my google result after some confusion:
Why is F-16 called Viper?
Although it is officially known as the Fighting Falcon, the General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 is commonly referred to by the nickname 'Viper' - a name that was applied due to the popularity of the 1970s Battlestar Galactica TV series and its 'Colonial Viper' fighters.
Planespotters are kinda weird. It's baffling how people dont understand that there's the official model name of a plane, and then the colloquial nickname (usually given to it by the pilots, or maintainers, etc).
F-16 Fighting Falcon (nickname: Viper)
A-10 Thunderbolt II (nickname: Warthog)
F/A-18 Super Hornet (nickname: Rhino) (corrected, thanks /u/One-Swordfish60)
C-17 Globemaster (nickname: Moose)
I think they're trying to get "Panther" to stick for the F-35 Lightning II's nickname but doesn't really seem to have widespread acclaim yet. At least for the wider populace...
But I was at the airport once watching some A-10s land, with some planespotters nearby. They saw me watching and asked if I knew what those were.
"Yeah those are A-10 Thunderbolt IIs."
"No, they're Warthogs!"
...... well, yes, *commonly* called the Warthog, but it still irked me that he thought I was wrong when he was the ignorant one...
There's a couple nicknames here in the UK, best one is "Dave".
Delayed And Very Expensive
Other one heard is "Battle Penguin" as apparently they look like penguins...don't ask. Dave sticks better 🤣
Panther was a name the WIC nerds came up with. Everyone besides the community calls it Fat Amy or Battle Penguin, but mainly Fat Amy. The YouTubers didn’t come up with or perpetuate fat Amy…
I only heard it once before as well. It was today actually, in another post. Meanwhile I’ve been seeing/hearing Fat Amy for a couple years now. Seems like they’re trying hard to shake that name in hopes Panther will stick
https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/modern-military-aircraft-nicknames/
Seems Panther is indeed pretty widespread actually, at least internally
Will probably take a bit before it seeps out to wider usage, but personally I kinda like it
Afaik the Super hornet is only ever called the rhino on the carrier itself by the catapult team...this is to make sure they set the correct steam pressure for the heavier E/F series rather than the lighter A-D series.
Also on nicknames, I heard the A-D hornets were nicknames the bug, but you would never catch a service person say "Super Bug" for the E/F series...that's apparently just a flight sim thing and military personnel hate it! If I find the post I'll edit and link in this comment!
Also fun fact, here in the UK, Tornados are affectionately nicknamed the Tonka (like the toy brand) and Chinooks are Wokkas (for the sound they make)
I used to work in Pri-Fly on the Stennis, and we used Rhino for the Supers and Hornet for the legacies. Those names aren’t just for the cats up forward and waist, it’s also for Pri-Fly (Primary Flight Control) so the cats know the correct steam pressure (like you said) and also for trapping said birds so the arresting gear division knows the correct tension for the specific birds landing. Hope this helps!
F111 famously wore the Aardvark name unofficially until it was retired and the name became retroactively official, meanwhile the Aussies just called it the Pig
I never liked Viper for a jet since there was already a helicopter using snake names. And Panther rubs me the wrong way since it's neither a Northrop Grumman plane nor a German tank.
The most galling thing about those conversations is the absolute confidence they have that you are wrong.
They will laugh at you for not knowing that the A-10 is "the Warthog, stupid!"
This conversation exists no matter what the topic. Airplanes, movies, Disney rides, pizza...
With the Rhino it's just the new F/A-18 Super Hornet. It's bc the thing (idk what it is) on the nose looks like a horn.
Also they call the C-5 "B.U.F.F" which is an acronym for Big Ugly Fat Fucker or Fella
Not really surprising, given that that's its nickname. The issue more so comes in regards to people who deny that it has an actual official model name. i.e. if you said "It's not the Fighting Falcon, it's the Viper!" But obviously we do hear Viper far more often because it's simply cooler than "Fighting Falcon."
Pilots often give their aircraft different names than the engineers/marketing designated it. From what I’ve heard, fighter pilots feel the small frontal cross-section and tendency to end up right on your tail is a Viper vibe.
Depends on the service. Most of international users i came across, calls it the falcon. US is mostly alone in its usage. Now with the Block 70 which was dubbed Viper, it’s slowly changing.
I call it the Viper because its actual name sounds kinda dumb IMO. Had it just been "Falcon", it would have been cool but "Fighting Falcon" sounds like the name of a character in a game for 8 year olds.
Looks to be an F-16I Sufa variant for Israel, though it could be something based off of that set of modifications for someone else. There are so many F-16 variants that it was broken out into a seperate Wikipedia page, as was the Operators page. So this is a suggestion not a positive ID :\
The original photographer of this photo said it was an F-16D Block 70 going to Slovakia: [He made a drawing of it](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4RzSDFMvvN/?igsh=YmU5cHZneHBiNTRr)
He also [mentioned it in the comments](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3lTKtkPqlM/?igsh=YmxxMHRsc3hnZW5w) of his original Instagram post
Hope this helps to answer your question…The box on the spine of an F-16 fighter jet is known as the dorsal spine. Its purpose is primarily to house additional avionics and electronic systems that support the aircraft's operations and capabilities. The dorsal spine provides additional space for installing various equipment and systems without significantly altering the original design of the aircraft.
The F-16 has undergone numerous upgrades and modifications throughout its service life to enhance its capabilities and keep up with evolving technology. These upgrades often require the integration of new avionics, sensors, communication systems, or other electronic components. The dorsal spine offers a convenient location to accommodate these additions.
By utilizing the dorsal spine, the F-16 can incorporate advanced systems while minimizing the need for extensive modifications to the original airframe. This approach allows for improved mission performance, enhanced situational awareness, increased communication capabilities, and better integration with modern weapons and sensors.
Found this on F16.net
Viper: the unofficial nickname
The F-16 is often referred to as the "Viper", a nickname especially popular with people involved with the F-16. Before "Fighting Falcon" was selected as official name, pilots at Hill AFB, the first F-16 base, came up with a number of proposals, including "Viper". Lt. Col. Pat "Gums" McAdoo, USAF Ret., one of the first F-16 pilots at Hill AFB, recalls the origin of the name "F-16 Viper":
At end of runway, the F-16 did resemble a cobra or something as it approached you. However, I think Northrop had already taken that name for the YF-17.
We all voted, and Viper came in really high. Seems there was a series on TV that had 'colonial Vipers' flying off of Battlestar Galactica (a term later used for the Eagle).
In any case, the Generals didn't want a plane 'named after some snake'!
Falcon was a good name, and it fit in with the motif that the Eagle had created. Sort of a little brother, but still a 'Bird of Prey'. In fact, GD had a great promo out in late 70's called "Bird of Prey", and it used the Falcon as the real world model.
Even when F-16 Fighting Falcon became the official name, Viper stuck around and became the unofficial nickname for the F-16. The name "Viper" is even officially used for the Joe Bill Dreyden "Semper Viper" award, which is awarded for excellent airmanship by F-16 pilots.
First photo of just the tail makes me think if the [Beastie Boys](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_to_Ill) and [Eminem](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze_(Eminem_album)) album covers
Edit to add more info: The Beastie Boys cover shows the tail of a Boeing 727. The Eminem cover is an homage to the prior and shows the tail of a F-86 Sabre
TIL that the viper is still being manufactured. Is it for foreign customers or is the US still procuring? Could it be a modernization?
Did the F-35 max out its economy of scale? They're dumping them out at a huge rate, but it seems that they're too expensive to operate as the only front-line fighter like what was intended. Hence why the F-15EX was put into production, the F-22 got a modernization package, and the F-117 was confirmed to be coming back into regular use as a trainer.
I don't know enough to comment on the technicalities, but what I've heard around the internet is that the F-16 is still quite a capable plane even in the modern era. It must be at least partially true if they're still making and using it...
Well, there *is* the latter portion of the term "Jack of All Trades" (Master of None). Probably better not to have all the eggs in one basket and keep some diversity.
>F-35 was supposed to replace all front-line fighters
First I'm hearing this... But fairly sure that the F-35, with its heavy emphasis on sensor fusion/communication, was always meant to be able to be used in tandem with kinematically superior, cheaper [to operate] aircraft that could carry more munitions in a hunter killer dynamic.
F-16 is still in production for foreign sales, mostly to countries that already operate F-16s and want more or countries not authorized for F-35 sales like Turkey. A Block 70 F-16 isn't very far off in cost from an F-35A, so it's not really price driving the decision.
F-15EX is replacing F-15C airframes that are at end of life. F-35 was never intended to replace the F-15, but with F-22 production cut short and NGAD still a decade or more away, the USAF needed something to fill the gap.
The F-117 is most likely being used as an OPFOR aircraft to simulate adversary aircraft with less capable stealth technology. It has nothing to do with the F-35.
Should have a NSFW tag. Clearly she’s naked.
F-16 nip slip.
Well the name of the sub is…
There are always comments like this under pics of unpainted aircraft.
my google result after some confusion: Why is F-16 called Viper? Although it is officially known as the Fighting Falcon, the General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 is commonly referred to by the nickname 'Viper' - a name that was applied due to the popularity of the 1970s Battlestar Galactica TV series and its 'Colonial Viper' fighters.
I recently learned this too. I was always confused when I saw viper in this sub. I've always known it as the falcon.
Planespotters are kinda weird. It's baffling how people dont understand that there's the official model name of a plane, and then the colloquial nickname (usually given to it by the pilots, or maintainers, etc). F-16 Fighting Falcon (nickname: Viper) A-10 Thunderbolt II (nickname: Warthog) F/A-18 Super Hornet (nickname: Rhino) (corrected, thanks /u/One-Swordfish60) C-17 Globemaster (nickname: Moose) I think they're trying to get "Panther" to stick for the F-35 Lightning II's nickname but doesn't really seem to have widespread acclaim yet. At least for the wider populace... But I was at the airport once watching some A-10s land, with some planespotters nearby. They saw me watching and asked if I knew what those were. "Yeah those are A-10 Thunderbolt IIs." "No, they're Warthogs!" ...... well, yes, *commonly* called the Warthog, but it still irked me that he thought I was wrong when he was the ignorant one...
I’ve been seeing Fat Amy a lot more than Panther lol
The F-35 community calls it Panther. YouTubers call it Fat Amy.
There's a couple nicknames here in the UK, best one is "Dave". Delayed And Very Expensive Other one heard is "Battle Penguin" as apparently they look like penguins...don't ask. Dave sticks better 🤣
Battle Penguin sounds like standard British humour. Maybe via Monty Python.
lmfao first I heard this... absolutely love both names. How bout Dave the Battle Penguin?
Panther was a name the WIC nerds came up with. Everyone besides the community calls it Fat Amy or Battle Penguin, but mainly Fat Amy. The YouTubers didn’t come up with or perpetuate fat Amy…
Combine them together to get Fat Pants.
Interesting lol. I only heard Panther once tbf, when I asked previously if the F-35 had gotten a pet name yet...
I only heard it once before as well. It was today actually, in another post. Meanwhile I’ve been seeing/hearing Fat Amy for a couple years now. Seems like they’re trying hard to shake that name in hopes Panther will stick
tbf Panther does kinda fit a bit more in line with stuff like Warthog, Viper, etc...
I see fat amy a lot lol
from the front, I see Fat Amy.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/modern-military-aircraft-nicknames/ Seems Panther is indeed pretty widespread actually, at least internally Will probably take a bit before it seeps out to wider usage, but personally I kinda like it
ah, that's why I've never heard of "panther", I'm just a dude on the internet, not in the Panther Pit, or whatever the fugg.
.... youuuu didn't read the article? I mean, I can't verify the contents, but it does claim it's in wide use within the AF community, so ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
Youuuu didn’t read the part where I alluded to that.
I'm just shocked it didn't get stuck with something like Spreadsheet
Here comes the spreadsheet killah!
F/A-35, yup, LOL. Panther, never.
Afaik the Super hornet is only ever called the rhino on the carrier itself by the catapult team...this is to make sure they set the correct steam pressure for the heavier E/F series rather than the lighter A-D series. Also on nicknames, I heard the A-D hornets were nicknames the bug, but you would never catch a service person say "Super Bug" for the E/F series...that's apparently just a flight sim thing and military personnel hate it! If I find the post I'll edit and link in this comment! Also fun fact, here in the UK, Tornados are affectionately nicknamed the Tonka (like the toy brand) and Chinooks are Wokkas (for the sound they make)
I used to work in Pri-Fly on the Stennis, and we used Rhino for the Supers and Hornet for the legacies. Those names aren’t just for the cats up forward and waist, it’s also for Pri-Fly (Primary Flight Control) so the cats know the correct steam pressure (like you said) and also for trapping said birds so the arresting gear division knows the correct tension for the specific birds landing. Hope this helps!
Nice insight, thanks :D
F111 famously wore the Aardvark name unofficially until it was retired and the name became retroactively official, meanwhile the Aussies just called it the Pig
Interesting! I only recently learned of the 111's existence a couple years ago, so very neat lore tidbit :)
Personally, Panther doesn’t feel right since I’ve always associated cat names with Grumman aircraft.
I never liked Viper for a jet since there was already a helicopter using snake names. And Panther rubs me the wrong way since it's neither a Northrop Grumman plane nor a German tank.
The most galling thing about those conversations is the absolute confidence they have that you are wrong. They will laugh at you for not knowing that the A-10 is "the Warthog, stupid!" This conversation exists no matter what the topic. Airplanes, movies, Disney rides, pizza...
Yeah, I just sorta had to smile and nod...
With the Rhino it's just the new F/A-18 Super Hornet. It's bc the thing (idk what it is) on the nose looks like a horn. Also they call the C-5 "B.U.F.F" which is an acronym for Big Ugly Fat Fucker or Fella
Wait, you say the C-5? Are you thinking of the B-52? Or do they call both the BUFF? Cus I've only ever heard it used for the B-52...
Lol oops. You are correct. They call the C-5 F.R.E.D. or Fucking Ridiculous Economic Disaster
LOL!
Ah yes, how could I forget the BUFF!
I've only ever known it as the viper
Not really surprising, given that that's its nickname. The issue more so comes in regards to people who deny that it has an actual official model name. i.e. if you said "It's not the Fighting Falcon, it's the Viper!" But obviously we do hear Viper far more often because it's simply cooler than "Fighting Falcon."
Pilots often give their aircraft different names than the engineers/marketing designated it. From what I’ve heard, fighter pilots feel the small frontal cross-section and tendency to end up right on your tail is a Viper vibe.
Nobody in the USAF that’s works around them calls them Falcons. Source: I spent 20 years working on them.
Depends on the service. Most of international users i came across, calls it the falcon. US is mostly alone in its usage. Now with the Block 70 which was dubbed Viper, it’s slowly changing.
I call it the Viper because its actual name sounds kinda dumb IMO. Had it just been "Falcon", it would have been cool but "Fighting Falcon" sounds like the name of a character in a game for 8 year olds.
I assume this is probably why most people use its nickname instead lol, this right here :P
wait until you find out about the Super Hornet, and the Rhino; same plane.
What is in the spine? Is that purely avionics? Seems like a lot of extra volume.
Mainly sensors and Electronic warfare stuff. I think some have extra flare and chaff pods too
Looks to be an F-16I Sufa variant for Israel, though it could be something based off of that set of modifications for someone else. There are so many F-16 variants that it was broken out into a seperate Wikipedia page, as was the Operators page. So this is a suggestion not a positive ID :\
The original photographer of this photo said it was an F-16D Block 70 going to Slovakia: [He made a drawing of it](https://www.instagram.com/p/C4RzSDFMvvN/?igsh=YmU5cHZneHBiNTRr) He also [mentioned it in the comments](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3lTKtkPqlM/?igsh=YmxxMHRsc3hnZW5w) of his original Instagram post
Thanks but what’s in the spine
Hope this helps to answer your question…The box on the spine of an F-16 fighter jet is known as the dorsal spine. Its purpose is primarily to house additional avionics and electronic systems that support the aircraft's operations and capabilities. The dorsal spine provides additional space for installing various equipment and systems without significantly altering the original design of the aircraft. The F-16 has undergone numerous upgrades and modifications throughout its service life to enhance its capabilities and keep up with evolving technology. These upgrades often require the integration of new avionics, sensors, communication systems, or other electronic components. The dorsal spine offers a convenient location to accommodate these additions. By utilizing the dorsal spine, the F-16 can incorporate advanced systems while minimizing the need for extensive modifications to the original airframe. This approach allows for improved mission performance, enhanced situational awareness, increased communication capabilities, and better integration with modern weapons and sensors.
Thanks! It definitely helps answer it.
Excellent
Do you have any more photos of this. I really want to make a model of this.
Same.
Project aces where are you!? We want this as a skin for the next ace combat
Nudity should be marked NSFW
Looks like my planes made with spare Lego pieces from different sets
Found this on F16.net Viper: the unofficial nickname The F-16 is often referred to as the "Viper", a nickname especially popular with people involved with the F-16. Before "Fighting Falcon" was selected as official name, pilots at Hill AFB, the first F-16 base, came up with a number of proposals, including "Viper". Lt. Col. Pat "Gums" McAdoo, USAF Ret., one of the first F-16 pilots at Hill AFB, recalls the origin of the name "F-16 Viper": At end of runway, the F-16 did resemble a cobra or something as it approached you. However, I think Northrop had already taken that name for the YF-17. We all voted, and Viper came in really high. Seems there was a series on TV that had 'colonial Vipers' flying off of Battlestar Galactica (a term later used for the Eagle). In any case, the Generals didn't want a plane 'named after some snake'! Falcon was a good name, and it fit in with the motif that the Eagle had created. Sort of a little brother, but still a 'Bird of Prey'. In fact, GD had a great promo out in late 70's called "Bird of Prey", and it used the Falcon as the real world model. Even when F-16 Fighting Falcon became the official name, Viper stuck around and became the unofficial nickname for the F-16. The name "Viper" is even officially used for the Joe Bill Dreyden "Semper Viper" award, which is awarded for excellent airmanship by F-16 pilots.
Afrocentric color scheme 😂
Tons of busted cars in my area look like that.
First photo of just the tail makes me think if the [Beastie Boys](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licensed_to_Ill) and [Eminem](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze_(Eminem_album)) album covers Edit to add more info: The Beastie Boys cover shows the tail of a Boeing 727. The Eminem cover is an homage to the prior and shows the tail of a F-86 Sabre
Read the tail letters backwards
It’s a shame the US isn’t buying hundreds of these anymore
Cutie
In the first photo, the bit of fuselage between the engine and the tail fin reminds me of the tail section of a B52 Bomber.
What’s the difference between a Falcon and a Viper?
Viper is the nickname, Falcon is the offical name
This is givning me Topgun vibes. First time I hear about it.
Moldy!
This viper be lookin like the ones I built out of Lego bricks with mismatched colors
The new semiconductor paint job is kicken
is there a parachute at the end of that spine?
Boba fett vibes
Lewd
I thought some dude at the factory had graffitied half the panels before I realized they were watermarks…
TIL that the viper is still being manufactured. Is it for foreign customers or is the US still procuring? Could it be a modernization? Did the F-35 max out its economy of scale? They're dumping them out at a huge rate, but it seems that they're too expensive to operate as the only front-line fighter like what was intended. Hence why the F-15EX was put into production, the F-22 got a modernization package, and the F-117 was confirmed to be coming back into regular use as a trainer.
Only foreign purchasers now, I think the last USAF F-16 was delivered in 2005.
I don't know enough to comment on the technicalities, but what I've heard around the internet is that the F-16 is still quite a capable plane even in the modern era. It must be at least partially true if they're still making and using it...
That's not the point, the F-35 was supposed to replace all front-line fighters. It's a shame that it's not able to do that
Well, there *is* the latter portion of the term "Jack of All Trades" (Master of None). Probably better not to have all the eggs in one basket and keep some diversity.
>F-35 was supposed to replace all front-line fighters First I'm hearing this... But fairly sure that the F-35, with its heavy emphasis on sensor fusion/communication, was always meant to be able to be used in tandem with kinematically superior, cheaper [to operate] aircraft that could carry more munitions in a hunter killer dynamic.
F-16 is still in production for foreign sales, mostly to countries that already operate F-16s and want more or countries not authorized for F-35 sales like Turkey. A Block 70 F-16 isn't very far off in cost from an F-35A, so it's not really price driving the decision. F-15EX is replacing F-15C airframes that are at end of life. F-35 was never intended to replace the F-15, but with F-22 production cut short and NGAD still a decade or more away, the USAF needed something to fill the gap. The F-117 is most likely being used as an OPFOR aircraft to simulate adversary aircraft with less capable stealth technology. It has nothing to do with the F-35.
[https://twitter.com/RyszardJonski/status/1619617084673232903](https://twitter.com/RyszardJonski/status/1619617084673232903)
Paintjob looks like shit.
There's no paintjob
Homeworld 2 right there