"Block 60" F-16E Desert Falcon (Unusual Aircraft Collection)

First flying in 1974, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been a phenomenal success, going beyond its original brief as a daytime fighter to become a true multirole aircraft equally as capable doing ground attack and air-to-air combat.   It now operates with about 25 air forces around the world, and comes in a variety of configurations, including two-seater models.   It has taken part in many military operations and shot down a wide variety of other aircraft in combat.

Since production began in 1976, more than 4400 F-16s have been built, but this is one of the most unusual versions.   It's the latest "block 60" F-16E Fighting Falcon, fitted with unusual conformal fuel tanks along the sides of the fuselage in order to increase range.   It also has a better radar and electronics than previous models, which means that it's superior to F-16s operated by the US Air Force, which took delivery of its last Fighting Falcon in 2005.   This F-16E was on display at the Holloman Air Force Base airshow later that same year, it's operated by the United Arab Emirates, and is sometimes unofficially called the "Desert Falcon".