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While the F-16XL prototypes are currently in storage at the Air Force Flight Center Museum at Edwards and on display at the Museum Air Park, they are still revered by aviation buffs.
The program was called the Lightweight Fighter Competition, or LWF, and the end result was not one, but two living legends in the world of fourth-generation fighter jets: the F-16 Fighting Falcon, known to her pilots and crew chiefs as “The Viper,” and the F-18 Hornet.
Even though it's set to retire in favor of the F-35, the F-16 has proved to be an agile fighter jet that evolved continuously over the last 50 years of service.
The fast and agile F-16 Fighting Falcon isn't just one of the top fighters it is also among the most cost-effective. Though it lacks the range and payload of the larger twin-engine F-15 Eagle, it also costs less than half – which is why the fourth-generation F-16 has been in use since the 1970s and will likely keep flying for many more years to come.
While the F-16XL never made it to service with the Air Force, it eventually found its way to NASA where it has participated in numerous aeronautical research projects over the years.