What is the difference with the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-16 Viper?

Question

I was reading something and it didn't say F-16 Fighting falcon like I always knew it as, it called it a Viper. Can anyone tell me anything about this??

Answer 1

Basically as Jim said.  The Air Force has its' own reasons for choosing specific names.....and often results in names that people IN the Air Force don't actually like or use (same for other services).  

That's why the A-10s and OA-10s are not called Thunderbolt IIs by anybody I've ever met.

UH-1s have been Hueys (even put on the pedals by Bell) and never Iroquois.  

F-35s will never be Lightning IIs.  

Answer 2

"Fighting Falcon" is the official name.  One that was always considered a little, well, over-the-top to put it politely.  It's also redolent of the Academy-which didn't make it any more popular (an Academy guy won the naming contest IIRC.)

Viper's more of a nickname, but is certainly more popular.

Other nicknames:

F117 Nighthawk = Stinkbug because it looks exactly like one

F111  none        = Aardvark due to the long nose. Became the official name 24 hours before it was withdrawn from service.

B1 Excalibur     = Bone for B-one

B52 Stratofortress = BUFF Big Ugly Fat F(*&

F4 Phantom      = Rhino.  Ugly and does its job through sheer brute force

Answer 3

The Electric Jet came out near the time of the TV show Battlestar Gallactica (original) and the fighters depicted in the show were called "colonial Vipers" and they were so well done, and looked so much fun to fly, that F-16 pilots started calling their planes "vipers" in lieu of the USAF version "fighting falcon" which is probably THE worst name ever hung on an airplane.

If you so much as mention, the unmentionable name in the O club, you are going to be buying rounds... and razzed into oblivion. Some planes survive their names.. the F-4 can be called a Phantom, because it was decent name... but you hear "double ugly" "rhino"  and others by those in the know.... but fighting falcon... it honestly creeps me out to even type that...  and is actually quite offensive to viper drivers.

Answer 4

They are the same thing. The USAF tends to name their aircraft after birds (Blackbird, Eagle, Fighting Falcon, etc). However a popular nickname for the F-16 is Viper.

Answer 5

It's the same aircraft. Known as both.

Answer 6

It is officially known as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it was nicknamed the Viper after after the Battlestar Galactica starfighter.