The F-16 Fighting Falcon: America’s ULTIMATE Multirole Fighter

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It should be noted regarding every test combat of F16 vs F35 where the F16 won, it was only in tests where the F35 was forbidden from using it's Distributed Aperture System, which allows it to target and fire missiles at targets directly behind it, or anywhere else (it does NOT need to face it's target to fire a missile at it, making it's lack of maneuverability irrelevant). The F35 was never defeated by F16s when it was allowed to use the Distributed Aperture System. It was intentionally handicapped in those mock dogfights and not reprepresentative of how the aircraft would actually kill air targets in a real fight.

When someome mentions Boyd as though he was a genius I die inside a little. He did serve in Korea but he never served in vietnam. He was a flight instructor. An instructor whose students would either have to come back to retrain, because he'd done it badly, or came back in boxes, again because he'd trained them badly.

As a former lawn-dart avionics technician, I can confirm. The F-16 is, without-a-doubt, one of the planes of all time.

Test pilots really don't get the praise they deserve. Accidentally taking off a completely new aircraft with very unfamiliar controls and being able to cruise it around and safely land it must of been one hell of a hellraising experience. Kudos to that man!

Thank you Simon! I'm a USAF vet where my job was as an F-16 crew chief. We typically know the nitty gritty of getting the Viper in the air for the mission, but we never got the behind the scenes story about the "making of" the F-16. I really enjoyed this video for the background aspect and the achievements of the airframe over the decades, but please keep in mind all the ground maintenance that goes into keeping these fighters in the skies. There are many man-hours of inspections and maintenance by various specialists for each system if the aircraft- including, but limited to the crew chief, munitions, avionics, fuel, phase docks, and so many other logistical support technicians as well. Without maintainers, the planes dont fly. That's just my little shout out for the maintainers. Again- thank you for this great video, Simon!

One side note about the comment regarding the dogfight between the F16 and F35. My understanding is that this was prior to the F35 being cleared to 9Gs and wasnt able to use its full capabiliy. Those restrictions have since been lifted but that story is often used to say the F35 cant turn. Pilots ive heard have said exactly the opposite

Nobody show this video to LazerPig or he will lose it

Its pilots and crews often use the name "Viper" instead, because of a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as to the fictional Colonial Viper starfighter from the television program Battlestar Galactica, which aired at the time the F-16 entered service.

Fighter Mafia....really? Are we going to continue to credit people who were NOT involved in this project?

To top it off, she's also a top tier work of engineering art.

the f35 in the early trials against the f16 was the 002 (literaly the second f35 ever produced) version it was still handicapped in g loading by computer limited controls, the f35 still scored a kill even though it was heavily limited. the limits were removed as the structure was analyzed under load in tests like the one quoted. nowadays f35 pilots who flew the f16 have said the f35 is more agile specialy when it comes to roll at high angles of attack

Thank you for this great look at this amazing aircraft. I recently had the honor to design a special tail for one of our Belgian Air Force F-16's. FA-95 reached it structural design limit of 8000hours, making it the first European Viper to reach this milestone thanks to the amazing work of the maintenance crews, keeping this plane flying since the 80's. I spoke to the pilot after and he said 'She flies just like a brand new viper'. A true testament to this amazing jet.

F16 has always been my favorite ever since I was a kid. Beautiful looking aircraft.

I saw a video of a pilot taking a journalist up in an F16 and they were going through an example of the fighter school training process, one on one combat scenarios, and the pilot said that he loved the falcon, it was a great plane with a great radar, but the f35 could draw a bead on it before he would even know it was there. I do think that is a very good thing to have the falcon as a measuring stick for any new design aircraft that might come into the inventory. Interesting to me how when the designers think in terms of simple, stripped down, elemental designs like the "Heinneman Hotrod" A4 Skyhawk and the F16, wonderful designs result rather that the kind of bloated cram it all in complexity of the Phantom, Tomcat, and F22. I'm not saying the Skyhawk and F16 are superior aircraft, just that there is definitely a place for basic, clean and economical designs, and I think we (and the contractors) forget that.

I was aircraft refueler at Edwards AFB in 1974. I fueled all the YF16's in test status at that time. It was recognized as an amazing aircraft by all us at that time.

I do t think anyone has called the F-14 underwhelming….. ever

7:45 - LOL it looks like a Goose :D That F16 REALLY wanted to fly! Let's not forget, F-16XL ~

Worked on this aircraft for 4.5 years, and it is so incredibly versatile. Also had some of the best coworkers.

@11:15, he mentions the 1st planes were delivered to Hill AFB in Europe. My only problem with that statement, is that Hill AFB is in Utah.