base, California.
History:
Aircraft: : 85-1547
LM Aero T/V 5C-289
Plant: General Dynamics
Local C/N
Delivered USAF 85547
Current USAF 85547
Status; Active
Apr 1987 - 85547 F-16C Block 30B
May 1987 - 85547 USAF 14 TFS 'MJ'
Apr 1991 - 85547 USAF 56 TTW 'MC'
Oct 1991 - 85547 USAF 56 FW 'MC' F-16C Block 30B
Apr 1992 - 85547 USAF 174 FS "The Big Boss"
Jun 2003 - 85547 USAF 138 FS 'NY'
Sep 2006 - 85547 USAF 138 FS 'NY' Deployment: Iraqi Freedom
Mar 2007 - 85547 USAF 138 FS 'NY'
Oct 2008 - 85547 USAF 412 TW
Jan 2009 - 85547 USAF 445 FLTS
May 2015 - 85547 USAF 416 FLTS
96-0080/SP F-16C USAFE, 52FW, 480FS "Warhawks". Taxying out at RAF Lakenheath for a training mission. 20th July 2017
USAF 93-0540 - General Dynamics F-16C Block 50Q Fighting Falcon - US Air Force
at London International Airport (YXU)
during the 2018 London Air Show
USAF 55 FS 'SW' - VIPER demo-team
USAF F-16C 89-2057 of the 510th Fighter Squadron based at Aviano AFB, Italy comes in to land at RAF Lakenheath
F-111E. C.N. E-200. 79th TFS at RAF Upper Heyford. A poor quality print taken in the rain, pre-1972. Last served with the 79th TFS. Withdrawn from service to AMARC 12 August, 1993 as AA FV0172. Scrapped in June, 2012. Photo Credit's: Unknown to me (Reprint Scan)
PictionID:46972642 - Catalog:14_023551 - Title:Atlas Centaur Details: Shuttle Centaur Date: 1986 - Filename:14_023551.tif - Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
9 March 1994, RAF Leuchars
In company with F-16B J-656, "Saloon 1 and 2" were among the visitors to RAF Leuchars on this day.
PictionID:44932467 - Catalog:14_015837 - Title:Sycamore Canyon Details: Aerial; Showing Test Stand S-1 Date: 06/12/1958 - Filename:14_015837.tif - - - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
88482846 :Piction ID--Tomahawk missile near General Dynamics F-16---Please tag these photos so information can be recorded.---- Digitization of this image made possible by a grant from NEH: NEH and the San Diego Air and Space Museum
USAF 90-0702 - General Dynamics F-16C Block 42D Fighting Falcon - US Air Force - Ohio ANG
at London/ON International Airport (YXU) during the 2016 Air Show
180th. FW - 112 FS 'OH' - Toledo Stingers
General Dynamics/Fokker F-14A Block 20MLU
c/n:B-140
Royal Danish Air Force
LFMO-XOG
BA-115 Orange Caritat
F-111F. C.N. 8. 492nd TFS at RAF Lakenheath. Withdrawn from service to AMARC 11 January 1996 as AA FV0258. Scrapped at AMARC in June 2012. Photo Credit's: Unknown to me (Kodachrome Slide dated May 1981)
E-191 General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon Royal Danish Air Force RDAF RIAT Fairford 17 July 2023. In 1994 it carried a different scheme www.flickr.com/photos/acw367/54558745965/in/datetaken/
General Dynamics F-16D'S Fighting Falcon 20th Fighter Wing Block 50 from Shaw Air Force Base show performer at the London International Airshow 2018 CYXU
322 Squadron, Netherlands Air Force F-16AM J-879 painted to commemorate the squadron's 75th Anniversary. RIAT, RAF Fairford, July 2018.
F-111F. C.N. 38. 493rd TFS at RAF Lakenheath. Withdrawn from service to AMARC 8 July 1996 as AA FV0285. Scrapped in June 2012. Photo Credit's: Unknown to me (Fuji Slide, undated)
Greece Airforce General Dynamics F-16D (602 c/n:XM-3) landing at Wittmund Airbase for "Brilliant Arrow 2017"-Exercise Sep/12th/2017.
LIBV - 06.10.2023
192 Squadron was established in 1948 as 102 Fighter Bombing Squadron at Balikesir, Turkey, operating then the P-47 Thunderbolt. They adopted the Tiger in their patch in 1950. In 1952 the Squadron was named 192 Squadron and receives the F-84. Between 1952 and 1970 they fly the F-84 F/G and the RF-84 F Thunderstreak, in Attack and Reconnaissance missions. The RF-5 were flown between 1970 and 1975.
On September 1976 they converted to the F-104, with the mission of defending the Turkish air space. They get more responsibilities, between 1984 and 1988, when they become one of the "All Weather" Squadrons assigned to NATO.
On March 1993 40 F-16 C/D arrived at Balikesir, and the squadron gets Air-to-Ground added to their mission. 192 Squadron became a member of NATO Tiger Society in 1980, and has organised and hosted a Mini-Tiger Meet in 1995 in Balikesir and 2005 in Konya. In 1994 and 1997 this Squadron was deployed to Italy to take part in the peacekeeping operations over Bosnia.