Shaw Air Force Base is home to the Viper East Team, one of two F-16 aerial
demonstration teams in
Air Combat Command. Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting
Falcon", it is known to its pilots as
the "Viper", after the Battlestar Galactica starfighter. The
F-16 Fighting Falcon
is a compact,
extremely
maneuverable multi-role fighter aircraft. The F-16 has proven itself
in air-to-air combat
as well as air-to-surface attack. It provides
a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system
for the
air forces
of the United States and other allied nations.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter
aircraft developed as a lightweight fighter,
it evolved
into
a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount
reason it was a success
on
the export market,
serving 24 countries. The
F-16 is the largest Western fighter program with over
4,000 aircraft built
since production
started in 1976. Though no longer produced for the US
Air Force,
it is still produced for export.
The Fighting Falcon is a dogfighter with innovations including a frameless,
bubble canopy for better visibility,
side-mounted control
stick to ease control
while under high g-forces, and
reclined seat to reduce the effect
of g-forces on the pilot. It was also
the first
fighter aircraft to be deliberately built to sustain 9 g turns.
It is also one of the few jets with a thrust-to-weight
ratio greater than
one, giving it excellent acceleration.
Outside Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-16_Fighting_Falcon
Outside Link : http://www.shaw.af.mil