F-16A
| This page is about the American jet fighter F-16A. For other versions, see F-16 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The F-16A Block 10 Fighting Falcon is a rank VIII American jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.3 (AB) and 12.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Apex Predators".
General info
Flight performance
The F-16A is famous for its ability to accelerate while going vertically. Its turn rate and thrust are amongst the best in the game, allowing it to accelerate very quickly, and turn for longer than most jets in the game.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at 10,973 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 2,103 | 2,073 | 15240 | 20.0 | 20.2 | 261.1 | 248.3 | 850 |
| Upgraded | 2,209 | 2,156 | 19.3 | 19.8 | 350.9 | 305.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1,555 | 482 | N/A | 470 | 463 | ~10 | ~3 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 680 | < 750 | < 700 | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 | 1 | 7,690 kg | 392 kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with internal fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 29m fuel | ||
| 1,470 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | 8,662 kg | 9,913 kg | 10,930 kg | 16,849 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 29m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 6,490 kgf | 8,985 kgf | 1.04 | 0.90 | 0.82 | 0.53 |
| Optimal | 7,434 kgf (1,555 km/h) |
15,225 kgf (1,400 km/h) |
1.76 | 1.53 | 1.39 | 0.90 |
Survivability and armour
The F-16A is very strong in a dogfight due to its excellent TWR and energy retention, its highly manoeuvrable and can easily reach its top speed even when climbing. It's so good that you will often experience the effects of the G-limit, so when making a sharp turn keep that in mind.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) | Lead indicator |
 |
|
|
|
|
Offensive armament
The F-16A is armed with:
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (512 rpg)
- 60 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The F-16A can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs | 3 | 3, 6 | 1 | 3, 6 | 3 | |||||
| 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs | 3 | 3, 6 | 1 | 3, 6 | 3 | |||||
| 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 Air bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 2,000 lb GBU-8 bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| BLU-27/B incendiary bombs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| FFAR Mighty Mouse rockets | 57 | 57 | ||||||||
| AGM-65B missiles | 1, 3 | 1, 3 | ||||||||
| AIM-9J Sidewinder missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 300 gal drop tanks | 1 | |||||||||
| Maximum permissible loadout weight: 5,420 kg Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 2,000 kg | ||||||||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
Usage in battles
The F-16A can be a powerful fighter with multiple playstyles, one option being to simply rush straight into battle. Players that plan to stay low and accelerate straight into action will be satisfied with the F-16's low-altitude performance and radar. A mixed countermeasure loadout (1 flare, 1 chaff) is recommended because it allows 30 countermeasure drops against radar or IR missiles. In order to be prepared for matches that may extend longer than usual, select the 30-minute fuel option in conjunction with the 300-gallon drop tank, or the full tank of 41 minutes. The F-16 consumes a lot of fuel on afterburner, so it's essential to use it wisely unless the max fuel amount is selected. If low fuel maneuverability is desirable, bringing 20 minutes on smaller maps and 30 minutes on larger maps is viable, but this requires management of fuel (i.e. "halfterburner" or using the scroll wheel to partially engage afterburner).
With the AIM-9L Sidewinders, players can carry up to 6 AIM-9Ls. If a player finds themselves above the fight, it will be effortless to fire off missiles at distracted enemies and score kills quickly. AIM-9Ls are very strong from the rear aspect and require hard defending from the opponent to evade successfully;
The F-16 is very strong in a dogfight due to its excellent TWR and energy retention. Before entering a dogfight, it's critical to be careful of how many Gs are pulled during turns. If entering a dogfight too quickly, then the pilot can pass out. While ameliorable, this doesn't completely solve the issue, as the F-16 pulls many Gs at most speeds—up to 13 in most cases.
Countering the MiG-29
The MiG-29 is a very versatile and capable fighter and will be one of the most common enemies you will face. However, like many planes, it's possible to counter it. It's one of the fastest jets on the deck (~1,550 km/h, 963 mph) and has access to a helmet-mounted sight, which allows the player to lock the missile in the direction of the pilot's view rather than just along the nose of the aircraft. This allows for off-bore missile launches which can be a threat. It's important to be on the lookout all the time for any missile launches, whether it be an R-60M or an R-27T.
Avoid entering a high-speed rate-fight with a MiG-29 as much as possible, as the MiG-29 is much more maneuverable at high speeds; however, at low speeds the F-16 is able to outturn the MiG-29 thanks to its better low speed handling. The MiG-29 also bleeds its speed much faster than the F-16, so bringing the MiG-29 into a vertical fight is also viable, albeit risky due to the MiG-29's still high turn rate at low speeds.
The MiG-29 at high altitude can be dangerous if the opponent utilizes R-27ERs. The R-27ER has superb range, acceleration, and maneuverability. To counter this, stay on the lookout for MiG-29s and R-27ERs, using both the Mk 1 Eyeballs and RWR, and be prepared to go into a notch position and drop chaff. The R-27ER burns for 8 seconds which allows it to be spotted for a long time before the motor burns out.
The MiG-29SMT is a modernized MiG-29, featuring new munition options such as the R-27ET and R-73. This aircraft can still be countered, however, using the reliable Mk 1 eyeballs once more.
The R-27ET is similar to the R-27ER, but it requires an IR lock before firing. The tradeoff for this is that the R-27ET is near undetectable after the rocket motor has burnt out, only making its presence known moments before taking the F-16 out of a fight. Its flare resistance is also quite good, so simply dropping countermeasures from a rear aspect shot of the R-27ET is borderline undodgeable. The missile is relatively easy to flare from the front, and the missile shares rocket motors with the R-27ER, so dropping countermeasures if either R-27ER/ET is noticed is desirable.
The R-73 is currently the best short range AAM in War Thunder, boasting long motor burn, high maximum g load, and one of the best flare resistances in game, only beaten by the R-27T/ET, and AIM-9M (which is highly conditional). Its flare resistance is also highly supported by its small FOV after launch, 0.5 degrees, making it hard for the missile to see flares in the first place. For example, an F-14 nearly fills out the seeker head within roughly 2km. This results in the missile being nigh impossible to spoof by countermeasures unless they are dropped in large bursts. To top it all off, the R-73 is cueable by the MiG-29's helmet-mounted sight, leading to high off-boresight (HOB) shots. This doesn't make the missile unbeatable, however, as the missile's thrust vectoring prevents the missile from going very fast, and once the rocket motor burns out, the missile bleeds its speed quickly, soon struggling to stay in the air as seen with its dolphining and occasional tumbling out of the sky. The R-73's flare resistance, while still better than its contemporaries such as the AIM-9L and Python 3, is still relatively flareable if the missile is fired from frontal aspect or from further ranges.
The MiG-29SMT itself maneuvers slightly worse than the MiG-29 (9-12A) and (9-13), but still very much a force to be reckoned with. Just knowing an SMT is in the vicinity requires constant awareness of your surroundings, but overall fighting the SMT is roughly the same, only requiring you to look around that little bit more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High thrust-to-weight ratio gives it an incredible acceleration
- Highly maneuverable
- Able to carry a drop tank to extend flight time
- Access to 6 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
- Has access to a wide range to air-to-ground loadouts
Cons:
- Does not have access to SARH missiles, limiting its BVR performance
- High fuel consumption with afterburner
History
Two projects from Northrop and General Dynamics reached the final of the LWF (LightWeight Fighter) competition to create a new light fighter for the US Air Force. In January 1975, the winner of the competition was the YF-16, developed by General Dynamics. Intense testing continued after the launch of the F-16A fighter into series, and was completed only in 1978. The new generation fighter was designed for Mach 2 speeds and was able to perform maneuvers at 9G overloads, which was even higher than the requirements declared in the competition. The F-16A took her full-scale baptism of fire in service with the Israeli Air Force over Lebanon in the early 80s. The jet fighters were also used against ground targets during Operation Desert Storm. Consistently improving, the F-16A fighters are being produced and modernized to this day. In addition to the United States, a number of foreign countries have become operators of the F-16A Fighting Falcon fighters, including Belgium, Israel, Pakistan, Italy, Indonesia and others. Fighters are produced both domestically and under license.
- From Devblog
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
External links
- https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/544244-f-16a-discussion-thread-specs-performance-weaponry-and-more/
- https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104505/f-16-fighting-falcon/
| General Dynamics Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Jet Fighters | F-16A · F-16A ADF · F-16C |
| Strike Aircraft | F-111A · F-111F |
| Export | ▄F-16A ADF · ▄F-16A · ▄F-16AM · ␗F-16A MLU · F-16AJ · Netz · F-16D Barak II · F-16C Barak II |
| F-111C | |
| See also | SABCA |
| USA jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | |
| F9F | F9F-2 · F9F-5 · F9F-8 |
| F-80 | F-80A-5 · F-80C-10 |
| F-84 | F-84B-26 · F-84F · F-84G-21-RE |
| F-86 | F-86A-5 · F-86F-25 · F-86F-2 · F-86F-35 |
| F-89 | F-89B · F-89D |
| F-100 | F-100D |
| F-104 | F-104A · F-104C |
| F-4 | F-4C Phantom II · F-4E Phantom II · F-4J Phantom II · F-4S Phantom II |
| F-5 | F-5A · F-5C · F-5E · F-20A |
| F-8 | F8U-2 · F-8E |
| F-14 | F-14A Early · ▄F-14A IRIAF · F-14B |
| F-15 | F-15A · F-15C MSIP II · F-15E |
| F-16 | F-16A · F-16A ADF · F-16C |
| Other | P-59A · F2H-2 · F3D-1 · F3H-2 · F4D-1 · F11F-1 |
| Strike Aircraft | |
| FJ-4 | FJ-4B · FJ-4B VMF-232 |
| A-4 | A-4B · A-4E Early |
| A-7 | A-7D · A-7E · A-7K |
| AV-8 | AV-8A · AV-8C · AV-8B Plus · AV-8B (NA) |
| A-10 | A-10A · A-10A Late · A-10C |
| F-111 | F-111A · F-111F |
| Other | A-6E TRAM · F-105D · F-117 |
| Bombers | |
| B-57 | B-57A · B-57B |
