<font color="cyan">How cool is this? Just seen this on TV!

Possibly the best fighter jet ever, the F-16 "Viper" drag races a 500HP 500lb torque 8 litre V10 Dodge Viper 2003 road car over a half mile strip.

F16 Viper - http://www.hill.af.mil/388fw/ViperWe...per%20West.jpg

Dodge Viper 2003 - http://www.spiceisle.com/glouison/Sp...er%20TR-10.jpg

At the 1/4 mile strip the car was in the lead, but marginally at the finish line the Fighter jet took it.

Was good to watch though!</font>

Since when is the F-16 called a VIPER ???????

Yea... is there a new variant? Even then I would expect it to be named after a bird since the origonal F-16's (and all the variants I'm aware of) are Falcons.

The only snake aircraft I can think of is the Attack Heli Cobra.

The official name of the F16 is the Falcon, however aircrews have nicknamed it Viper. Just like the F15 Eagle is nicknamed Rhodan, and the F14 Tomcat is nicknamed the Turkey.

[ 01-20-2003, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: Sir Krustin ]

I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

<font color="cyan">Thankyou for Sir Krustin for knowing informatin worth knowing.

Sorry If I wasnt specific enough, I assumed it was common knowledge that the F-16 was nicknamed Viper, especially to you Americans. Hence the "'s I gave it one time in the first post!

It's funny how 2 americans have no idea about their own worlds best Fighter Jet, but a Canadian and a Brit do!

Officially it isn't called it, but the pilots nicknamed it that.</font>

[ 01-20-2003, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Lavindathar ]

Actually, it's pretty easy to understand why the aircrews nickname the aircraft like this, the F16 is an exceedingly agile aircraft - it can sustain flat 360 degree turns at 450 knots. There are very few aircraft around the world that can do this.

The F15's nickname is also easy to understand - Rhodan was a very large bird in the Godzilla movies and the F15 is one of the largest fighters around.

The F14's nickname might be harder to understand, but when you know that a Tomcat has barely enough thrust to make it off the carrier deck with a full combat load it becomes a lot clearer. :D (In all fairness, I haven't seen a Navy crew call an F14 a "turkey" yet - I think it's mostly an Air Farce term)

Hehe... afraid I don't know any Air Force guys so I'd never heard the nickname... and I try to keep up on the goings on in aircraft development too. (Guess I'd better brush off my researching skills)

No offense Lavindathar, but the F16 is not considered the worlds best - at least among the jockeys I know. I would say the general wisdom considers the F15E to be the best. I'd say the Stealth Fighter runs a close second these days, but don't know for sure.

Oh, and I've heard the Tomcat called the Turkey for ages - for the very reason mentioned.

Actually TL

The F-16 is one of the most manuvrable fighters in the world. Along with the Sweedish Viggen (and it's new replacement JA-something) and the latest Sukoi fighter from Russia (model after the SU-27, may still be prototype).

The F-15 is a combo long range interdictor/light bomber like the F-14, but it is no way close to a dog fighter.

The F-117 Night Hawk (Stealth) has no buisness having the F designator, because it is an attack plane. It has ZERO air combat capability. It's air crews have called it the Wobbly Goblin, because it's just ugly - among other reasons.