Aircraft comparison
F-16 Fighting Falcon vs F-15 Eagle
Compare the specifications that meaningfully distinguish these two aircraft.
F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-15 Eagle
Manufacturer
General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin
McDonnell Douglas / Boeing
Role / type
Multirole fighter
Air-superiority fighter
First flight
January 20, 1974
July 27, 1972
Engines
1 × afterburning turbofan
2 × afterburning turbofans
Crew
1 or 2
1 or 2, by variant
Cruise speed
About 577 mph (929 km/h)
About 570 mph (917 km/h)
Maximum speed
Mach 2 class
Mach 2.5 class
Range
Ferry range over 2,000 nmi with external tanks
Combat radius varies; ferry range over 3,000 nmi with tanks
Length
49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
Wingspan
32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
Maximum takeoff weight
About 42,300 lb (19,187 kg)
About 68,000 lb (30,845 kg), variant dependent
Production
1973–present
1972–present (advanced derivatives)
Number built
More than 4,600
More than 1,700