Was the F-16XL the perfect fighter jet design in the 1980s?

Previously we looked at the F-15 ACTIVE, an experimental program which set out to produce a workable thrust vectoring variant of the F-15B. The success of the ACTIVE program helped pave the way for future thrust vectoring technology. Beyond the F-15 ACTIVE program, there were many other large scale modification projects undertaken during this same period. Today, we take a look at one of the most promising jet fighter programs that never got off the ground – the F-16XL

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