Spitfire is a good counterexample. It was lanuched in 1996 or 1997 I believe and thus more then 10 years ago, but still, not need to be picky.

More convincingly is the inability of the Spitfire class to move beyond the UK and Nothern France regions. It is, in my personal opinion, very much a local class and not a world spannning class as the F16 indeed is.

The Spitfire class is probably the most serious competition to the F16 class, but isn't too succesful in a larger sense. The Spitfire class couldn't apply for official ISAF recognized status if it wanted too, the F16 class can.

Wouter