F-16 Fighting Falcon vs. AV-8B Harrier. Who wins?
Both are great designs but built for different missions. Who wins, in my opinion, would probably greatly depend on pilot ability especially to control the engagement, but I would give an edge to the Harrier. Its vectored thrust makes it extremely maneuverable and it would have a decided edge in a low-altitude environment. The Falcon is much faster and more capable at higher altitudes, and also has better cockpit visibility.
I would think in either fighter the gun would be the better weapon than missiles, simply because either could outmaneuver a missile if the pilot knew it was coming. The AIM-120 would probably be more effective than the AIM-9 but a good pilot should be able to evade either one.
F-16 carries an internal M61 20 mm Vulcan cannon. AV-8B would carry an external GAU-12 25 mm Equalizer cannon. Both could be highly effective in a dogfight, but both have limited ammunition supplies.
I think either pilot would find this dogfight to be a challenge. Surprise and a lucky first shot could carry the day.
The scenario would be a close-in dogfight, more than likely at medium to low altitude.
Lest people get the wrong idea, I actually like the F-16 better. It is a better all-purpose design.
But the Harrier has an advantage in addition to its VTOL capabilities, and it comes from the same technology--vectored thrust that gives it an ability to stop, rise vertically, fly backward or sideways and change position quickly. The Royal Navy used this to considerable advantage in the Falklands War in 1982.
The F-16s faster speed would be an advantage under some but not all circumstances. It should be noted that in Vietnam the MIG-17s racked up a surprising number of kills against the USAF's F-4s, decidedly faster and better armed fighters. Pilot skills and training were a huge factor.
The better USAF F-4 pilots and most Navy F-4 pilots could handle the MIG-17--it was still a challenge.
As I prepare to select a best answer to this question let me just add one or two things. First, I hope Harrier pilots get the opportunity to fly simulated combat against aircraft like the F-16. Honing skills against dissimilar aircraft has proven to be of very great value to combat pilots.
There are a number of very good answers to this question, and most bring up valid points. Missiles are effective, but typically the AV-8B and F-16 would carry two each, AIM-9 and AIM-120. Each pilot would get up to four missile shots, and one missile could bring the opponent down. The AMRAAM is the better of the two types, since it operates using a radar lock and the only way to evade it is to outmaneuver or outrun it. Most jet fighters could probably evade the AIM-9 fairly easily if the pilot knows it's coming.
The key to success in this match-up would be pilot ability and control of the engagement. If I'm in the F-16 I would try to draw the combat up to an altitude where I had the