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Timeless Design

The F-16 design has been called timeless for several reasons. First, it was well ahead of its time in areas such as structures, aerodynamics, flight control, avionics integration, and cockpit features, most of which are becoming standard in today's 'new' fighter designs.

The F-16 has demonstrated 'design elasticity' - an ability to incorporate new systems as technology has become available - such as in radars, engines, cockpit displays, avionics, and electronic warfare systems. more powerful than its state-of-the-art equipment in the late 70s; and this exponential growth is continuing. weapons, mostly with just software changes to the aircraft's digital computers.

Control

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.

Canopy

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.

Avionics

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.

 

F-16 Flight Check List

01. JET FUEL STARTER switch - START 2
02. THROTTLE - Advance to IDLE at either 20 % rpm min or max motoring rpm
03. SEC CAUTION LIGHT - Off.
04. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT - OFF (approx. 60 % rpm.)

Once at idle check:
05. JET FUEL STARTER - Confirm OFF.
06. HYD/OIL Pressure warning light - OFF
07. FUEL FLOW - 700 - 1700 pph.
08. OIL PRESSURE - 15 psi (min.)
09. NOZ POS - Greater than 94 %.
10. RPM - 62 - 80 %.
11. FTIT - 650 deg C or less
12 HYD PRESSURE A & B - 2850 - 3250 psi
13. Six fuel pump lights ON
14. MAIN FUEL SHUTOFF valve (ground crew) - Check
15. Jet Fuel Starter Doors (ground crew) - Verify Closed
16. Throttle Cutoff Release - Check

After Engine Start:
01. TEST switch panel - Check
    a. PROBE HEAT switch - Probe Heat
    b. PROBE HEAT switch - TEST
    c. PROBE HEAT switch - OFF
    d. FIRE & OVERHEAT DETECT button - Test
    e. OXYGEN QTY test switch - Test and check
    f. MAL & IND LTS button - Test
02. AVIONICS POWER panel - Set:
    a. FCC Switch - FCC
    b. SMS Switch - SMS
    c. MFD Switch - MFD
    d. UFC (Upfront Controls) Switch - UFC
03. INS - Align.
04. Sensor Power Management panel
    a. LEFT HDPT switch - As required
    b. RIGHT HDPT switch - As required
    c. FCR switch - FCR
    d. RDR ALT switch - RDR ALT
05. HUD - As desired
06. CNI Knob - UFC
07. MFL - Clear
08. (PW220) SEC - Check after the engine has run at idle for at least 30 secs
09. (GE100) SEC - May be delayed until the Before Takeoff check
10. Flight Controls - Cycle
11. FLCS Self-Test - Initiate and Monitor (See below:)
12. ECM Knobs - As required
13. SPEED BRAKE switch - Cycle
14. TWS - As desired
15. WHEELS DOWN LIGHTS - Three Green.
16. SAI - Set
17. FUEL QTY SEL knob - Check
18. EPU FUEL QUANTITY - 95 - 102 %
19. Avionics - Program as req'd and verify (manual or data transfer cartridge)
20. MFD's - As desired
21. VHF Radio - as desired. After FLCS self-test completed:
22. TRIM - Check
23. (D) FLCS Override - Check
24. MPO - Check
25. Operate controls - All surfaces respond normally; no FLCS lights ON
26. AIR REFUELING System (if req'd) - Check
27. BRAKES - Check both channels; then return to CHAN 1
28. ANTI-ICE - Check
29. EPU GEN and EPU PMG lights - Confirm OFF
30. Ground safety pins (ground crew) - Remove
31. Intercomm (ground crew) - Disconnect
32. Avionic BIT's - As desired
33. SEAT - Adjust to design eye

Before Taxi:
01. Canopy - Close and Lock
02. Have Quick RADIO - Set and check (if req'd)
03. ALTIMETER and Altitude indications - Set and check
04. EXRERIOR LIGHTS - As req'd
05. INS Knob - NAV
06. Chocks (ground crew) - Remove

Taxi:
01. Brakes and NWS - Check
02. Heading - Check
03. Flight Instruments - Check for proper operation

Before takeoff:
01. ALT FLAPS switch - NORM
02. TRIM - Check pitch and yaw trim centered and roll trim as req'd
03. (C) (DF) ENG CONT switch PRI
04. (DR) ENG CONT switch NORM (guard down)
05. Speedbrakes - Closed
06. Canopy - Close, lock, light OFF
07. IFF - Set and check
08. External Tanks (if installed) - Verify Feeding
09. STORES CONFIG switch - As req'd
10. GND JETT ENABLE switch - As req'd
11. Harness, Leads and Anti-G system - Check
12. EPU - Check
13. PROBE HEAT switch - Probe Heat
14. Ejection Safety Lever - Arm (down)
15. Flight Controls - Cycle
16. Oil Pressure - Check psi
17. All warning and CAUTION Lights - Check
18. Adjustable Sliding Holder (when utility light is not in use) - (C) DF Full forward, rotated cw, and secured

After landing:
01. PROBE HEAT switch - OFF
02. ECM power - OFF
03. Speedbrakes - Close
04. Ejection Safety Lever - Safe (up.)
05. IFF MASTER Knob - STBY.
06. IFF M-4 CODE switch - HOLD
07. LANDING TAXI LIGHTS - As req'd
08. MASTER ZEROIZE switch - As req'd
09. CANOPY HANDLE - Up
10. Armament Switches - OFF, Safe, or Normal

Prior to engine shutdown:
01. EPU Safety Pin (ground crew) - IN
02. INS - Check
03. MFL - Record (As req'd)
04. AUDIO-VISUAL TAPE RECORDER POWER switch - OFF
05. CNI Knob - BACKUP
06. TWS switches - OFF
07. INS knob - OFF
08. PROBE HEAT switch - PROBE HEAT and then OFF to allow check of heaters after shutdown
09. AVIONICS - OFF

Engine Shutdown:
01. THROTTLE - OFF

After main generator drops off line:
02. EPU GEN and EPU PMG lights - Confirm OFF
03. MAIN PWR switch - OFF
04. OXYGEN HOSE / Survival Kit Straps / LAPBELT / G-SUIT HOSE / Vest Hose - Disconnect / stow.
05. Canopy - Open

 

Fuel Tanks
Fuel Control and Fuel Quantity Selector and Fuel Flow Indicator.

The Name

The U.S. Air Force officially named the F-16 "Fighting Falcon" on July 21st, 1980, during a ceremony at Hill AFB in Utah.

Four year earlier, the Department of the Air Force had organized a "Name-the-Plane Contest". The winning entry was submitted by TSgt. Joseph A. Kurdell, the Photo Sensor Shop Supervisor for the 1st TFW A&E sqn. TSgt.

Joseph Kurdell explains where he got the inspiration for the name:

"Prior to being stationed at MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida and after a short tour in Korea, I was teaching at the Photographic Engineering School at Lowery Air Force Base in Colorado.

Being in the vicinity of the Air Force Academy, my family and I used to visit there quite often especially during their football seasons. As you probably know the Falcon (the bird species) is the school mascot, so this is where I got the idea from when given the opportunity to name an aircraft."

The Flightstick

The F-16 was the first aircraft that had the Flight Stick on the right side instead of between the pilot's legs. This allows easier controlling during high Gs and also keeps more free space to host important displays in front of the pilot.

The Weapons

The aircraft has nine hardpoints for weapons payloads: one at each wing tip, three under each wing and one centreline under the fuselage. The ordnance is launched from Raytheon LAU-88 launchers, MAU-12 and Orgen bomb ejector racks. The port wing is fitted with a 20mm General Electric M61A1 multi-barrel cannon and the gunsight is interfaced to the cockpit HUD.

Air-to-air missiles that have been carried on the F-16 include the Lockheed Martin/Raytheon Sidewinder, Raytheon AMRAAM, Raytheon Sparrow, MBDA (formerly Matra BAe Dynamics) Skyflash and ASRAAM, and the MBDA R550 Magic 2.

Air-to-surface missiles carried on the F-16 include Maverick, HARM and Shrike missiles, manufactured by Raytheon, and anti-ship missiles include Boeing Harpoon and Kongsberg Penguin.

The Engine

The aircraft is powered by a single engine: the General Electric F110-GE-129 or Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229. The fuel supply is equipped with an inert gas anti-fire system. An inflight refuelling probe is installed in the top of the fuselage.

The Ejection Seat

The ACES II
( Advanced Concept Ejection Seat ) is considered a smart seat since it senses the conditions of the ejection and selects the proper deployment of the drogue and main parachutes to minimize the forces on the occupant. The seat is a derivative of the Douglas Escapac seat.

Removal from the aircraft is by a three part pyrotechnic sequence. A gun catapult provides the initial removal of the seat from the aircraft. A rocket sustainer provides zero/zero capability to the seat. To prevent the seat from tumbling when the aircraft is in a roll maneuver or there is a center of gravity imbalance, another (smaller) rocket called a STAPAC is attached to a gyroscope. This senses the motion and attempts to keep the seat from spinning by automaticly providing a correcting force.