General Dynamics

REVISED: 8/23/08

General Dynamics

1954: General Dynamics Corp, Convair Div, formed on acquisition and mergers of Convair, Canadair, Electric Boat, and Electro-Dynamics, Fort Worth TX. 1955: General Atomic Div formed. 1961: Ft Worth Div formed. 1961: Pomona Div formed for Space Defense industry. 1967: General Atomic Div sold to Gulf Oil Corp. 1985: Space Systems Div formed from Convair space programs. 1985: Valley Systems Div formed for Space Defense programs. 1985: Cessna Co becomes wholly-owned subsidiary. 1991: Pomona Div & Valley Systems Div merge as Air Defense Systems Div. 1992: Cessna holdings sold to Textron Inc. 1992: Air Defense Systems Div sold to Hughes Co. 1993: Ft Worth Div Acquired by Lockheed-Martin. 1994: Convair Div Aircraft Structure unit sold to McDonnell Douglas. 1994: Space Systems Div sold to Martin-Marietta. 1996: Convair Div operations discontinued. 1999: Acquired Gulfstream Aerospace.

General Dynamics A-12 Mock-up (General Dynamics)
General Dynamics A-12 Artists concept (General Dynamics)

A-12 Avenger 2 (McDonnell-Douglas)- USN flying-wing advanced tactical attack aircraft of 1990. Intended as replacement for USN A-6 and USAF F-111, but program was cancelled. Mock-up only.

B-57 1963 = Contract major conversion of Martin RB-57A/B-57B as RB-57F, redesignated to WB-57F. 2pCmwM rg; two 18000# P&W TF33-P-11A turbofans + two auxiliary 3300# P&W J60-P-9 turbojets; span: 122'5" load: 26,700# length: 68'10" range: 4000 ceiling: 90,000'; ff: 6/23/63. POP: 17 [63-13286/13302], of which 3 to NASA/Johnson Space Center; additionally 4 Martin RB-57D were modified [63-13500/-13503].

B-58 SEE Convair B-58.

Charger 48 SEE Convair Charger.

General Dynamics F-16 Trio (General Dynamics)

F-16 Fighting Falcon aka A-16 - Multirole fighter-bomber. 1-2pCmwM rg; 23450# P&W F100P or GE F110 turbofan. "Blended body" concept for less drag and weight. Originally $20 million unit cost, rose to $80 million in production. External weapons payloads up to 15,200#. In service with many foreign countries (listed below with model suffixes and totals found only up to 1991). Became Lockheed F-16.

General Dynamics YF-16 [72-1567] (General Dynamics)

YF-16 1974 = ff: 1/20/74 (p: Neil Anderson). POP: 2 [72-1567/1568]; the first modified as YF-16A/CCV "Controlled Configuration Vehicle" with two small canard airfoils under the intake for lateral control; ff 1/21/74 briefly, but officially 2/2/74 after some modifications (p: Phil Oestricher).
General Dynamics F-16XL (USAF Museum)
General Dynamics F-16XL/B [NASA 848] (Carla Thomas/NASA)

YF-16A, -16B, -16XL 1976 = FSD "Full Scale Development" aircraft, won lightweight fighter competition over Northrop YF-17; span: 32'10" length: 49'4" load: 9000# v: 1320 range: 600 ceiling: 50,000'. POP: 6 forerunners of F-16A [75-0745/0750]. [-0745] modified as F-16/101 with GE F101, now on display at USAF Museum, marked as [79-0317]; [-0747] modified as F-16XL/B and [0749] modified as F-16XL/A, both with cranked-arrow wing, to NASA as [N848] and [N849] respectively; [-0748] now at USAF Academy museum. [-0750] modified as AFTI test bed.
YF-16B 1976 = POP: 2 [75-0751/0752]. [-0751] to Edwards AFB Museum; [-0752] later modified with GE J79 as F-16/79 Wild Weasel test-bed.
General Dynamics F-16A [80-531] (USAF Museum)

F-16A 1978 = 1p. POP: 674 for USAF by 1985 [78-1/76, 79-288/409, 80-474/622, 81-663/811, 82-900/1025, 83-1066/1117], plus exports: Egypt 39, Indonesia 8, Israel 67, Malaysia 6, Pakistan 39, Singapore 4, Thailand 16, Venezuela 18.
General Dynamics F-16B [76-103] (USAF Museum)

F-16B 1979 = 2p combat trainer. POP: 121 for USAF [78-77/115, 79-410/432, 80-623/638, 81-8120822, 82-1026/1049, 83-1166/1173], plus exports: Egypt 8, Israel 8, Indonesia 4, Malaysia 2, Pakistan 12, Venezuela 6, Thailand 4, Singapore 4. Also 24 license-built by SABCA Belgium and 16 by SABCA Denmark by 1989-91, and 36 by Fokker Netherlands and 14 by Fokker Norway by 1989.
General Dynamics F-16C [85-1430]
General Dynamics F-16CJ brace of Wild Weasels (Katsuhiko Tokunaga/USAF)

F-16C (Lockheed)1984 = 1p all-weather versions with 25000# F100 or F110-GE-100; span: 31'0" length: 47'8" range: 800. Electronics upgrade. POP: 623 for USAF by 1988, plus NATO exports: Bahrein 8, Egypt 68, Greece 34, Israel 52+, South Korea 60, Turkey (TUSAS-built under license) 136.
F-16D 1984 = 2p with improved electronics. POP: 88 for USAF by 1988 [83-1174/1185, 84-1319/1331, -1396/1397, 85-1506/1517, 86-0039/0053, 87-0363/0396] and subsequent contracts, plus NATO exports: Bahrein 4, Egypt 12, Greece 6, Israel 24+, South Korea 12, Turkey (TUSAS-built under license) 24.
F-16E 1982 = Redesignation from F-16XL.
F-16G - Recon originally ordered by Greece, but cancelled.
F-16N, TF-16N 1987 = USN adversary training version of F-16D. POP: 22 [163268/163277, 162566/163577], plus 4 two-seat TF-16N [163278/163281].
F-16R, RF-16 1986 = Photo-recon version. POP: 250 conversions of F-16D scheduled in 1988.
General Dynamics F-16XL
F-16XL Jacket Patch

F-16XL 1982 = Converted YF-16A with cranked-arrow wing, double the area of the standard F-16, to increase fuel capacity and provide supersonic cruise capability; 25000# P&W F100-PW-200; span: 34'3" length: 54'2" v: Mach 2; ff: 7/3/82. POP: 1 F-16XL/A single-seat [75-0749] and 1 F-16XL/B two-seat [75-0747]; redesignated as F-16E.

F-22 Raptor - Advanced Tactical Fighter design program with Boeing and Lockheed. SEE Lockheed F-22.

F-102 SEE Convair F- 102.

F-111, TFX - Variable-wing, supersonic strike fighter-bomber and recon. Contracted by USN as TFX (Tactical Fighter Experimental) fleet-defense fighter, but rejected when it proved to be too heavy for carrier use, as well as lacking pilot approach-visibility and suffering pre-production gear problems (not to mention reluctance about using as a defensive fighter what was considered to be a USAF bomber). Production was subcontracted to Grumman, and elements of the design and engineering went into Grumman F-14.

General Dynamics F-111A [63-9773] (USAF Museum)

F-111A 1964 = 2pCmwM rg; two 25100# P&W TF30-P turbofans; span: (spread) 63'0 (swept) 32'0" length: 73'6" v: 1650/865/x range: 3300 ceiling: 60,000'; ff: 12/x/64. POP: 159, of which 2 to NASA in 1974 for wing-design experiments [63-9777/9778].
FB-111A 1967 = Two 20350# TF30-P-12; span: (spread) 70'0 (swept) 34'0" length: 75'6" load: 63,165# v: 1453 range (unrefueled): 4786 ceiling: 50,260'; ff (prototype): 7/30/967 ff (production): 7/13/68. Larger interim replacement for SAC B-52 and B-58; increased fuel and ordnance, nuclear capability. POP: 1 prototype converted from F-111A [63-9783] and 76 production models [67-0159/0163, -7192/7196, 68-0239/0292, -6503/6514].
EF-111A Raven (Grumman) 1975 = Electronics countermeasuers with radar suppressor and target locator; electronic pod on top fin, canoe-shaped belly radar pod; span: (spread) 63'0" (swept) 38'2" length: 76'0" load: 14,725# v: 1377/575/x ceiling: 45,000' ff: 12/15/75. POP: 42 remanufactures of F-111 airframes [66-0013/0016, -0018/0021, -0023, -0026/0028, -0030/0031, -0033, -0035/0039, -0041, -0044, -0046/0051, -0055/0057].
RF-111A 1967 = Tactical recon version. POP: 1 converted F-111A [63-9776].
General Dynamics F-111B [151970] (General Dynamics)

F-111B Aardvark (Grumman) 1965 = Medium-range, low-level, nuclear-capable bomber as interim between B-58 and B-1. Production in 1968. Two 20250# P&W TF30-P; span: (spread) 70'0" (swept) 33'9" length: 66'7" load: 33,408# v: 1451/483/x range (unrefueled): 3180 ceiling: 44,900'; ff: 5/18/65. POP: 76 to USAF [67-0159/0163, -7192/7196, 68-0239/0292, 69-6503/6514], and 7 to USN [151970/151974, 152714/152715], most of which either crashed or were scrapped (contracts for 21 more were cancelled in favor of F-14).
F-111C 1968 = POP: 24 to RAAF.
F-111D 1970 = Improved electronics, engine mods. POP: 96 [68-0085/0180].
F-111E 197? = Inertial navigation system. POP: 94 [67-0115/0124, 68-0001/0084].
General Dynamics F-111F (MSgt Dave Nolan/USAF)

F-111F 1971 = Airframe and electronics improvements, advanced targeting system. POP 106 [70-2362/2419, 71-0883/0894, 72-1441/1452, 73-0707/0718, 74-0177/0188].
F-111G 1989 = FB-111A modified for conventional tactical weapons. POP: 51 ordered for Tactical Air Command.
F-111K 1989 = Export strike-recon version ordered by RAF, but cancelled and assigned to USAF. POP: 46 [67-0153/0158, 68-0181/0210, -0229/0238]; 4 more ordered as TF-111K, but not built.