F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon emerged from the Lightweight Fighter competition of the 1970s and became the most numerous Western fighter aircraft. It introduced revolutionary features including a frameless bubble canopy, side-stick controller, reclined ejection seat, and fly-by-wire flight controls. The F-16 was deliberately designed to be aerodynamically unstable for enhanced agility, relying on computers to maintain controlled flight. It has been exported to 25 nations and has seen combat in every major conflict since the 1981 Osirak raid. Over 4,600 have been built, with production continuing today.