Description

After the prototyping phase, the F-16 was put in service as the A/B Block 1 Variants. Blocks are small variations in a design that aren’t significant enough to get a full version change. The defining feature of the Block 1 planes are their black radomes, which made them easier to identify from afar.

The Airframe

78-0077 served in many USAF bases, including Edwards AFB, where the plane did not sport any Tail Code (the plane did have a serial number, shown here, just not the ED code for identifying the base). It also served in Hill AFB and Luke AFB. It was then sent for storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (also known as the AMARG or the Boneyard) at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona. It would later be preserved at the Pima Air and Space Museum, where it can be found today.

Equipment

• AIM-9 Sidewinder x2