The F16 Turned 50 Years Old Today, Dec 13 1973.

[syscom3]

Hard to believe 50 years have gone by and its still among the best single seat fighters.

Here it is, being unveiled to the public at the Convair plant at Fort Worth Texas.

 

[rochie]

crap, I is old !

 

[Airframes]

I is much more olderer - I remember the first model kits, in that scheme, and even today I still think it's of them there new-fangled modern jet things !!

 

[rochie]

I is much more olderer - I remember the first model kits, in that scheme, and even today I still think it's of them there new-fangled modern jet things !!

'tis true you is much older

 

[Airframes]

Back in your box - I'm not 18 until February 29th !!!

 

[rochie]

lies, damn lies and statistics

 

[Airframes]

You've been at the JD again, haven't you ?!

 

[rochie]

You've been at the JD again, haven't you ?!

ooohhhh yeah !

 

[rochie]

in my defence i have been left unsupervised !

 

[nuuumannn]

Happy birthday F-16, a truly great aircraft. I remember a conversation with a docent at the USAF Museum at Dayton OH who had been a test pilot and had flown the AFTI CCV F-16 and he loved it, having flown most other USAF jets before it. I asked him about the seating position, being low and stretched out rather like that of a racing car, with its side stick and he said it was something he said you got used to quite quickly, but the thing he marvelled at the most was the visibility from the cockpit. In the Viper it was like no fighter jet he had flown before.

DSC_0142

 

[SaparotRob]

Happy birthday, Viper! I hope they get to visit a new country as a birthday present very soon.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Happy birthday, Viper! I hope they get to visit a new country as a birthday present very soon.

I'm looking forward to seeing the Ukrainian colour scheme.

 

[fubar57]

Happy birthday, Viper! I hope they get to visit a new country as a birthday present very soon.

 

[cvairwerks]

Spent almost 17 years of my career working on Vipers.....First one I touched was probably 5C-175, which we delivered in June 1986 to USAF.