F-16B Block 1 Fighting Falcon

The F‑16B Block 1 Fighting Falcon is the two‑seat training variant of the first production block of the iconic F‑16 family, which entered service in the late 1970s. Although sometimes mistakenly linked to the Dutch firm Fokker, the aircraft was designed and built by General Dynamics (later Lockheed Martin) in the United States, with production contracts awarded to several North‑American aerospace firms. Block 1 marked the initial operational version, featuring a single‑engine Pratt & Whitney F100‑PW‑200 turbofan delivering about 23,830 lbf of thrust, a lightweight airframe constructed from aluminum alloys, and a frameless bubble canopy that gave pilots excellent visibility.

Key features of the F‑16B included a side‑by‑side (but offset) cockpit for instructor and trainee, a digital flight‑control system that provided fly‑by‑wire stability augmentation, and the ability to carry a wide array of air‑to‑air and air‑to‑ground weapons on its 9‑hardpoint configuration. The Block 1 avionics suite introduced the AN/APG‑66 radar, enabling look‑down/shoot‑down capability.

Its significance lies in establishing a versatile, cost‑effective platform that combined high maneuverability with multirole capability, shaping modern fighter design and serving as the foundation for successive blocks and export versions that remain in service worldwide.

Fokker

F-16B Block 1 Fighting Falcon

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification