Dates

Event

Constructed as a YF-16A.

15 April 1978

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 75-0750.

Redesignated as F-16A.

7 June 1978

Transferred to 6516th Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA.

Used for avionics systems testing and reliability and maintainability testing in the F-16 FSD and FSD follow-on test programs. (F-16.net).

October 1978

The nose was modified to house the APG-65 radar which was more powerful. It is the radar used in the F/A-18. (F-16.net).

January 1979

Loaned to General Dynamics, Fort Worth, TX.
For modification work.

September 1979

Transferred to Kirtland AFB, NM.
Used for electromagnetic hardness ground testing.

April 1980

Loaned to General Dynamics, Fort Worth, TX.
For modification work to Advance Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI). (F-16.net).

From April 1980 to 1982

Converted to a NF-16A.
Modifications included the canards from the YF-16 Control Configured Vehicle (CCV) and a dorsal spine. The dorsal spine would eventually make it to some production model F-16s. (F-16.net).

Circa 1982

Photographer: Mike Woodley
Notes: Edwards Air Force Base Open House 1982

Circa 1982

Photographer: Mike Woodley
Notes: Edwards Air Force Base Open House 1982

From July 1982 to July 1983

First program was the Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) in which a total of 108 flights were executed untill July of 1983. (F-16.net).

From August 1983 to 30 August 1984

Loaned to General Dynamics, Fort Worth, TX.
More modification work for AFTI program.

31 August 1984

The second program within the AFTI framework was the Automated Maneuvering Attack System (AMAS) which lasted until April of 1987.

From May 1987 to December 1988

Loaned to General Dynamics, Fort Worth, TX.
Modification Work.

From 14 December 1988 to January 1992

Low-level Battlefield Interdiction Tests. In the late eighties, the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) F-16 testbed (formerly the 6th FDS aircraft) was fitted with a dorsal spine, wing-root mounted Lantirn-style pods, and FLIR turrets on the nose. It was also upgraded with an F-16C block 25 wing and with block 40 F-16C features such as APG-68 radar and a LANTIRN interface. It was used as a CAS testbed in support of the proposed A-16, testing low-level battlefield interdiction techniques such as automatic target handoff-systems. This program lasted untill January of 1992. (F-16.net).

6 October 1991

Photographer: Mike Powney
Notes: 1991 photo - at Edwards Air Force Base, CA

From February 1992 to February 1993

Loaned to Lockheed, Fort Worth, TX.
Modification work.

February 1993

Used in the Talon Sword Bravo test program which demonstrated cooperative engagement techniques where the aircraft fires at a target based on targeting information datalinked from a distant sensor. The weapon principally investigated was the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM). (F-16.net).

May 1994

Loaned to Lockheed, Fort Worth, TX.
Modification work.

March 1995

Used jointly by NASA and the USAF at Edwards AFB, California for the Embedded Global Positioning and Inertial Navigation System (EGI) program, including evaluation of the reliability of GPS in jamming environments. (F-16.net).

May 1996

Used in the Automated Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) program. (F-16.net).

4 November 1997

Loaned to Lockheed, Fort Worth, TX.
Modification work (J/IST).

October 2000

NASA dropped out of the AFTI testing program and the aircraft continued to be tested by the USAF. This includes testing for the Power-by-Wire technology and testing for the F-35 program under the Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Subsystem Technologies (J/IST) program. (F-16.net).

9 January 2001

Retired from testing programs.

11 February 2001

Ferry flight. Delivered to National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
NF-16A.
View the Location Dossier

5 May 2008

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

14 May 2010

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

October 2014

Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla

June 2016

Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla
Notes: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force fourth building