Why are F 16s called Vipers?

Pilots had dubbed the jet the “Viper” after the fighter spacecraft in the TV series “Battlestar Galactica.” Many pilots wore “Viper Pilot” name tags. Leadership demanded the pilots remove the tags, but the unofficial nickname stuck.

What is the difference between F-16 and Viper?

The F-16 has an official name—Fighting Falcon—that nobody uses. To those who fly, arm, or maintain it, it is “the Viper.” It has been the most popular fighter of its time, with some 4,100 F-16s delivered to more than 20 countries.

Is the F-16 a Falcon or Viper?

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack.

What is the F-16 nickname?

It was a moment of skill and experience that earned Caldwell a Distinguished Flying Cross and highlighted the dynamic mix of speed and precision that earned the F-16 Fighting Falcon its more common pilot nickname--Viper.

What is F-16 Viper in Navy?

The F-16N Viper is a US Navy version of the Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Viper was built in small numbers specifically for the Navy to serve in the "Aggressor" role in combat training. This particular F-16N served with the Navy at NAS Miramar (Fighter Weapons School).

Is It The Falcon Or The Viper?

What does Viper mean in the Navy?

Visual Information Personnel (VIPER) teams provide visual documentation of unsafe, unprofessional or abnormal interactions by the vessels and/or aircraft of other nations against US assets, helping us win the narrative battle.

Why did the F-16 change from Falcon to Viper?

The F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", but "Viper" is commonly used by its pilots and crews, because of a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as to the fictional Colonial Viper starfighter from the television program Battlestar Galactica which aired at the time the F-16 entered service.

Why is the F-18 called a rhino?

The F-18 Super Hornet is also called the “Rhino” because of a rhino-like protrusion on the front part of the aircraft's radome.

Is the F-16 better than the F-35?

Standard logic indicates the F-35 is better thanks to its new features (advanced stealth, avionics, etc.). However, the F-16 fighter remains faster and more agile, which might give the appearance to some that it is 'superior'.

Which is faster F-16 or F-18?

The average cruising speed is 577 MPH. The F-18 Hornet can reach a top speed of Mach 1.8, which translates to 1,190 MPH. Its cruising speed varies between 580 KTS at high altitudes, to 720 KTS at low altitudes. So in a drag race, the F-16 takes the cake every time, giving it a unique speed advantage.

What jet was Viper flying in Top Gun?

On May 6, 1972, Viper and his wingman, flying F-4J Phantoms, engaged with four North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighters. At the time, the MiG-21 was a match for the Phantom, and Vietnamese pilots were trained in the Soviet Union and China.

How much does an F-16 cost per hour?

The Air Force's fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role fighters cost $26,927 an hour, largely for the same reasons as the A-10. The Navy's newer force of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters are also relatively affordable, at $30,404 an hour.

How many F 16v does the U.S. have?

One of the most versatile aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the mainstay of the Air Force aerial combat fleet. With over 1,000 F-16s in service, the platform has been adapted to complete a number of missions, including air-to-air fighting, ground attack and electronic warfare.

Is the F-16 superior to the MiG-29?

He added that while the MiG-29 has "superior nose-pointing capabilities" when flying at less than 200 knots, F-16s "excel" in such capabilities at speeds above 200 knots. "The turn rate on F-16 is significantly better," he said.

Can F-16 pull Cobra?

KONYA, TURKIYE - MAY 22: The aerobatics display team of the Turkish Air Force managed to perform the "Cobra Maneuver" for the first time in the world with an F-16 fighter jet. SOLOTURK, which has been successfully performing many different maneuvers for 11 years, performed a cobra maneuver with an F-16 jet.

Can F-16 land on aircraft carrier?

Fact: F-16's are not equipped to takeoff or land on aircraft carriers - they are USAF only and are not Navy aircraft.

Who would win in a dogfight F-16 or F-35?

Finally, the F-35 office said simulated combat scenarios have shown that four F-35s have won encounters when pitted against a four-ship of F-16s. "The F-35s won each of those encounters because of its sensors, weapons, and stealth technology," the statement said.

Has an F-16 lost a dogfight?

The only reported F-16 loss was an IDF F-16I that crashed on 19 July when one of its tires burst as it took off for Lebanon from an air base in the Negev. The pilots ejected safely and there were no casualties on the ground.

What aircraft replaced the F-16?

The F-16 will be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II aircraft in the spring. An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing overflies Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin, during a ceremony commemorating the unit's last F-16 to depart Oct. 5, 2022.

What is the nickname for the F-22?

The YF-22 was originally given the unofficial name "Lightning II", from the World War II Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter which persisted until the mid-1990s, when the USAF officially named the F-22 "Raptor". The "Lightning II" name was later given to the F-35.

Did Tom Cruise fly F-18?

Permission denied for Tom Cruise

The film producers wanted to proceed with a scene that showed Cruise flying an F18 jet. However, the film crew was denied permission by the US Navy in their bid to have the famous actor fly the fighter.

Is the F-22 better than the F-35?

The F-22 Raptor is the most powerful air superiority fighter in the world, while the F-35 is probably the most advanced multi-role fighter right now. That means that the Raptor is more effective in air-to-air combats (faster and could operate at higher altitude).

Why does the f117 start with an F?

A televised documentary quoted project manager Alan Brown as saying that Robert J. Dixon, a four-star Air Force general who was the head of Tactical Air Command, felt that the top-notch USAF fighter pilots required to fly the new aircraft were more easily attracted to an aircraft with an "F" designation for fighter, as ...

How many F-16 have crashed?

Since 1975, the F-16 has had a total of 383 Class A mishaps -- the classification the military uses for its most deadly and most expensive crashes. In nearly 50 years, 88 pilots have died in the fighter jet, according to data from the Air Force Safety Center.

What is the nickname of the F-15?

F-15: The F-15 Eagle is a big fighter with enormous wings giving it a very large surface space. It is because of the 608 square feet of surface space that it is referred to as the “flying tennis court”. The F-15E version is also referred to as the “Mudhen” because of its dark gray paint scheme and air-to-ground role.