F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 50/52)

General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin · United States · first flew 1984 · fighter

Variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon — family overview.

The F-16C/D introduced look-down/shoot-down radar, all-weather avionics and expanded weapons carriage, representing the mainstream production Falcon since 1984.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	15.06 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Deeper dorsal spine behind cockpit compared with the slimmer A/B spine, housing additional avionics
HARM Targeting System or FLIR targeting pod on the inlet cheek station absent from earlier blocks
Larger square-cut air-intake lip replacing the round-lipped inlet of the original A/B

Spot the deeper, more pronounced dorsal spine behind the canopy compared with the slimmer A/B, the flattened inlet lip, and the typical addition of a chin-mounted targeting pod or cheek-mounted HTS receiver not seen on early Falcons.

Specifications

The F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 50/52) has a length of 15.06 m (49 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.96 m (33 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2120 km/h (1317 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The F-16C first flew in June 1984, replacing the A/B on the production line with the APG-68 pulse-Doppler radar, a wider cockpit with an improved wide-angle HUD, and compatibility with AIM-120 AMRAAM and advanced precision munitions. Block 50/52 aircraft with the F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 engine became the standard export and USAF configuration from the early 1990s.

Variants

Block 40/42 added LANTIRN pods and night-attack capability; Block 50/52 brought the wider-chord inlet, HARM Targeting System and Conformal Fuel Tank rails. Two-seat D models duplicate all combat systems. The F-16V Viper updates surviving airframes with AESA radar.

Where you'll see it

F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft serve with over 25 air forces including Greece, Turkey, Israel, South Korea and Poland. USAF Block 50 jets are a fixture at exercises from UK bases. While never a NATO partner's permanent UK resident, they are regulars at RIAT Fairford.

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