The Elegant, Agile F-16 Fighting Falcon! Quiz

Answer: Value and adaptability

The F-16 was produced by General Dynamics in the mid 70s to fill the USAF's need for a new (relatively) cheap, light-weight fighter. Its strength, power, and overall work-horse performance made it last through the millennium with dozens of countries, including the US, still contracting Lockheed for the beautiful bird. At approx. $20 million a pop, and unmatched multi-role capability*, the F-16, in my opinion, is the coolest plane ever :). Although all of the other choices apply to the F-16, the Falcon's success and influence throughout the world is due to this correct answer.

*All weather, night, low+high level bombing, attack, air superiority, ACM, interceptor, SEAD, LANTIRN, recon.

Answer: viper

These two names have been coined by pilots. The 'Viper' for its excellent maneuverability, and lethality. The 'Electric Jet' for its new (at IOC) fully fly-by-wire control system.

Answer: F110-GE-129

I learned this from a Col. in the USAF (of course a Viper driver).

Answer: Vietnam

The USAF learned the hard way (after unacceptable loss rates) that they needed a smaller, lighter (and consequently more maneuverable) fighter to compete with enemy air forces. The large F-4 Phantom proved to be too big and heavy to dogfight with the MiG-17, and -21 without heavy losses.

Answer: 72 - 0

This is the second best air-air kill ratio of modern (post Vietnam) fighters- the F-15 Eagle has only bettered it. Of course the Falcon has many more A-G kills. Also, its total kill-loss ratio is noticeably less than that of comparable fighters.

Answer: General Dynamics

Lockheed continues to pump out the magnificent birds in Texas.

Answer: 50 & 52

This is one of the newer Blocks, and is regarded by many other USAF pilots as the friendliest. :)

Answer: General Electric engine and Pratt & Whitney engine

Block numbers ending in a '0,' (i.e. '50') as opposed to a '2,' (i.e. '52') refer to an F-16 that has the General Electric engine. Block numbers ending in a '2' describe a Pratt & Whitney powered F-16.

Answer: It costs a million US dollars

The canopy is not comparably larger than other fighters, and although the canopy does contain copper and other metal alloys to disrupt radar return, this is not exclusive to the F-16s. Also please see interesting information for the next question.

Answer: seagull at 550 knots

Ret. Capt. Scott O'Grady mentioned this in his novel about his experience being shot down over Bosnia in 1995. (I highly recommend the book for everyone. Not a Tom Clancy.) Anyway, this stuff is very expensive (as you saw earlier) and provides a phenomenal view that is unmatched (ex. F/A-22) among fighters.

Answer: True

The main locations are numbered left to right, 1 through 9. 1 and 9 on the wingtip rails, 2 and 8 the outermost on the wing, 3 and 7 the middle ones under the wings, 4 and 6 the largest, closest to the fuselage under the wing, and 5, the centerline station on the intake between the main gear. 1, 2, 8 and 9 usually have air to air missiles, 3 and 7 typically hold the 'iron' and 4, 5, 6, fuel or electronic equipment. Finally, there are a further 2 under the fuselage for radar or sensor pods.

Answer: 1500

Numbers are slowly decreasing, and the F-35 will begin to take over the Falcon's role around 2010. The F-16 will be drastically reduced in the USAF's inventory by the 2020's. By then the F-16 will be a 50 year old airframe, and despite still being capable, all aircraft are eventually obsolete and inefficient for taxpayer protection.

Answer: 1983

Continuing a most prestigious tradition, the F-16A became the seventh airframe to carry the legacy. The Thunderbirds finally upgraded to the C model in 1992, being the last USAF unit to use the A model. (Sorry, Navy fans.)

Answer: False

During the Bosnia conflict, named Operation Deliberate Force, a block 50/52 from the 23rd Fighter Squadron out of Spangdahlem AFB, Germany, destroyed a Bosnian Serb SA-6 radar on September 6, 1995. This was the first airplane in the USAF to employ the AN/ASQ-213 targeting system, or 'HTS' that is used for most all SEAD missions nowadays.

Answer: nose

The nose of the YF-16 was not large enough to accommodate the initial radar designed. The USAF soon demanded that the new F-16 accommodate their larger AN/APG-66 radar.

Answer: relaxed static

This was a huge revelation in the history of aircraft design. The advanced computers and new totally fly-by-wire control system made this possible. 'Relaxed static' refers to the stability of an aircraft that is essentially unstable without the aid of intensely complex computer algorithms to assist in control. All previous aircraft had been designed around positive stability, or when uncontrolled, the aircraft will not lose its ability to fly normally, without drastic changes in pitch, yaw, bank, etc. If the computer flight control system fails on the F-16, and most subsequent fighter aircraft, they are virtually unflyable.

Although this is obviously a severe drawback, safety is very good, and the negative stability now allows aircraft to be much more maneuverable and easy to fly.

Answer: improve flutter resistance

The rails on the F-16 are there to improve flutter resistance, especially at high speeds.

Answer: Killer Scouts

Maneuverable, and with the right technologies, F-16Cs performed the medium-level and often dangerous task of marking targets. They would spot them using IR, radar, and visual methods, then pass on the information to other strike aircraft and/or actively lase them with their LANTIRN pods.

Answer: N

The good ol' Falcon gave the Mavericks a tough time at Miramar, and now the familiar 'Top Gun' has been assimilated into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) at NAS Fallon, NV. ('N' stands for Navy or Naval version.)

Answer: F-16 Fighting Falcon

With over 13,500 sorties, the Falcon was clearly the work horse of the war. Thanks for taking my quiz, I hope you had fun and learned something interesting. Please feel free to send me a message on errors, questions or comments.