YF-16 and FSD Aircraft



  • abu.jpg
    The very first YF-16 #72-1567 is being assembled manually at the General Dynamics' Fort Worth plant in 1973. [GD photo]
  • abv.jpg
    Inside view of the cockpit of YF-16 #72-1567. Note the high flaps on both sides of the ejection seat. [GD photo]
  • abw.jpg
    Roll-out of YF-16 #72-1567 on December 13th, 1973 at Fort Worth. [GD photo]
  • abx.jpg
    The YF-16 and YF-17 prototypes are flying brotherly together for a photo shoot. [GD photo]
  • aby.jpg
    The first F-16 FSD aircraft #75-0745 marked like F-16A #79-0317 of the 157th TFS at the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft is no longer at the museum. Note the anti spin parachute mounts near the afterburner. [Photo by Jon Somerville]
  • abz.jpg
    The F-16 prototype is seen visiting Florennes AB, Belgium in June of 1975. [Photo by Jean-Marie Brams]
  • aca.jpg
    One of the FSD aircraft painted in the original paint scheme, taken at Hill AFB. [Jim and Jell Shawhan collection]
  • acb.jpg
    One of the FSD aircraft painted in the original paint scheme, taken at Hill AFB. [Jim and Jell Shawhan collection]
  • acc.jpg
    F-16A prototype number one. [Compliments of the Virginia Air & Space Center]
  • acd.jpg
    The second YF-16 (#01568) is mounted upside down onto a 30-foot pedestal at the Rome ADC Newport Site on May 5th, 1983 for evaluation of the ASPJ and ALR-69 antenna systems. From the positioner, the aircraft can be tested as if it were in flight without the high cost of flight testing. [USAF photo]
  • ace.jpg
    A view of the second YF-16 (#01568) mounted upside down onto a 30-foot high pedestal and fitted with an AN/ALQ-131 electronic countermeasures pod, undergoes testing at the Rome ADC Newport Site on April 1st, 1982. [USAF photo]
  • acf.jpg
    FSD aircraft #75-0750 received a larger nosecone in 1979 accommodate the APG-65 radar which was more powerful. It is the radar used in the F/A-18. [USAF photo]
  • acg.jpg
    USAF FSD F-16A #75-0748 is adorned with a 'WA' code while currently on display at the USAF Academy at Colorado Springs, seen there in October of 2005. [Photo by Dirk A. Geerts]
  • yf-16.jpg
    Taken at Edwards AFB in 1976 for the 200th Birthday of the USA...Notice the Red, White and Blue Paint scheme.... [USAF photo via Thomas Warton]
  • 75752.jpg
    USAF F-16B FSB #75-0752 has been used as a Wild Weasel testbed in the late seventies carrying an ALQ-119 ECM pod, two fuel cells, two AGM-78 Standard missiles, two AGM-45 Shrike missiles and two datalink pods on the wingtips. However this configuration has never flown operationally although it showed the possibility of using the F-16 as a SEAD platform. [USAF photo]