The F-16XL That Most People Ignored

There was a grey camo F-16 on the ramp at the air show at Edwards this year.  When I saw it I was really excited but I think I was in the minority.  I mentioned to a photographer next to me how cool it was and he commented on the air data boom.  I told him it was an F-16XL and he had no idea what that was.  The XL was the long range strike version of the F-16 that went up against and lost to the F-15E Strike Eagle.  Two jets were built and they ended up having some test duties including so work for NASA.  The single seater was the jet on the ramp for the show.

It has a large cranked delta wing but, from a normal viewpoint, that can be seen but isn’t obvious.  A look at the shadows, though, and you know what you are dealing with.  The airframe is an early fiscal number – the next jet became the AFTI aircraft – and the rear fuselage has the mounting points for an anti-spin chute rig.  This jet has done a lot in its flying days but it is now a museum piece.

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