Did you know there was an F-16 powered by the same type of…

Did you know there was an F-16 powered by the same type of engine as the F-104?

Short answer

Yes: the F-16/79, a downgraded export version of the F-16 fitted with the General Electric J79 turbojet, the same engine used in the F-104 and the F-4. The prototype, converted from a pre-production F-16A, flew on 29 October 1980, but no country ordered it.

Published: October 31, 2026 · Updated: October 31, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Did you know there was an F-16 powered by the same type of engine as the F-104?

F-104 right side view

An engine shared by several generations of jets

The General Electric J79 was the engine of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. The same turbojet also powered the B-58 Hustler, the F-4 Phantom II, the A-5 Vigilante and the IAI Kfir.

An F-16 with the F-104's engine

Among the projects that turned to this engine was a downgraded version of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, proposed as a low-cost fighter for the export market and fitted with a J79. The variant was designated the General Dynamics F-16/79. The engine installed was the General Electric J79 used in the F-4 and F-104 fighters. The conversion was carried out on a pre-production aircraft, F-16A FSD number 75-0752. That same aircraft had previously been modified as a Wild Weasel test bed. With the new powerplant it made its first flight on 29 October 1980.

A prototype without orders

The prototype flew, but the proposal found no customers. No country placed an order for the F-16/79. The aircraft is preserved on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas.