If you were to choose an existing aircraft to be the basis for a heavy close air support platform, the F-16 would probably not be your first choice. Created with the explicit goal of being a lightweight dogfighter, the Fighting Falcon (more commonly referred to as the Viper) was small in comparison to aircraft such as the Warthog. However, the designers had different plans, and soon they were developing the F-16 into a powerful close air support platform to rival the Warthog, equipped with a massive 30mm cannon.
CONTENTS
00:00 Intro
00:35 1980s F-16
01:26 mid-80s CAS F-16?
04:09 Dec 1986 A-16 concept
07:04 Budget cuts - F/A-16
09:40 Testing
12:00 Jan 1992 F/a-16 dropped
12:35 Did the A-16 make sense?
14:00 Wrap up
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