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Airframe Details for F-16 #72-1568

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F-16 Aircraft Profile

Aircraft: 72-1568
USAF YF-16 prototype, #01568 in a blue and white camouflage scheme. [USAF photo]
 LM Aero T/V 60-2
Plant General Dynamics
Local C/N
Delivered USAF 01568
YF-16
Current USAF 01568
YF-16
Status [pre]
The aircraft had a few tense moments during its first two flights. On both flights, the nose landing gear would not fully extend for landing. Gear extend /retract tests on the ground had gone well, so no one expected any problems in flight. However, since the NLG extends down and forward, the air pressure of 200 kt at extension prevented full extension. The pilot, Neal Anderson, tried extending at a lower airspeed, pulling 3g, etc., all to no avail. For some reason he flipped the alternate flap switch and the hydraulic pressure pulse was just enough to lock the gear down. About 50 guys in the control room started to breath again. After the flight, gear rigging adjustments were made to correct the problem. Or so we thought! On flight 2, the same thing happened. Neal was not pleased to say the least.


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Aircraft History

Date Status Local S/N Airforce/Unit Version Name Info
09 May 1974 [act] 01568 YF-16
YF-16 no. 2, #01568, in rollout scheme Note that the first flag on the aircraft is the Iranian one. [USAF photo]

USAF YF-16 #72-1568 is flying together with its competition counterpart, the Grumman YF-17 in 1974 during the fly-off stage. [FFRC collection]
First flight on 09/05/1974
Feb 1975 [act] 01568 YF-16
USAF YF-16, #72-01568, in an early configuration wearing a two toned blue/light brown color scheme for naval evaluation purposes. [USAF photo]
Navy F-16
In 1975, the US Navy had expressed interest in a low-cost alternative to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. General Dynamics proposed a navalized YF-16, with BVR radar, which was not part of the original planning for the USAF. The aircraft was briefly painted in a two-tone blue/light-brown color scheme for naval evaluation purposes. General Dynamics refined the proposal into a single-seat F-16, based on the two-seat F-16B - with the space ordinarily occupied by the rear seat used for increased avionics or fuel. On May 2nd, 1975, the Navy announced that they had decided not to buy the navalized F-16, but opted instead for an aircraft developed from the YF-17, which was eventually to emerge as the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
05 Mar 1975 [act] 01568 YF-16
YF-16 #72-01568 in a gray camouflage scheme. According to Detail and Scale #3 for the F-16, the aircraft is painted in Dark and Light Ghost Gray, FS 36320 and FS 36375. It is hard to make out from this photo, there appears to be a darker spot of gray on the vertical tail ahead of and above the serial number. [F-16.net photo]
Accepted by the USAF. The airframe had a gray colorscheme for a very brief period.
Apr 1975 [act] 01568 USAF 6516 TS YF-16
The second YF-16 (#01568), equiped with 2x AIM-9, 2x AIM-7 and camera pods test-firing a Sparrow missile. [USAF photo]

The 2nd YF-16 prototype (#01568), seen with a load of 4 Sparrows, including 2 on the wingtips. Given the absence of a radar (the pointy nose was later enlarged to accomodate the radar), this configuration seems odd. [USAF photo]
Sparrow Tester
The aircraft used to perform some tests with the AIM-7 Sparrow missile. Only with the introduction of the ADF version of the F-16, a BVR missile capacity was added to the airframe.
08 May 1975 [msh] 01568 YF-16 News Article
Belly landed on a grass area next to the runway at Carswell AFB, Texas. The right main landing gear jammed due to gyroscopic forces from right max-rate roll while the gear was being retracted. The aircraft was only slightly damaged (inlet duct buckling, FS227 bulkhead cracks, etc.). It was scheduled to appear at the Paris air show but due to the mishap the first prototype was sent.
Jun 1975 [act] 01568 YF-16
YF-16 #01568 is seen on static display at RAF Mildenhall on May 29th, 1977. [Photo by Mike Hall]
Aircraft largely remained inactive, and used for static displays.
Unknown [act] 01568 YF-16
A precision strike system was integrated and tested on YF-16 #72-1568 in 1978. The system consisted of the ATLIS II laser targeting pod built by Martin Marietta, Paveway laser-guided bombs built by Texas Instruments, and a helmet mounted sight system built by Polhemus Navigation Sciences. The seven-month program included full integration of the system, forty-six flights, and nine bomb drops, including 1,000-pound GBU-16 and 2,000-pound GBU-10 weapons. [Lockheed photo]
A precision strike system was integrated and tested in 1978. The system consisted of the ATLIS II laser targeting pod built by Martin Marietta, Paveway laser-guided bombs built by Texas Instruments, and a helmet mounted sight system built by Polhemus Navigation Sciences. The seven-month program included full integration of the system, forty-six flights, and nine bomb drops, including 1,000-pound GBU-16 and 2,000-pound GBU-10 weapons.
03 May 1980 [i/a] 01568 YF-16
Dropped from the USAF inventory.
Sep 1980 [i/a] YF-16
Workmen inspect the fuselage of the second YF-16 aircraft (#01568) upon its arrival at Hangar no. 101 on September 27th, 1980. The aircraft will be modified for testing as an F-16 at the Rome ADC Newport Site. The effect of various weapons configurations on the aircraft`s antennas will be evaluated. [USAF photo]
Rome ADC
Apr 1982 [i/a] 01568 YF-16
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]
Rome ADC for non-flying electronic testing.
Dec 1999 [i/a] 01568 YF-16
Instructional airframe at Rome ADC, New York
25 Jan 2020 [sto] 01568 YF-16
Moved to Fort Worth by flatbed truck end of January 2020. Returned home to where it was built. To be restored and put on display Fort Worth Aviation Museum.
01 Jun 2024 [pre] 01568 YF-16
USAF YF-16 #72-1568 is resored in its original configuration seen here at Fort Worth Meachum IAP on June 1st, 2024. It is back home again. [Photo by Dirk A. Geerts]
On display at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum.

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Abbreviations and symbols:
[act] Active [i/a] Instructional Airframe [sto] Stored (e.g. at AMARG)
[cld] Cancelled Order [msh] Involved in Mishap [w/o] Write-off
[con] Converted [o/o] On Order
[des] Destroyed (drone) [pre] Preserved (museum, gateguard) T/V LM Aero Type/Version (Construction) number
[emb] Embargoed [scr] Scrapped Photo Available
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