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The General-Dynamics F16 Falcon is an American single-engine, multi-purpose light fighter
and stormtrooper. Work on the F-16 project was started in 1971 by General Dynamics (which became part of Lockheed Martin in 1993), by entering
the competition for a light multi-purpose fighter (LWF) for the US Air Force. The YF-16 prototype flew on 2 February 1974. A breakthrough in
technical terms was the use of a computerized electric fly-by-wire control system, which made it possible to reduce the wing and tail area,
and thus reduce the weight of the entire aircraft. The F-16 was the first fighter in the world to use such a system. The first versions were
to a large extent made of aluminum alloys (about 83% of the total structure), but with time they gave way to composites. The different versions
of the F-16 are powered by three versions of the engines: Pratt-Whitney F-100-PW-200, General Electric F110-GE100 and Pratt-Whitney F-100-PW-2020.
Serial production of the F-16 began in 1975. It was also attended by European NATO countries for which it was an injection of new aviation technologies.
Final assembly was carried out in the USA, Belgium and the Netherlands. The first serial F-16A Fighting Falcon was flown on 7 August 1978. It is an
assault version of the F-16, intended primarily to counter ground targets. The F-16 also proved itself in combat, with a series of air victories in
the war in Lebanon (1982) and during the Operation Desert Storm (1991). There were six basic versions of the F-16, marked A, C, E (single-seater) and
B, D, F (two-seater). On the basis of these six models, numerous modernizations were created, most often associated with the replacement of avionics,
marked as "Block". The F-16 Block 72 was the latest version of the F-16 and was delivered to the Indonesian Air Force (IDAF). The F-16 Block 70/72,
combined advanced F-16 capability upgrades and structural upgrades. More than 4,585 F-16s have been produced for 28 customers.
When Poland decided
to modernize the outdated Soviet-style air force, the Polish Ministry of Defense decided that the F-16 would be the core of the modernized air force.
On 18 April 2003, the governments of Poland and the United States signed a contract for the supply of 36 F-16C single-seat and 12 F-16D two-seat
aircraft in 2006-2008. These aircraft were manufactured by the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas.
The ICAO Aircraft
Type Designator for the General Dynamics F-16D is F16.
On 19 April 2013, the Polish Air Force 31 BLT' General Dynamics F-16D Block 52 Fighting
Falcon "4082" was seen at Leeuwarden Air Base (EHLW/LWR) during Frisian Flag 2013. The F-16D Block 52 "4082" (s/n 03-0082) was delivered
to the Polish Air Force on 24 May 2007.
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