The U.S. Air Force General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon made its first appearance at Paris in 1975.

The YF-16 prototype, shown above, first flew a year earlier. It has proven itself in combat from the 1991 Persian Gulf War through the war in Afghanistan.

Today, the F-16 still performs a key role, holding the line while the new Fifth Generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II is phased into the fleet.