The F-16 is able to fly at twice the speed of sound. It is armed with a M61 Vulcan cannon and has eleven places where weapons or other equipment can be attached. It was the first production combat airplane to be designed with relaxed stability and fly-by-wire controls to make it highly agile in the air. Its designers also used many other new ideas such as a bubble canopy to help the pilot see better and a control stick on the side of the cockpit to make it easier to steer during tight turns and high g-forces.