One such variant, the F-16XL, was developed as a potential replacement for the F-111 Aardvark but lost to the F-15E Strike Eagle in the USAF's Enhanced Tactical Fighter competition. -Although it ...

Summary and Key Points: The F-16XL was an advanced variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, designed with a delta wing and increased payload capacity, earning it the nickname "beast mode." ...

But there was one F-16 variant, a little-known experiment, that few would recognize: the F-16XL. Only two F-16XLs were ever made. In 1981, the fighter entered the Air Force’s Enhanced Tactical ...