Lockheed Martin to celebrate delivery of 4,500th F-16

F-16.net ^ | Apr 2, 2012 | Bob Cox

[SJSAMPLE]

“Not a pound for air to ground”.
The original F-15 was PURE fighter/air superiority. It just got bigger because it had to get FASTER. In the air superiority mission, I’d challenge anyone to say it wasn’t great at that specific mission. I think it’s proved that.

The F-16 began life as a multi-role fighter. Not the fastest and it couldn’t get first look/shot/kill, but it was a hell of a platform.

The high (f-15)/low (f-16) mix worked well, but the while the F-16 is agile, it isn’t half the air-to-air platform of the F-15.

[factoryrat]

With some technology, you reach the point of diminishing returns. If we come up with something new and better, you won’t hear about it until it has been deployed and has become obsolete. The F16 and the B52 are proven platforms, and have a track record to back it up. It’s the stuff you won’t hear about that will amaze you, and will keep our enemies guessing.

[JOE6PAK]

What about the Tom Cat? Was that the F-14?

[SkyDancer]

Just going on what the men folks in the family talk about. The F-14 was a twin-burner, a Navy plane. I’ve flown Air Combat USA and that was the talk there. They teach ACM, what fun!

[sukhoi-30mki]

A Turkish F-16 was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000 in 1996 though the circumstances remain disputed (accident in a mock dogfight VS intentional incident).

http://www.turks.us/article.php?story=20040304083228294

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=23087

[A.A. Cunningham]

She even outdoes her older sister the F/A 18 in that area.

The F/A-18 is the younger sister of the F-16.

[freedumb2003]

>>The F/A-18 is the younger sister of the F-16.<<

I stand corrected. I think meant her bigger sister. I knew the F-16 came first.

I claim Senior Moment. :)

[freedumb2003]

>>What about the Tom Cat? Was that the F-14?<<

Yes, that was indeed. The only thing other than an F-15 to effectively shoot down the Tomcat was politics.