Aircraft | F-16 "Fighting Falcon"(Lockheed Martin Corp.) | |
Type | Multirole fighter | |
Year | 1979 (f-16A) | |
Engine | one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or General Electric F110-GE-100/129 :27,000 (12,150 kilograms) pounds of thrust each engine | |
Wingspan | 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters) | |
Length | 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters) | |
Height | 16 feet (4.8 meters) | |
Weight | MTOW 37,500 pounds (16,875 kilograms) | |
Max. speed | 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude) | |
Range | More than 2,000 miles ferry range (1,740 nautical miles) | |
Crew | F-16C: one; F-16D: one or two | |
Armament | One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel
cannon:500 rounds
external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles conventional air-to-air air-to-surface munitions electronic countermeasure pods |
In designing the F-16, advanced aerospace science and proven reliable
systems from other aircraft such as the F-15 and F-111 were selected. These
were combined to simplify the airplane and reduce its size, purchase price,
maintenance costs and weight. The light weight of the fuselage is achieved
without reducing its strength. With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16
can withstand up to nine G's -- nine times the force of gravity -- which
exceeds the capability of other current fighter aircraft.
The cockpit and its bubble canopy give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear. The seat-back angle was expanded from the usual 13 degrees to 30 degrees, increasing pilot comfort and gravity force tolerance. The pilot has excellent flight control of the F-16 through its "fly-by-wire" system. Electrical wires relay commands, replacing the usual cables and linkage controls. For easy and accurate control of the aircraft during high G-force combat maneuvers, a side stick controller is used instead of the conventional center-mounted stick. Hand pressure on the side stick controller sends electrical signals to actuators of flight control surfaces such as ailerons and rudder.
Avionics systems include a highly accurate inertial navigation system
in which a computer provides steering information to the pilot. The plane
has UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landing system. It also has a
warning system and modular countermeasure pods to be used against airborne
or surface electronic threats. The fuselage has space for additional avionics
systems.
The F-16B, a two-seat model, has tandem cockpits that are about the
same size as the one in the A model. Its bubble canopy extends to cover
the second cockpit. To make room for the second cockpit, the forward fuselage
fuel tank and avionics growth space were reduced. During training, the
forward cockpit is used by a student pilot with an instructor pilot in
the rear cockpit.
All F-16s delivered since November 1981 have built-in structural and
wiring provisions and systems architecture that permit expansion of the
multirole flexibility to perform precision strike, night attack and beyond-visual-range
interception missions. This improvement program led to the F-16C and F-16D
aircraft, which are the single- and two-place counterparts to the F-16A/B,
and incorporate the latest cockpit control and display technology. All
active units and many Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units have
converted to the F-16C/D.
The F-16 is being built under an unusual agreement creating a consortium
between the United States and four NATO countries: Belgium, Denmark, the
Netherlands and Norway. These countries jointly produced with the United
States an initial 348 F-16s for their air forces. Final airframe assembly
lines were located in Belgium and the Netherlands. The consortium's F-16s
are assembled from components manufactured in all five countries. Belgium
also provides final assembly of the F100 engine used in the European F-16s.
The long-term benefits of this program will be technology transfer among
the nations producing the F-16, and a common-use aircraft for NATO nations.
This program increases the supply and availability of repair parts in Europe
and improves the F-16's combat readiness.
USAF F-16 multi-mission fighters were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm, where more sorties were flown than with any other aircraft. These fighters were used to attack airfields, military production facilities, Scud missiles sites and a variety of other targets.
Source-United States Air Force