F-16 Fighting Falcon
19 Apr, 1995 Stephan
History
Preliminary work began in 1968 when the possibilities were studied for a low-cost FX influenced by the Vietnam war, in which heavy fighters such as the F-4 had great difficulty in combating small, maneuverable aircraft such as the MiG-17, MiG-19, and MiG-21, which proved to be difficult to detect visually. The intention was to develop a Mach 0.8 to 1.60 aircraft for altitudes of 30,000-40,000 feet, that would be small and highly maneuverable. Emphasis would be on turn rate, acceleration, and range, rather than on high speed.