How the F-16 changed air combat forever

The F-16 Fighting Falcon, known affectionately by many pilots as the Viper, is the most widely operated fighter aircraft on the planet for a reason.
In an era when fighter designs were largely focused on glamor metrics like top speed and service ceiling, the F-16 emerged as the embodiment of a new approach to air warfare - Energy Maneuverability Theory.
Let's talk about it.
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Citations:
www.archives.gov/files/declas...
apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD07...
www.airandspaceforces.com/art...
www.gao.gov/assets/psad-77-40...
ig.space/commslink/your-ultim...
www.airandspaceforces.com/art...
www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/...
www.sandboxx.us/news/how-one-...
www.reuters.com/graphics/UKRA....

[@SandboxxApp]

I'm seeing a lot of folks express surprise that I would credit Boyd and the Fighter Mafia for the F-16's success - which is fair criticism, seeing as the F-16 truly found success by dismissing many of the Fighter Mafia's design principles (like including onboard radar and leveraging radar-guided air-to-air missiles). But while the Fighter Mafia were wrong about a lot of things back then (and some are still wrong about a lot of things today), they still deserve credit for the incredible impact EM Theory had on military aviation. Fortunately, many of their worse ideas didn't have such a lasting effect!

[@Av-vd3wk]

Future video about what the FM was wrong about?

[@SandboxxApp]

@@Av-vd3wk I was just thinking the same thing!

[@Rob_F8F]

Great comment to get ahead of the LazerPig possee (of which I am one). Apperceive your leveled-head approach to real journalism.

[@ThomasPapadakis]

HEY ALEX! You've obviously read the book about John Boyd! As the F-16 and I were raised practically together? I watched the F-16 with a knowing eye that the jet was just going to kick ass and take names! Same thing with the F-15! But there was so much controversy about the F-15? That the little 16 was going to be the one to watch. I remember when the Thunderbirds angered in in 78! And my joining the Air Force in the middle of 82. And based at Nellis. When the Birds were practicing their workup for the initial airshow in April of 83. Getting to watch these guys do their thing! I was mezzmerized with their performance! Because I knew their show intimately! WHOA! Even the Angels couldn't perform the maneuvers the Birds were doing! Yeah. The Viper is some Jet!

[@Yuki_Ika7]

fair enough

[@SmoochyRoo]

I did not realize the F-16 pilot outmaneuvered those 6 missiles *_raw._* That's insane!

[@SmoochyRoo]

@poiujnbvcxdswq oh so I'm assuming wild weasel operations are entirely unnecessary then according to that attitude.

[@cxBuck]

Even though they were older missiles it is true they were evaded.

[@trplankowner3323]

Considering they were Soviet SAMs, it's amazing they didn't manage to hit one of their own SAM sites after firing so many or hit one of their own aircraft. Frankly, today's Russian army could take lessons from them.

[@TheBooban]

@@trplankowner3323more amazing is that the USAF sent an F-16 into combat without flares and chaff working.

[@yujinhikita5611]

In fucking vietnam, tell me again when that was?​ now tell me the numbers for desert storm. The missilehe dodged were old as shit and really inaccurate. newer missiles, even man pads aren't easy to out manurver, at least without counter measures@poiujnbvcxdswq

[@mikebridges20]

That General Dynamics video you pulled clips from was shown at an IEEE meeting during my freshman orientation at Louisiana Tech in 1976. I knew right then I was going to do everything I could to work on that jet at that company. Got hired on right out of college, spent the next 32 years working on flight control system software for the F-16, F-22, and F-35 programs. What a career!

[@Meower68]

Were you, by any chance, acquainted with Dr Ken Vollmar? He was one of my college profs at Missouri State University, who had written part of the original FLCCS software at General Dynamics, back in the day. The fact that I'd been an F-16 crew chief in the USAF gave us something to talk about.

[@mikebridges20]

@@Meower68 I was hired in 1980 and started working on the Digital Flight Control System on the AFTI/F-16. I saw Dr. Vollmar's name, but IIRC (it was a while ago) it was associated with the original analog FLCS system. Worked on essentially 3 different programs with AFTI: the original triplex DFCS software, the upgrade to Block 40 FLCS, and maybe my favorite, the Ground Collision Avoidance System (GCAS).

[@jordanmascarenhas7974]

Sounds exactly like what my son would like to do. What courses did you take and what positions did you apply for?

[@mikebridges20]

@@jordanmascarenhas7974 I teach basic engineering to high school students, and one of the things I tell them is to: 1. Make sure the school you go to is accredited (ABET for engineering) 2. Figure out what type of engineering you're good at, and focus in that direction 3. Don't specialize your entire degree (e.g. Nuclear Engineering or Aerospace Engineering), but rather a more generalized engineering degree 4. THEN start pursuing the companies in the industry you're interested in. Also, in my experience, the pedigree of the school matters MUCH less than the performance of the graduate. IOW, if you go to a school at the top of the list (Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, etc.) and pay a ton for the privilege, you'll graduate with a GPA of x.xx. Go to a less expensive, accredited school, put in the same level of work, and your GPA will be higher. Recruiters know this when they're reviewing the applications.

[@FLanklinBadge]

>See Pierre Sprey in Sandboxx video >Day ruined

[@EmporerPalpatine1183]

Nobody tell Lazerpig

[@joshuapurdy7065]

Immediately ruins any video on the topic when using the fighter mafia as sources Edit: he made a reaction video to the comments on this and did a good job explaining so at this point the point is mute

[@NURDVEVO]

Being a Dane, I've always looked up to these jets flying overhead, and later on in life wondered why it wasn't as popular in flying communities, only to find out, it's because it's the toyota corolla of the fighter world. With the Falcon now working alongside the 35 in the RDAF, this video proves why it needs to be in more flying games, represented properly. Stealth and electronic warfare is definitely king, but there's just something so classic about the single engine Fighting Falcon.

[@jajssblue]

F-16 proved to be an amazing multi-role platform. And that's ignoring its incredible maneuverability. Doesn't hurt that it's one of the best looking fighters of all time.

[@davidb8539]

The English Electric Lightning is still my favourite... but the F-16 trumps everything on looks, it's a work of art

[@ibnewton8951]

@@davidb8539 You must be an Englishman.

[@davidb8539]

@@ibnewton8951 close, British but of the northern persuasion

[@ibnewton8951]

@@davidb8539 Got it. The Lightning was an outstanding aircraft. I believe it probably holds the record/s for climb to altitude.

[@alanaldpal950]

My 3 favorite “warbirds”…. F-16, P-51 Mustang and the Stearman…. With a PBY Catalina as top alternate

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

I was in high school when the YF-16 and YF-17 were competing against each other to see which one would be adopted. The YF-16 won, and the YF-17 went back to the drawing board, and re-emerged years later, modified, into the F-18. Actually, both went back to the drawing board. Many times, as different variants, because engineers just like tweeking designs. The bosses like that, 'cause they then have something new to sell to the Pentagon.

[@WasabiSniffer]

and i can't help but wonder what the skies might have been like had the viper gotten the XL variant

[@Chuckler127]

You probably want to take a closer look at the "fighter mafia," my man. Specifically, their credibility.

[@alexhollings52]

The Fighter Mafia were wrong about a lot of things (some of them continue to be wrong about a lot of things today) - but I still can't dismiss the impact they had on military aviation in the late '60s and early '70s.

[@John.Philip.Tan876]

It's pretty much ingrained in most service members' heads that they're god like inventors and visionaries. They won and rewrote history while making money doing bs conferences and consulting talks my man.

[@Scorv2112]

Laserpig has made some pretty funny videos about them

[@notanymore9471]

@@John.Philip.Tan876jealous much? Nothing says troll like a generic handle.

[@Australiaisupsidedown]

​@@notanymore9471 nothing says troll like a generic pfp.

[@Registered_Simp]

I like to point to Energy Maneuverability coming from the fighter mafia/reformers being the "A broken clock is right once a day" analogy. They lambasted the F-15, F-22, and F-35 for being too expensive, complicated, and reliant on technology when F-22 and F-35 are known now to be the scariest things with wings and F-15 has the most successful combat record of any fighter period. They clung to the F-14 early on due to it being seen as a dogfighter with a gun when its strength was always its systems and long-range missiles. Something they despised. They claim outright incorrectly that the A-10 is an effective aircraft in modern conventional warfare. They smeared the F-111 despite its undeniable success and capabilities. I'll give them Energy Maneuverability, with the F-16 being their only successful claim to fame, but virtually everything else they've said has been proven demonstrably wrong.

[@alexhollings52]

I'd call this a pretty fair assessment.

[@simian9200]

Tmk, they didn't actually help design the F-16 either. Boyd himself helped popularize existing ideas of the energy maneuverability theory, but he didn't invent it himself. Furthermore, he and the "fighter mafia's" contribution to the F-16 basically ends there, much like with their contribution to every other plane they claimed credit for after it turned out to be a resounding success (usually _after_ they spent years lambasting the planes before combat proved its success). In every case they were "involved" with an airframe's development, they basically proposed a terrible design that was literally just wings with guns, had it rejected, criticized the final product that had little or nothing to do with their work, and then when the plane turned out to be very good at its job, they walked back their criticism and claimed credit for it.

[@Registered_Simp]

@@simian9200 When I said the F-16 was their only claim to fame, I meant it as a kind of spiritual claim since yeah, they didn't have much to do with it outside EM being the template. And yes, EM is mostly not even Boyd's work

[@CodeNameHOSEY]

@@simian9200the only real contribution Boyd and the other Reformers was making just enough noise for the real experts to take over

[@Florkl]

I wouldn’t even call the F-16 being something they can claim as a success, given their vision lacks crucial features like advanced avionics and radar-guided missiles that are a huge part of its successful legacy. It’s like the birth parents claiming credit for the achievements of a kid who went through foster care.

[@laser14344]

Didn't the fighter mafia argue against having computers in the loop and radars and argued to have nearly all of its fuel in external drop tanks with enough fuel just for the dogfight?

[@bulldog71ss33]

Yes. Most of the men in the fighter Mafia were absolute morons who thought that radar as well as guided missile Tech was unreliable and a waste of money. They thought that air to air combat should and would always be like it was in WWI & WWII. These guys were the original troglodyte boomers. Many of them were also outright liars and frauds... Pierre...

[@danielbeshers1689]

The Fighter Mafia were much better at PR than engineering.

[@alexhollings52]

The Fighter Mafia was wrong about a TON of stuff... but the stuff they got right resulted in some valuable changes (and a lot of the stuff they got wrong eventually got dismissed, to our benefit).

[@SCH292]

I'm 100% wrong but wasn't it the fighter mafia or somebody else like them also opposed the M1 Abram tank too? I know that M1 Abram and F16 are two different topic but I did recall watching a video about "this group" that also opposed the M1 Abram and wanted to stick with the M60 Patton.

[@laser14344]

@@SCH292 and the Bradly which Ukraine just credited with holding back multiple T90s

[@stcredzero]

Another way to put it: The F-16 was the first fighter designed to turn fiercely AND efficiently, enabled by FBW.

[@mi6agent813]

FBW which the fighter mafia said they didn't want ahahaha

[@RylanVG]

A lovely breakdown and tribute to the F-16. The viper is a beauty.

[@toastrecon]

Crazy to think that I built an F-16 model back in the 1980's after seeing the old movie "Iron Eagle", which featured them. Even after all of these years, it's still going strong. I also remember making models of the Abrams and Bradley. F-4 Phantom. I think I also made one of an artists' rendition of what would end up being the F117 or the B2? It was rounded and kind of looked like it had canards on the front. Edit: I think it was the "F-19 Stealth Fighter" by Monogram

[@ArabianShark]

"Iron Eagle" was my favourite film as a child! Unfortunately, the sequels weren't as good...

[@kyoungd]

"Iron Eagle" fan club? Brings back memories. Sign me up.

[@toastrecon]

@@kyoungd I always thought it was so "rad" that he had that walkman taped to his leg and could play music while he flew around.

[@Ilyak1986]

Yeah I remember the F-19 from my childhood. Design looked wacky but...never came about. Though maybe the NGAD will look like that?

[@toastrecon]

@@Ilyak1986 You're right! Maybe not as long and not with the canards, but it is interesting how quickly they went from the F117's pure angles to the B2, F22 and F35's curves. As with other stealthy drones and missiles.

[@JackMyersPhotography]

I served admin at a base with the C and D block, Desert Shield was just around the corner. I fondly recall the Fighting Falcon’s generating at all hours of the night, fully loaded on all hard points with massive centerline tanks, and just rocketing into the sky spilling fire all the way. The entire small town in Northern Japan rattled and rumbled with every takeoff. I still get nostalgic when I smell jet fuel burning.

[@badgerdad777]

Not sure the fighter mafia should get that much credit?

[@JohnMGibby]

Wait. What? That's it? Only 6 minutes. Oh, I wasn't ready for this video to be over that soon. Awesome video leaving me wanting so much more. I love the F-16 and wish we had gotten the XL also. Thank you Alex for outstanding content that gets me excited every time I see a notification from SB!

[@vanroeling2930]

Great video on the F-16! I have a friend who is a retired career USAF F-16 pilot who says “there is no better fighter in the phone booth than the Viper”.

[@greg.peepeeface]

I don't tyoicaly hype another channel, but it complements this one, and I think the channel is Real Engineering which has a great piece on the F-4 in Vietnam and how it spurred on the development of the F-16

[@alexhollings52]

The Real Engineering episode on the F-16 is incredible! I can't agree more.

[@machineball]

I've watched that video a few times lol i'm all about the smallest details that really make the defrance, why i love his content.

[@greg.peepeeface]

@@alexhollings52 it got fed to me on autoplay, so I think I’ve watched it at least 3x’s now… I wonder how I would do if tested 😂😂😂😂

[@uktenatsila9168]

The contribution the F-16 made to the ATF program cannot be overstated. My favorite jet. Thank you for the video.

[@garymcaleer6112]

Aesthetically, it's an exquisitely beautiful plane.

[@sogerc1]

To me it kind of looks like a shark with wings.

[@thanhtong2281]

it looks better in person and taxi-ing the runway. And when it is landing, with rear landing gears to the ground and front landing gear still in the air, it really does resemble a falcon.

[@mortarman81guns]

I could not agree more. To me, the Viper is the quintessence of a fighter.

[@erasmus_locke]

Instability doesn't allow you to perform higher g maneuvers it allows you to recover from them and initiate them faster with less energy expended. Think of it like a ball at the bottom of a dry pool. It's going to take a lot of energy to push that ball up the walls (stable plane) but if you have a ball on top of a hill it's going to be quite easy to get it rolling (unstable). Essentially an unstable airplane is a better dogfighter because it doesn't take as much energy to turn, NOT because it turns harder or faster.

[@Ultimatevr123]

It is beyond awesome. The only aircraft I fly in dcs, it is so capable, holds energy fantastically well, and may be the only fighter that actuallly becomes ballistic, that jet takes so long to slow down, it just keeps going. And it can carry so much weight , its max take off weight is 42,000lbs and that’s pretty impressive for a jet with a wing that’s only 1.50 thick

[@syringistic]

Alex, I truly love your videos. You packed so much technical information and fun historical facts with insane enthusiasm... all in under 5 minutes. You gotta start doing seminars on how newscasters should approach their trade.

[@cmm30]

That was one of your best. Thank you.

[@Kevan808]

I really enjoy and appreciate the enthusiasm you give in presenting your videos! Keep up the great work!

[@ronammologist16]

Alix, yet another outstanding and informative video. You sir have found your calling. Much respect, your Fandom.

[@joevaccaro6655]

Major Tullia was an exceptional pilot. I always wondered why the F-16 was called the fighting falcon, was it because the jet was named after navy fighter squadron vf-96, the fighting falcons? They shot down eight Migs in one day flying CAP for A7s and A6s into North Vietnam during operation Linebacker. Thanks to Top Gun, the Navy learned to use the strengths of the F4 on the tight turning Migs like the Yo-Yo maneuver and the barrell roll to get a good position on the bandit's 6 o clock. The navy Kill to Loss ratio ultimately became 12:1 by the end of the war. And legend has it, a MIG driver even ejected before getting to the merge when faced with an F4 flying from Yankee Station.

[@johncopeland4782]

Nothing to do with VF-96. It was originally to be called the "F-16 Falcon". However after publically committing to the name, lawyers for French aerospace company Dassault pointed out their business jet line was called the Falcon with appropriate trademark protection. Use it and be sued! The name quickly changed to "F-16 Fighting Falcon".

[@miltmichailidis9776]

@@johncopeland4782 All General Dynamics had to do is say is, "Boo!" and the French would have surrendered

[@mortarman81guns]

@@miltmichailidis9776dude...stop with that old trope. I've worked with the French military and they were not only outstanding professionals but incredibly hospitable hosts. I would readily have gone to war with them.

[@Watchandcutgearchannel]

I really love your channel… the content is always fantastic!

[@pillyalum]

I love Sandboxx! Keep up the great work.

[@alpacaofthemountain8760]

Great video!

[@conrmckocoa9352]

The fly by wire and various radar upgrades were also game changers

[@valen9162]

You really should look at Lazerpig and his videos debunking the fighter mafia and Pierre Sprey

[@alexhollings52]

The Fighter Mafia were (and are) wrong about a lot of things, but I still have to give them credit for the impact they had on military aviation in the 60s and 70s, even if we relegate it to popular and political pressure.

[@bulldog71ss33]

​@@alexhollings52the problem is, any accomplishments they made peaked in the 70s and then these old fossils failed to move past ancient Aviation technology.

[@alexhollings52]

@@bulldog71ss33 I'd call this an accurate assessment - a lot of what they preached was already dated by the time they started preaching it. But I tend to look at the Fighter Mafia in a similar light to how I look at my dad. He wasn't right about a lot of things, and it seemed to worsen over time as his (relative) success seemed to confirm his egotism... But there were times when he still taught me some pretty important stuff. A good lesson from an imperfect teacher is still valuable, even if it has to come with an asterisk.

[@danielbeshers1689]

​@@alexhollings52This is one of the things that draws me to your work, Alex; the integrity, passion, and wisdom that are equal shares of your character.

[@valen9162]

I know it's second hand info/research, but from the presentations I've seen from others and their claimed research, the fighter mafia only really claims to have impacted military aviation instead of genuinely influencing it, or at least Pierre Sprey was by far the worst of them at it. Boyd did have an influence, though I believe his legacy outsized his contribution if that makes sense. Thanks for the response video, though! I'm always glad to hear dissenting opinions and their reasonings, and once I have time I'll try to see about looking into it personally@@alexhollings52

[@droman608]

The FALCON is an amazing aircraft. And I certainly find it to be just great and simple.

[@thomassecurename3152]

Alex your knowledge base is awesome.

[@boobio1]

LazerSperg is rolling on the floor kicking and screaming.

[@j.m.youngquist419]

Another concise fantastic report thank you

[@24tanksalot]

Great video thank you so much I really liked it❤❤

[@donwilson1307]

Remember when the F-16 was being developed. We had Air Force Now films to keep us in the loop. Showed a F-4 and F-16 taking off at same time same runway. Brake release at the same time and the F-16 is climbing thru 10k ft while the F-4 is just rotating on the runway. IMPRESSIVE to say the least.

[@CorePathway]

“Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em” F-4: oh I got ‘em.

[@andrewturley7692]

great video one of the best

[@Jaden48108]

Excellent production!

[@timbauer399]

There's a KZbinr who claims most of what Boyd pushed in terms of Energy Maneuverability Theory actually comes from a guy named Edward S. Rutowski (via Energy Approach to the General Aircraft Performance Provlem). I've never read any of it. Could we get some research on it?

[@alexmeek610]

Angry laserpig noises

[@whyjnot420]

Minor nitpick: Backbone of one of America's air forces. I can't say I have seen many F-16's in the USN.

[@mortarman81guns]

Pretty much only as aggressors at Miramar.

[@mortarman81guns]

So, I've seen gun camera footage from the mission where the pilot dodged six SAMs. One of the pilots in my squadron from 1992-1994 was in that pilot's flight of four Vipers and on that mission. If I recall correctly, the call sign of the pilot that dodged the six SAMs is 'Ivan', while the pilot from my squadron, whose call sign is 'Abner', also dodged numerous SAMs. It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen. What they don't mention in the video is that the weather conditions on that mission were sh*t, with low ceiling and limited visibility, and it was a CAS mission so they were below the deck. There was so much hard maneuvering going on the horizon indicator on the HUD looked like a metronome gone crazy as the pilots had very little time to react, and a LOT of radio communication as every pilot in the flight was looking for SAM launches and smoke trails and trying to make sure everyone else in the flight knew what was happening. It was very chaotic. While I already had plenty of respect for the fighter pilots in my squadron, that ramped it up more than just a few notches more. It's hard to imagine just how crazy the air combat environment can be until you see real footage like that. Fighter pilots who've flown in combat absolutely deserve the respect they're accorded.

[@apipp]

I love how you guys use some of that footage from that old 1980s VHS TOP GUNJETS II. Classic stuff!

[@556m4]

Why did “fighting falcon” get tossed and why was is it so disliked ? I think it’s a pretty cool name and it keeps in line with the other famous fighter of that era, the “eagle”.

[@buck_X]

From one perspective, it was always the Viper. It was informally referred to as such in development. Higher ups decided it would be fun to do a naming contest in which schoolchildren offered up potential names, of which "Fighting Falcon" was the winner. The idea didn't really have buy in from the rank and file.

[@kdrapertrucker]

Because it was fairly tame. Plus the F-16 reminded it's pilots of the Colonial viper from Battlestar Galactica which was on T.V. when the F-16 entered service.

[@pablom-f8762]

Better get ready, because the F-35 is informally called Fat Amy.

[@MarkBarrack]

And now I (we) know. Thanks Alex. Always good.

[@hazardpay1184]

This is why America is so powerful, The F-4 was an amazing aircraft and one of the best in the world for its time. How would you like to have the F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, and F-35 in your jet fighter stable? Any other country on Earth would be happy with one or two of them. These are the top fighters in the world hands down and only one of them has been retired by the United States and that's because it got to expensive to operate, not because it was not still capable! No other nation's military even comes close to the air dominance of the United States.

[@hertzwave8001]

f-14 had so much growing potential

[@taylorthomas2089]

Well done bud 👍

[@Meower68]

As mentioned in "Digital Apollo," most earlier pilots did not trust FBW. After a nasty crash, the X-15 was modded to use FBW. Prior to that, you had two sets of controls (one for atmospheric operations, one for reaction-control operation where the normal flight controls simply don't work). FBW unified the two, so you could (finally) have one set of controls for both atmospheric and exo-atmospheric control. Many pilots wouldn't fly it because they did not trust their lives to FBW (and, admittedly, the X-15 was a very dangerous platform). The LM could not have landed on the moon without FBW. Even still, that was considered a controversial design decision. Modern pilots, civilian and military, have no problem "trusting" FBW. If you've ever flown on an Airbus, you've trusted it, too.

[@cyberherbalist]

One thing I wonder, is in fly by wire aircraft, how well would the aircraft survive an EMP? Even if it could survive the blast itself (far enough away), would the EMP not destroy the electronics?

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

Electronics are shielded and the skin of the aircraft acts as a Faraday cage.

[@cyberherbalist]

@@ChucksSEADnDEAD - I can see how that might work as a Faraday cage, and I hope that it never has to be tested for real. I was in the US Army 40 some years ago, and worked for 3 years in a communications bunker that had interior copper cladding and blast doors to protect against EMP. Techs came out every year to re-certify the EMP protection. With all the necessary external ports on a jet, it might not be as secure as one thinks. And like I said, I hope we never have to find out for real.

[@darthvirgin7157]

my favorite military aircraft when it first came out, even to this day. for one thing, it just looks so slick and just looks like a hot rod in the skies. and is just the most beautiful aircraft ever created.

[@265justy]

The F-16 actually has over 80 air to air kills. The 76 figure was before the Syrian conflict were Turk F-16s got over 5 air to air kills..

[@jannarkiewicz633]

Fighter mafia... Yikes, don't tell Lazer Pig. I watch way too much KZbin but I do trust Sandboxx way more than Lazer Pig.

[@alexhollings52]

To be clear - The Fighter Mafia was wrong about a lot of stuff (and still are today). Tons of what they championed was already seriously dated by the time they started championing it... But despite how far off the mark they were with many things, I still have to give them credit for EM Theory.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

@@alexhollings52 I did not expect a reply. Much appreciated. Lazy Pig is more humor than fact.

[@Johnappbeees22]

For most people like the flashynplames, the fast planes, thr stralthy planes. To me, the f-16 is brilliant the shear number and capability of this small plane is amzing.

[@tomdarco2223]

Right On

[@johnpetersen7028]

I hope you see this but where did you get that F-14 tomcat 3 piece canvas in the back round?

[@CJ-nt4cs]

I'm 60 and will never forget the first time I saw the F16. JMO I think it's the sexiest airplane ever produced in the history of flight.

[@lenchmob0697]

I could be wrong but I believe John Boyed never flew any combat missions in Korea

[@orbiradio2465]

According to Wikipedia he flew 22 missions, but did not fire a single shot.

[@lenchmob0697]

@@orbiradio2465 well ig I’m just a bozo then

[@whalehands4779]

I see Vipers dogfighting over my house almost weekly.

[@timandsuzidickey9358]

Thanks. !!

[@ecleveland1]

It's not speed, it's energy that matters and they are close but not the same.

[@moist_ointment]

Speed is kinetic energy. Altitude is potential energy.

[@robertpayne9009]

Thanks!

[@nickhockings443]

If you want a 9+g, mach 2 single engine light fighter, the Mirage III was introduced into service in 1961, and had a substantial combat record before the US teen series fighters started development. The F16's combat record shows that it is a credible contender for "the most important fighter aircraft of the last quarter of the 20th C", what it wasn't was the first successful 9g supersonic fighter.

[@mrmuffin5046]

You have the best animations

[@kwilliams420]

I would not get into the habit of giving the fighter mafia credit for things. These guys were not deserving of credit for making US air combat capabilities better.

[@kwilliams420]

In fact, I would love to see your take on the fighter mafia. Just about everything I have read or seen about them has been negative. I understand some people will pick a narrative and present everything to back that up, so there could have been a lot of bias there.

[@robbabcock_]

Ah, the ol' Lawn Dart!😂👏✈

[@MaraudersWorld]

THAT was a great story.

[@ronaldopalero704]

Hope one day our PAF(Philippine Air Force) gets this mighty bird!!!!🙏🙏🙏

[@davidpalmer4184]

The only time I have ever loved the Mafia! "I'm gonna make you an offer that you can't outfly."

[@bobkohl6779]

I was at the YF-16/ Yf-17 fly off. Pilots preferred the two engines

[@drmarkintexas-400]

Wishing you a Happy Healthy and Safe 2024 💙🙏🤗🏆

[@dmutant2635]

Happy First Flight Anniversary Viper! Jan20/Feb2

[@zacdef8845]

Don’t tell Lazerpig about this video lol

[@well-blazeredman6187]

Liked that.

[@mikekenney1947]

Boyd was encapsulating a well known and taught principle of conserving potential energy to be expressed at the proper moment as speed. Hardly a new discovery. Still, emphasis is appropriate and the F16 is a game changer

[@julianzepeda2398]

Hey Alex are you gonna talk about the shot down a50

[@rubbersidedown5620]

Fun drinking game, take a shot every time Alex says "in other words" :)

[@MrKKUT1984]

I cant believe you called the f15 the big sister 😂

[@RagsAIN-14]

Very well put, very accurate in every detail. Appreciate the fundamentals of the F-16 and the DOD has been chasing that aircraft since it's conception. As with the f-15 It continues to progress with the 4.5 EX. I'm just an old navy rotorhead which I am biased towards the Navy. As with the F-16 with the DOD looking back at the XL knowing now it would have been the better choice. A little larger, just a little. More fuel efficient with more power. TWR than the block 70 of today. They were talking about bringing it in aka the king snake.2x the distance and payload. I know it has not come in my generation but maybe in the next 25 years it may come to light. Same as the f-15 with the data link. Making a 4.5 gen. EX model having the data link gave it the extra.5 with other aircrafts and drones to come. When they cycled out the tomcats for the cobra that they pulled out of the warehouse from the '70s and gave it to the Navy which was a little hard to take. It's only 50% to TWR of the TC. Even the super hornet barely reaches over 50% of the TWR of the TC. Making it bigger than the legacy C model. Adding bigger engines did not give it, what the TC had. The tomcat was designed to intercept. Just like the Kiowa and the Huey hilo's. They build something where they specific function then they add crap to it and then want to judge it. The F-14 TC was rebuilt to the satisfaction of the DOD and its maintenance department and cost with the super TC. Ready to go but they chose the Cobra aka hornet. But now what the JSF /f35 yeah 🤔 a single engine aircraft on an attack ship for the Marines and on the super carrier for the USN. Not a good thing. Yeah I went off the rails again. The contrail turn with the F-16 was with an F4 phantom and nobody can answer to g's that were of the phantom and or the 16 fighting falcon. AKA viper. Obviously a little bird is going to turn inside of a big bird. But with that being said, it is known today as how the F-16 was born from that maneuver made overhead in contrails. It's always been kept quiet whether it was a constant speed rate of turn or a 9G turn. It is never been revealed. Obviously the F-16 pilot was there to sell it. I really like for you to keep in mind that to move USAF assets takes considerable time and logistics. A single phone call to the USN can be anywhere in the world in 3 to 10 days in abundance. This is why we never have a war on our shores or in America.! We bring the fight to them 1st. F-35 JSF slides off the deck of a super carrier, laying in gear was not totally locked. It was just hanging but pilot had a lock light and the LSO also did not pick up on the slack on a limited lighted day. So the carrier and the Armada had to stay at the point , where the aircraft splashed. So Russia or China? Or any other with the ability to pick it up on the bottom of the ocean to maintain a very high level security. I really enjoyed your tutorial and hope to see many more. Wish you a happy new year! Alex and I hope this year your journey is filled with much joy and laughter and with many, many blessings. God bless you all ⚓🇺🇸🕊️

[@THEM1GHTYPHUZ]

Why can I hear Lazer Pig in my head lol 😆

[@Phrancis5]

"Iron Eagle" intensifies...

[@nathangill483]

I think LazerPig would have a thing or two to say about John Boyd but a great video all the same. Could I advise maybe adding an editors comment about the fighter mafia's short comings.

[@user-iz3gv5vo6b]

Just wondering why there are (almost?) no videos about the F/A-18 and subsequent variants on this channel? Is Sandboxx's main coverage on th Air Force rather than the Navy? Or is it some other reason?

[@DominatorHDX]

If someone mentions the word jet fighter in any conversation, the first plane that always has and always will come to my mind is the F-16. I was born in 1979 and here in the Netherlands and my entire life up till now, the F-16 was always the main (in fact only) jet fightet in our air force until nowdays the F-35 is slowly taking its place.

[@lip124]

ALOT of visual awareness and very agile, yea this thing is nuts. Also cheap for export

[@johnbierman4200]

You are missing some fascinating knowledge if you don’t know of John Boyd. From intuitively placing his fighter in to an extreme skid to reverse his position from the hunted to the killer to mathematician and computer programmer he successfully fought the establishment with his vision for the future of warfare. All at great personal expense to his family relationships.

[@jaymoore332]

The F-16 is the Miata of air combat.

[@joshandkorinna]

Came here to see comments about how awesome the F-16 is as it's one of my favorite aircraft of all time (and the F-2 as well, shown in the b-roll) and just utterly disappointed to see the comments section being a drag about the fighter mafia. Whatever, they were right about Energy Maneuverability Theory. They should get credit for it. Alex never proclaimed they were right about everything, which, of course they weren't. Anyhow, the F-16 is one of the best looking aircraft of all time. Especially with 2 drop tanks, 2 HARMS, 2 AMRAAMS, and 2 Sidewinders. And not only does it look great, it's a monster performer as well.

[@militavia-air-defense-aircraft]

5:09 Hm.... That -16 did not have ECM pod which maybe could jam the KUB with VGPO jamming?

[@snower13]

Speed is life. Altitude is life insurance.

[@kentl7228]

The fighter mafia wanted stupildly small fighters lacking too many necessities. The F/A18 Super Hornet models are huge compared to the original. Because size adds fuel for range, just to start with.

[@hi13760]

I stopped the video at "Fighter Mafia" The youtube channel Lazerpig did a full rundown on them.

[@IvorMektin1701]

Lazerpig is going to be so triggered, lol.

[@pathfinderdiscovery9395]

Good lord there’s 40 plus F 16s in the opening volley

[@lightningrodofh8509]

Speed is life, altitude is life insurance.

[@RCAvhstape]

The F-16 is among the most beautiful airplanes ever. Just stand next to one on a flightline and look at it. It's like they brought Leonardo daVinci back to life and asked him to make a supersonic sculpture.

[@kilianklaiber6367]

Energy and Maneuverability is not just an advantage in a closed quarters dog fight. It is also a huge advantage in a BVR fight as well as when you evade enemy missiles. If you have surplus energy you can chose when and where to enter or evade a fight with an enemy aircraft.

[@kilianklaiber6367]

The F-16 gives you the most bang for the buck. Therefore, it is the back bone of the US airforce. Neither the F-22 nor the F-35 can replace it.

[@mikebridges20]

@registered-Simp You *do* realize that the "energy maneuverability" theorem was penned WAY before low observability was known outside of a need to know group, and I've not seen any information that the "fighter mafia/reformers" you refer to were read into that group.