Windjammer
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Good study of JHMCS used by PAF F-16 Pilots.
Pakistan F-16 Discussions 2
- Thread starter ejaz007
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Hassan Guy
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It's up to the PAF, If they plan on obtaining more advanced F-16 variants or dropping the platform all together for another one
Main operators like Israel and Turkey are phasing them out.
Even operators like Portugal and Jordan are trying to sell them off.
Main operators like Israel and Turkey are phasing them out.
Even operators like Portugal and Jordan are trying to sell them off.
khanasifm
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"Main operators like Israel and Turkey are phasing them out."
Not sure then why turkey and USAF still flying them and still upgrading, it will be another two decade before they are completely replaced. Turkey and Greece still fly F4s
Not sure then why turkey and USAF still flying them and still upgrading, it will be another two decade before they are completely replaced. Turkey and Greece still fly F4s
Hassan Guy
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They may still remain in service in small numbers but NOT frontline fighters. They only use the F-4 as an interceptor. Pakistan uses the F-7 as an interceptor but not as a frontline fighter.
khanasifm
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So the integration of ASEL pod and bunker buster on F4 by turkey in last few yeas was just waste of time and money
Absolute BS. The F-7 is now used less and less in interception and more evolved roles such as embedded escort for CAS , CAS and even FAC.
Naif al Hilali
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Bismillah ir Rahman ar Raheem
I have been working on an analysis of ferry and combat ranges for active fighter aircraft. The conclusion will seem to be that (except for a couple of outliers) these figures are mostly similar for most modern combat fighters/attack aircraft. Not surprising considering that, no matter from what country the planes originate, they are usually designed to broadly similar payload/performance/range requirements.
Well, the F-16 portion was completed recently and the JF-17 part is awaiting a third revision (other aircraft have had their data analyzed but not written down yet). If there are no objections, I would like to post the F-16 chapter's calculation results here.
I started with the F-16 because it's charts are widely available and can be checked online. So, it will perform a baseline for assumptions to be made when data are not fully available for other aircraft.
No classified information will be presented in the analysis and (for the sake of alarm-raisers) any country that might be interested in the figures will have more accurate data and much more (tactics and capabilities) already made available to them by the manufacturer. The F-16 has been demoed to just about everybody including India.
The figures have all been rounded after calculations to make them more readable (and the roundoffs adjusted, for the nitpickers, so that they add up and/or are consistent).
First up, for today, the Ferry Range calculations for the F-16 (any mistake corrections will be appreciated):
---
F-16A Block 15 Ferry Range (16,300 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight):
Internal Fuel Only
24,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
7,000 pounds [3,900 liters] usable fuel
- 400 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 500 pounds climbout to 40,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 30 nautical miles
- 5,100 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,230 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,260 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 5,800 pounds fuel for 960 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank
26,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
9,000 pounds [5,000 liters] usable fuel
- 400 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 40,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 6,900 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,520 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,560 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 7,800 pounds fuel for 1,280 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
30,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 38,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 9,700 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,870 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,920 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 10,800 pounds fuel for 1,660 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
33,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 36,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 60 nautical miles
- 11,700 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,080 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,140 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 12,800 pounds fuel for 1,880 nautical miles range)
General Dynamics Stated Range for F-16A: 2,100+ nautical miles
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 600 Gallon Drop Tanks
36,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
17,000 pounds [9,500 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 34,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 14,500 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,500 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,550 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 15,800 pounds fuel for 2,300 nautical miles range)
---
F-16AM Mid-Life Update [MLU] Ferry Range (@ 18,000 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight):
Somewhere Halfway Between F-16 Block 15 and Block 50/52
---
F-16C Block 50/52 Ferry Range (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight):
Internal Fuel Only
27,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
7,000 pounds [3,900 liters] usable fuel
- 400 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 600 pounds climbout to 38,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 5,000 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,110 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,150 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 5,800 pounds fuel for 800 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank
30,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
9,000 pounds [5,000 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 37,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 6,800 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,360 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,400 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 7,800 pounds fuel for 1,150 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
34,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 35,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 9,800 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,660 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,700 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 10,800 pounds fuel for 1,450 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
36,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 34,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 60 nautical miles
- 11,500 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,840 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,900 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 11,800 pounds fuel for 1,700 nautical miles range)
USAF Stated Range for F-16C/D: 1,740+ nautical miles
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 600 Gallon Drop Tanks
39,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
17,000 pounds [9,500 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 32,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 14,500 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,260 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,300 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 15,800 pounds fuel for 2,100 nautical miles range)
---
F-16C Block 50/52 Ferry Range (21,000 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight w/Conformal Fuel Tanks [CFTs] installed):
Internal Fuel Only
31,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
10,000 pounds [5,600 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 600 pounds climbout to 35,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 30 nautical miles
- 7,900 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,590 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,620 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 8,800 pounds fuel for 1,340 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank
34,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 35,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 9,800 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,780 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,820 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 10,800 pounds fuel for 1,580 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
38,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
15,000 pounds [8,400 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 34,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 12,600 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,830 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,120 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 13,800 pounds fuel for 1,880 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
40,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
17,000 pounds [9,500 liters] usable fuel
- 700 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 32,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 14,400 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,230 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,280 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 15,800 pounds fuel for 2,040 nautical miles range)
Locheed Martin Stated Range for F-16C with CFTs: 2,280 nautical miles
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 600 Gallon Drop Tanks
43,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
20,000 pounds [11,200 liters] usable fuel
- 700 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 1,000 pounds climbout to 29,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 17,300 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,570 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,620 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 18,800 pounds fuel for 2,380 nautical miles range)
---
Notes:
1. Takeoff and Climbout in Military (Dry) power from 2,000 feet altitude at 40 Celsius temperature OR 8,000 Feet at 20 Celsius.
2. Warmer than standard temperatures at cruising altitude may reduce ferry range by 1-5% for some portions of flight.
3. Afterburner (A/B) assisted takeoffs require additional 400-700 pounds fuel reducing ferry range by @ 100 nautical miles. In practice, afterburners are likely to be used when carrying more than just a Centerline Drop Tank, in order to shorten takeoff distances.
4. Not being able to cruise at optimum altitudes/airspeeds for some portions of flight may reduce ferry range by 50-200 nautical miles.
5. Headwinds encountered during some portions of flight may reduce ferry range by 50-300 nautical miles.
6. Extra Stores such as Cargo Pods, Navigation Pods, and Missiles will reduce ferry range by 100-200 nautical miles.
---
Units:
One Nautical Mile [nm.] = 6080 Feet [ft.] = 1.15 Statute Miles [mi.] = @ 1.85 Kilometers [km.]
One Pound [lb.] = @ 0.4535 Kilograms [kg.]; One Kilogram = 2.205 Pounds
1,000 Pound-Force [lbf.] Thrust = @ 4,450 Newtons = 4.45 Kilo-Newtons [kN.] Thrust
Kilograms are units of mass and the term Kilogram-Force [kgf.] is meaningless.
One US Gallon = 3.785 Liters = @ 6.84 pounds JP-8 fuel; One Imperial Gallon = 4.54 Liters; One Liter = @ 0.82 Kilogram JP-8 fuel
---
Allah keep everyone safe
I have been working on an analysis of ferry and combat ranges for active fighter aircraft. The conclusion will seem to be that (except for a couple of outliers) these figures are mostly similar for most modern combat fighters/attack aircraft. Not surprising considering that, no matter from what country the planes originate, they are usually designed to broadly similar payload/performance/range requirements.
Well, the F-16 portion was completed recently and the JF-17 part is awaiting a third revision (other aircraft have had their data analyzed but not written down yet). If there are no objections, I would like to post the F-16 chapter's calculation results here.
I started with the F-16 because it's charts are widely available and can be checked online. So, it will perform a baseline for assumptions to be made when data are not fully available for other aircraft.
No classified information will be presented in the analysis and (for the sake of alarm-raisers) any country that might be interested in the figures will have more accurate data and much more (tactics and capabilities) already made available to them by the manufacturer. The F-16 has been demoed to just about everybody including India.
The figures have all been rounded after calculations to make them more readable (and the roundoffs adjusted, for the nitpickers, so that they add up and/or are consistent).
First up, for today, the Ferry Range calculations for the F-16 (any mistake corrections will be appreciated):
---
F-16A Block 15 Ferry Range (16,300 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight):
Internal Fuel Only
24,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
7,000 pounds [3,900 liters] usable fuel
- 400 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 500 pounds climbout to 40,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 30 nautical miles
- 5,100 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,230 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,260 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 5,800 pounds fuel for 960 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank
26,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
9,000 pounds [5,000 liters] usable fuel
- 400 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 40,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 6,900 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,520 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,560 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 7,800 pounds fuel for 1,280 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
30,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 38,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 9,700 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,870 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,920 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 10,800 pounds fuel for 1,660 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
33,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 36,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 60 nautical miles
- 11,700 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,080 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,140 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 12,800 pounds fuel for 1,880 nautical miles range)
General Dynamics Stated Range for F-16A: 2,100+ nautical miles
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 600 Gallon Drop Tanks
36,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
17,000 pounds [9,500 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 34,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 14,500 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 45,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,500 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,550 nautical miles
(F-16B Two-Seater has 15,800 pounds fuel for 2,300 nautical miles range)
---
F-16AM Mid-Life Update [MLU] Ferry Range (@ 18,000 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight):
Somewhere Halfway Between F-16 Block 15 and Block 50/52
---
F-16C Block 50/52 Ferry Range (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight):
Internal Fuel Only
27,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
7,000 pounds [3,900 liters] usable fuel
- 400 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 600 pounds climbout to 38,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 5,000 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,110 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,150 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 5,800 pounds fuel for 800 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank
30,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
9,000 pounds [5,000 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 37,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 6,800 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,360 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,400 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 7,800 pounds fuel for 1,150 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
34,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 35,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 9,800 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,660 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,700 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 10,800 pounds fuel for 1,450 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
36,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 34,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 60 nautical miles
- 11,500 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,840 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,900 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 11,800 pounds fuel for 1,700 nautical miles range)
USAF Stated Range for F-16C/D: 1,740+ nautical miles
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 600 Gallon Drop Tanks
39,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
17,000 pounds [9,500 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 32,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 14,500 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,260 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,300 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 15,800 pounds fuel for 2,100 nautical miles range)
---
F-16C Block 50/52 Ferry Range (21,000 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight w/Conformal Fuel Tanks [CFTs] installed):
Internal Fuel Only
31,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
10,000 pounds [5,600 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 600 pounds climbout to 35,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 30 nautical miles
- 7,900 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,590 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,620 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 8,800 pounds fuel for 1,340 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank
34,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] usable fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 700 pounds climbout to 35,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 40 nautical miles
- 9,800 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,780 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
1,820 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 10,800 pounds fuel for 1,580 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
38,000 pounds Takeoff Weight
15,000 pounds [8,400 liters] usable fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 34,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 12,600 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 1,830 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,120 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 13,800 pounds fuel for 1,880 nautical miles range)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
40,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
17,000 pounds [9,500 liters] usable fuel
- 700 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 32,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 14,400 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,230 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,280 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 15,800 pounds fuel for 2,040 nautical miles range)
Locheed Martin Stated Range for F-16C with CFTs: 2,280 nautical miles
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline + Two 600 Gallon Drop Tanks
43,500 pounds Takeoff Weight
20,000 pounds [11,200 liters] usable fuel
- 700 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 1,000 pounds climbout to 29,000 feet initial cruising altitude, covering 50 nautical miles
- 17,300 pounds cruise at Mach 0.84, climbing to 40,000 feet final altitude, covering 2,570 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20+ minutes Sea-Level Loiter or 150-200 nautical miles Divert
2,620 nautical miles
(F-16D Two-Seater has 18,800 pounds fuel for 2,380 nautical miles range)
---
Notes:
1. Takeoff and Climbout in Military (Dry) power from 2,000 feet altitude at 40 Celsius temperature OR 8,000 Feet at 20 Celsius.
2. Warmer than standard temperatures at cruising altitude may reduce ferry range by 1-5% for some portions of flight.
3. Afterburner (A/B) assisted takeoffs require additional 400-700 pounds fuel reducing ferry range by @ 100 nautical miles. In practice, afterburners are likely to be used when carrying more than just a Centerline Drop Tank, in order to shorten takeoff distances.
4. Not being able to cruise at optimum altitudes/airspeeds for some portions of flight may reduce ferry range by 50-200 nautical miles.
5. Headwinds encountered during some portions of flight may reduce ferry range by 50-300 nautical miles.
6. Extra Stores such as Cargo Pods, Navigation Pods, and Missiles will reduce ferry range by 100-200 nautical miles.
---
Units:
One Nautical Mile [nm.] = 6080 Feet [ft.] = 1.15 Statute Miles [mi.] = @ 1.85 Kilometers [km.]
One Pound [lb.] = @ 0.4535 Kilograms [kg.]; One Kilogram = 2.205 Pounds
1,000 Pound-Force [lbf.] Thrust = @ 4,450 Newtons = 4.45 Kilo-Newtons [kN.] Thrust
Kilograms are units of mass and the term Kilogram-Force [kgf.] is meaningless.
One US Gallon = 3.785 Liters = @ 6.84 pounds JP-8 fuel; One Imperial Gallon = 4.54 Liters; One Liter = @ 0.82 Kilogram JP-8 fuel
---
Allah keep everyone safe
Naif al Hilali
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2016
- Messages
- 324
- Reaction score
- 24
- Country
- Location
Bismillah ir Rahman ar Raheem
Today, we are going to design some F-16 mission profiles to serve as benchmarks for other aircraft to be evaluated later. Please see the previous post for all caveats and assumptions.
Hifz u kum Allah
F-16 Combat Radius Evaluation Examples
---
Mission Profile I - Combat Air Patrol [CAP] 200 nautical miles from base:
F-16A Block 15 (16,300 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-9 Sidewinders
34,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 36,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds cruise 140 nautical miles to CAP area
- 6,000 pounds stay on station for two hours and ten minutes
- 600 pounds five minutes dash to/from interception, jettisoning external tanks in case of combat and
- 1,300 pounds up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
- 800 pounds cruise up to 200 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
2 Hours 10 Minutes at 200 nautical miles from base
General Dynamics Stated Endurance for F-16A: 200 nautical miles + 2 hr 10 min CAP
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 33,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 50 nautical miles
- 1,200 pounds cruise 150 nautical miles to CAP area
- 5,100 pounds stay on station for one hour and thirty five minutes
- 700 pounds five minutes dash to/from interception, jettisoning external tanks in case of combat and
- 1,500 pounds up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
- 1,000 pounds cruise up to 200 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
1 Hour 35 Minutes at 200 nautical miles from base
---
Mission Profile II - Short-Range Supersonic Interception (/Point Defence):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
30,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
7,000 pounds [3,900 liters] fuel
- 1,000 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 800 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 40,000 feet covering 10 nautical miles in 1.75 minutes
- 800 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 23 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- 800 pounds supersonic cruise covering 17 nautical miles in 1.25 minute
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 500 pounds climbout and cruise up to 80 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
65 nautical miles interception in 7 minutes
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
32,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
9,000 pounds [5,000 liters] fuel
- 1,000 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 1,000 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 40,000 feet covering 15 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- Jettison Centerline Tank
- 1,000 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 27 nautical miles in 2.25 minutes
- 2,200 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 45,000 feet and covering 55 nautical miles in 4 minutes
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 700 pounds climbout and cruise up to 120 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
110 nautical miles interception in 10.25 minutes
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders - The Likely Configuration
36,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 1,200 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 1,000 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 35,000 feet covering 18 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- 1,800 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 32 nautical miles in 3 minutes
- 1,000 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 40,000 feet and covering 20 nautical miles in 1.5 minutes
- Jettison Drop Tanks
- 3,000 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 45,000 feet covering 85 nautical miles in 6 minutes
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 900 pounds climbout and cruise up to 160 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
170 nautical miles interception in 14.5 minutes
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,300 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 1,100 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 35,000 feet covering 15 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- Jettison Centerline Tank
- 1,900 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 32 nautical miles in 3 minutes
- 2,700 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 40,000 feet and covering 63 nautical miles in 4.5 minutes
- Jettison 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
- 2,700 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 45,000 feet and covering 77 nautical miles in 5.5 minutes
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 1,200 pounds climbout and cruise up to 200 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
200 nautical miles interception in 17 minutes
---
Mission Profile III - Long-Range Interception (/Air Superiority/Fighter Escort):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
36,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 33,000 feet covering 50 nautical miles
- 4,300 pounds cruise 600 nautical miles
- 2,000 pounds jettison tanks, up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 3,300 pounds climbout and cruise 600 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
600 nautical miles
General Dynamics Stated Range for YF-16/F-16A Air-Superiority Mission with Three Tanks & Four AIM-9s: 700+ nautical miles
---
Mission Profile IV - Modern Medium Altitude Strike (Precision Strike/Battlefield Air Interdiction/Deep Air Interdiction):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders - The Likely Configuration
41,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 1,000 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,400 pounds climbout to 29,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 70 nautical miles
- 3,800 pounds cruise 380 nautical miles to target
- 800 pounds five minutes high-subsonic combat @ 20,000 feet & climbout back to cruising altitude
- EITHER
a) 4,000 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, cruising up to 500 nautical miles
OR
b) 1,500 pounds jettison tanks and bombs, and engage in up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
2,500 pounds cruise 450 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
450 nautical miles mission radius [minimum of 380+70, 500, 450]
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
44,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,100 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 26,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 5,000 pounds cruise 450 nautical miles to target
- 800 pounds five minutes high-subsonic combat @ 20,000 feet & climbout back to cruising altitude
- EITHER
a) 4,800 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, cruising up to 520 nautical miles
OR
b) 1,500 pounds jettison tanks and bombs, and engage in up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
3,300 pounds cruise up to 580 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
510 nautical miles mission radius [minimum of 450+60, 520, 580]
USAF Stated Range for F-16C Strike Mission (unspecified payload): 500 miles combat radius
---
Mission Profile V - Classic Long-Range Hi-Lo-Hi Strike (Deep Interdiction):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
44,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,100 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 26,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 4,600 pounds cruise 440 nautical miles, jettisoning drop tanks when empty
- 600 pounds cruise and descend to sea level 70 nautical miles
- 700 pounds 50 nautical miles low-level cruise to target
- 400 pounds afterburner use over target (jettison bombs if target not found)
- 800 pounds 50 nautical miles climbout back from target
- 3,500 pounds cruise back up to 580 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
620 nautical miles mission radius
F-16A Block 5 (15,600 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Two 2000 pound Bombs + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
37,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
General Dynamics Stated Range: 740 nautical miles mission radius
---
Mission Profile VI - Classic Long-Range Hi-Hi Strike (Deep Interdiction):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
44,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,100 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 26,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 4,800 pounds cruise 460 nautical miles, jettisoning drop tanks when empty
- 1,200 pounds cruise 150 nautical miles to target (jettison bombs if target not found)
- 700 pounds afterburner use over target
- 3,900 pounds cruise back up to 680 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
670 nautical miles mission radius
F-16A Block 5 (15,600 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Two 2000 pounds Bombs + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
34,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
General Dynamics Stated Range: 810 nautical miles mission radius
---
Mission Profile VII - Close Air Support [CAS]:
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Four 600 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 31,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 70 nautical miles
- 2,400 pounds cruise 230 nautical miles to target
- 3,700 pounds 25 minutes loiter + five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 3,000 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, climbout & cruise up to 350 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
30 minutes combat endurance 300 nautical miles from base
(or 1 Hour at 200 nautical miles from base)
---
Mission Profile VIII - Suppression of Enemy Air Defences [SEAD]:
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Electronic CounterMeasures [ECM] Pod + One HARM Anti-Radiation Missile + Two 500 pound Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 31,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 70 nautical miles
- 2,400 pounds cruise 230 nautical miles to target
- 3,700 pounds 25 minutes loiter + five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 3,000 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, climbout & cruise up to 350 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
30 minutes combat endurance 300 nautical miles from base
---
Notes:
1. Warmer than standard Temperatures at Cruising Altitude may reduce range slightly (usually 1% to 2%, but up to 10% for some portions of flight).
2. Afterburner (A/B) assisted takeoffs (where not explicitly mentioned) require additional 500-800 pounds fuel reducing combat radius by @ 50 nautical miles. In practice, unless range is absolutely important, Afterburners are likely to be used when carrying more than just a Centerline Drop Tank, in order to shorten takeoff distances.
3. Not being able to cruise at optimum altitudes/airspeeds for some portions of flight may reduce combat radius by 25-100 nautical miles.
4. Headwinds encountered during some portions of flight may reduce combat radius by 25-100 nautical miles.
5. It is rarely possible to fly in a straight line or at optimum speeds/altitudes to and from the target. To avoid enemy aircraft and defenses, the routes and altitudes selected usually decrease actual mission radius (if defined by straight-line distance from base to target) to 70-80% of the flying distances calculated above.
6. Every Two miles of sea-level cruise consumes as much fuel as Three miles of cruise at optimum alitude (or even Four miles of optimum cruise, if flying at lighter aircraft weights).
7. Every Two miles of high-subsonic dash at sea-level (@ 480 nautical miles per hour [knots]) consumes as much fuel as Four miles of sea-level optimum cruise (usually 330-390 knots).
8. Every Two miles of high-subsonic dash at medium-high altitude (@ 540 knots) consumes as much fuel as Three to Four miles of optimum cruise (usually 440-480 knots) at optimum alitude.
9. Every minute of afterburner use at medium-high altitude consumes as much fuel as 20 to 10 minutes of optimum cruise. One minute of Maximum Afterburner at sea-level may consume fuel equivalent to 40 minutes of optimum-altitude cruise back to base.
---
Units:
One Nautical Mile [nm.] = 6080 Feet [ft.] = 1.15 Statute Miles [mi.] = @ 1.85 Kilometers [km.]
One Pound [lb.] = @ 0.4535 Kilograms [kg.]; One Kilogram = 2.205 Pounds
1,000 Pound-Force [lbf.] Thrust = @ 4,450 Newtons = 4.45 Kilo-Newtons [kN.] Thrust
Kilograms are units of mass and the term Kilogram-Force [kgf.] is meaningless.
One US Gallon = 3.785 Liters = @ 6.84 pounds JP-8 fuel; One Imperial Gallon = 4.54 Liters; One Liter = @ 0.82 Kilogram JP-8
---
Today, we are going to design some F-16 mission profiles to serve as benchmarks for other aircraft to be evaluated later. Please see the previous post for all caveats and assumptions.
Hifz u kum Allah
F-16 Combat Radius Evaluation Examples
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Mission Profile I - Combat Air Patrol [CAP] 200 nautical miles from base:
F-16A Block 15 (16,300 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-9 Sidewinders
34,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 800 pounds climbout to 36,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds cruise 140 nautical miles to CAP area
- 6,000 pounds stay on station for two hours and ten minutes
- 600 pounds five minutes dash to/from interception, jettisoning external tanks in case of combat and
- 1,300 pounds up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
- 800 pounds cruise up to 200 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
2 Hours 10 Minutes at 200 nautical miles from base
General Dynamics Stated Endurance for F-16A: 200 nautical miles + 2 hr 10 min CAP
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 33,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 50 nautical miles
- 1,200 pounds cruise 150 nautical miles to CAP area
- 5,100 pounds stay on station for one hour and thirty five minutes
- 700 pounds five minutes dash to/from interception, jettisoning external tanks in case of combat and
- 1,500 pounds up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
- 1,000 pounds cruise up to 200 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
1 Hour 35 Minutes at 200 nautical miles from base
---
Mission Profile II - Short-Range Supersonic Interception (/Point Defence):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
30,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
7,000 pounds [3,900 liters] fuel
- 1,000 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 800 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 40,000 feet covering 10 nautical miles in 1.75 minutes
- 800 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 23 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- 800 pounds supersonic cruise covering 17 nautical miles in 1.25 minute
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 500 pounds climbout and cruise up to 80 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
65 nautical miles interception in 7 minutes
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
32,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
9,000 pounds [5,000 liters] fuel
- 1,000 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 1,000 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 40,000 feet covering 15 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- Jettison Centerline Tank
- 1,000 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 27 nautical miles in 2.25 minutes
- 2,200 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 45,000 feet and covering 55 nautical miles in 4 minutes
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 700 pounds climbout and cruise up to 120 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
110 nautical miles interception in 10.25 minutes
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders - The Likely Configuration
36,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 1,200 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 1,000 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 35,000 feet covering 18 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- 1,800 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 32 nautical miles in 3 minutes
- 1,000 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 40,000 feet and covering 20 nautical miles in 1.5 minutes
- Jettison Drop Tanks
- 3,000 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 45,000 feet covering 85 nautical miles in 6 minutes
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 900 pounds climbout and cruise up to 160 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
170 nautical miles interception in 14.5 minutes
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,300 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff in 1 minute
- 1,100 pounds afterburner-assisted climbout to 35,000 feet covering 15 nautical miles in 2 minutes
- Jettison Centerline Tank
- 1,900 pounds accelerate to Mach 1.6 covering 32 nautical miles in 3 minutes
- 2,700 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 40,000 feet and covering 63 nautical miles in 4.5 minutes
- Jettison 370 Gallon Drop Tanks
- 2,700 pounds supersonic cruise, climbing to 45,000 feet and covering 77 nautical miles in 5.5 minutes
- 100 pounds decelerate to subsonic covering 15 nautical miles in 1 minute
- 2,000 pounds up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 1,200 pounds climbout and cruise up to 200 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
200 nautical miles interception in 17 minutes
---
Mission Profile III - Long-Range Interception (/Air Superiority/Fighter Escort):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Four AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
36,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 500 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 900 pounds climbout to 33,000 feet covering 50 nautical miles
- 4,300 pounds cruise 600 nautical miles
- 2,000 pounds jettison tanks, up to five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 3,300 pounds climbout and cruise 600 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
600 nautical miles
General Dynamics Stated Range for YF-16/F-16A Air-Superiority Mission with Three Tanks & Four AIM-9s: 700+ nautical miles
---
Mission Profile IV - Modern Medium Altitude Strike (Precision Strike/Battlefield Air Interdiction/Deep Air Interdiction):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders - The Likely Configuration
41,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 1,000 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,400 pounds climbout to 29,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 70 nautical miles
- 3,800 pounds cruise 380 nautical miles to target
- 800 pounds five minutes high-subsonic combat @ 20,000 feet & climbout back to cruising altitude
- EITHER
a) 4,000 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, cruising up to 500 nautical miles
OR
b) 1,500 pounds jettison tanks and bombs, and engage in up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
2,500 pounds cruise 450 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
450 nautical miles mission radius [minimum of 380+70, 500, 450]
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
44,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,100 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 26,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 5,000 pounds cruise 450 nautical miles to target
- 800 pounds five minutes high-subsonic combat @ 20,000 feet & climbout back to cruising altitude
- EITHER
a) 4,800 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, cruising up to 520 nautical miles
OR
b) 1,500 pounds jettison tanks and bombs, and engage in up to two minutes of afterburner combat @ 20,000 feet
3,300 pounds cruise up to 580 nautical miles back to base
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
510 nautical miles mission radius [minimum of 450+60, 520, 580]
USAF Stated Range for F-16C Strike Mission (unspecified payload): 500 miles combat radius
---
Mission Profile V - Classic Long-Range Hi-Lo-Hi Strike (Deep Interdiction):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
44,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,100 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 26,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 4,600 pounds cruise 440 nautical miles, jettisoning drop tanks when empty
- 600 pounds cruise and descend to sea level 70 nautical miles
- 700 pounds 50 nautical miles low-level cruise to target
- 400 pounds afterburner use over target (jettison bombs if target not found)
- 800 pounds 50 nautical miles climbout back from target
- 3,500 pounds cruise back up to 580 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
620 nautical miles mission radius
F-16A Block 5 (15,600 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Two 2000 pound Bombs + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
37,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
General Dynamics Stated Range: 740 nautical miles mission radius
---
Mission Profile VI - Classic Long-Range Hi-Hi Strike (Deep Interdiction):
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + 300 Gallon Centerline Drop Tank + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Two 2400 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
44,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
14,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
- 1,100 pounds taxi & afterburner-assisted takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 26,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 60 nautical miles
- 4,800 pounds cruise 460 nautical miles, jettisoning drop tanks when empty
- 1,200 pounds cruise 150 nautical miles to target (jettison bombs if target not found)
- 700 pounds afterburner use over target
- 3,900 pounds cruise back up to 680 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
670 nautical miles mission radius
F-16A Block 5 (15,600 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Two 2000 pounds Bombs + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
34,500 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [7,800 liters] fuel
General Dynamics Stated Range: 810 nautical miles mission radius
---
Mission Profile VII - Close Air Support [CAS]:
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Navigation & Targeting Pods + Four 600 pound Precision Guided Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 31,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 70 nautical miles
- 2,400 pounds cruise 230 nautical miles to target
- 3,700 pounds 25 minutes loiter + five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 3,000 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, climbout & cruise up to 350 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
30 minutes combat endurance 300 nautical miles from base
(or 1 Hour at 200 nautical miles from base)
---
Mission Profile VIII - Suppression of Enemy Air Defences [SEAD]:
F-16C Block 50/52 (19,700 pounds Aircraft Empty Weight)
Internal Fuel + Two 370 Gallon Drop Tanks + Electronic CounterMeasures [ECM] Pod + One HARM Anti-Radiation Missile + Two 500 pound Bombs + Two AIM-120 AMRAAM + Two AIM-9 Sidewinders
39,000 pounds Takeoff Weight [TOW]
12,000 pounds [6,700 liters] fuel
- 600 pounds taxi & takeoff
- 1,300 pounds climbout to 31,000 feet initial cruising altitude covering 70 nautical miles
- 2,400 pounds cruise 230 nautical miles to target
- 3,700 pounds 25 minutes loiter + five minutes combat (including two minutes in afterburner) @ 20,000 feet
- 3,000 pounds bring back all drop tanks and bombs, climbout & cruise up to 350 nautical miles
- 1,000 pounds reserves for 20 minutes Sea Level Loiter or 200 nautical miles Divert
30 minutes combat endurance 300 nautical miles from base
---
Notes:
1. Warmer than standard Temperatures at Cruising Altitude may reduce range slightly (usually 1% to 2%, but up to 10% for some portions of flight).
2. Afterburner (A/B) assisted takeoffs (where not explicitly mentioned) require additional 500-800 pounds fuel reducing combat radius by @ 50 nautical miles. In practice, unless range is absolutely important, Afterburners are likely to be used when carrying more than just a Centerline Drop Tank, in order to shorten takeoff distances.
3. Not being able to cruise at optimum altitudes/airspeeds for some portions of flight may reduce combat radius by 25-100 nautical miles.
4. Headwinds encountered during some portions of flight may reduce combat radius by 25-100 nautical miles.
5. It is rarely possible to fly in a straight line or at optimum speeds/altitudes to and from the target. To avoid enemy aircraft and defenses, the routes and altitudes selected usually decrease actual mission radius (if defined by straight-line distance from base to target) to 70-80% of the flying distances calculated above.
6. Every Two miles of sea-level cruise consumes as much fuel as Three miles of cruise at optimum alitude (or even Four miles of optimum cruise, if flying at lighter aircraft weights).
7. Every Two miles of high-subsonic dash at sea-level (@ 480 nautical miles per hour [knots]) consumes as much fuel as Four miles of sea-level optimum cruise (usually 330-390 knots).
8. Every Two miles of high-subsonic dash at medium-high altitude (@ 540 knots) consumes as much fuel as Three to Four miles of optimum cruise (usually 440-480 knots) at optimum alitude.
9. Every minute of afterburner use at medium-high altitude consumes as much fuel as 20 to 10 minutes of optimum cruise. One minute of Maximum Afterburner at sea-level may consume fuel equivalent to 40 minutes of optimum-altitude cruise back to base.
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Units:
One Nautical Mile [nm.] = 6080 Feet [ft.] = 1.15 Statute Miles [mi.] = @ 1.85 Kilometers [km.]
One Pound [lb.] = @ 0.4535 Kilograms [kg.]; One Kilogram = 2.205 Pounds
1,000 Pound-Force [lbf.] Thrust = @ 4,450 Newtons = 4.45 Kilo-Newtons [kN.] Thrust
Kilograms are units of mass and the term Kilogram-Force [kgf.] is meaningless.
One US Gallon = 3.785 Liters = @ 6.84 pounds JP-8 fuel; One Imperial Gallon = 4.54 Liters; One Liter = @ 0.82 Kilogram JP-8
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MastanKhan
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Hi,
So---you are just a !!!!!!---what did you say you do!
Please share a similar scenario where an aircraft takes off on different weapons load---minimal fuel and then gets topped of by an air to air refueler right after take off.
What would that do to the loiter time---.
Asifkamal
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And Mastan bhai , when I was a kid , I read an article on F16 in mid 80,s . At the end , when I read that it can carry 6 air to air missiles, I went into shock. This aircraft was so much appreciated, that I thought, in one mission it could destroy At least 40 enemy aircrafts................
And during matriculation, one of my class fellows , who was from sargodha told me that F16 started it's engine on ground and at the end of run way there was a person on bicycle and due to extreme suction of air, that poor man came rolling and caught straight into F16 engine inlet.........
And during matriculation, one of my class fellows , who was from sargodha told me that F16 started it's engine on ground and at the end of run way there was a person on bicycle and due to extreme suction of air, that poor man came rolling and caught straight into F16 engine inlet.........
Naif al Hilali
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Bismillah ir Rahman ar Raheem
Still just a failed, unemployed ex-grad student (from Oscar's home state) brother. Aircraft are just my hobby.
Short Answer:
There is a reason (besides the monetary) that the USAF, with its large tanker assets, has not adopted CFTs [Conformal Fuel Tanks] on their F-16s, and you always see their aircraft take off with only two and not three tanks. Well there are actually a few:
Mainly, CFTs while exacting very little drag penalties make the aircraft somewhat 'loose and skittish' underneath a tanker, air-to-air refueling already being already a hazardous proposition.
Also, it is easier to jettison just wing tanks for combat and go light, rather than to vent internal fuel (which would be a psychological block anyway). You cannot jettison away the thousand plus pounds of the CFT's weight, in any case.
While the F-16C is heavier and shorter-ranged than the A model, it still has enough range to accomplish most mission objectives with two tanks. The extra drag (and possible, though infrequent, jettison-time separation issues) of a centerline tank, with wing tanks and Sniper installed, are not deemed worth the extra twenty minutes loiter time.
The tankers operating inside your own controlled airspace can assist in extending the mission radius of your fighters exponentially. The most important benefit of a tanker is being able to get gas when you are at the end of your endurance, get lost in a furball (extended, complicated, messy fight), and use up too much fuel to be able to make it back to even your forward airfields.
During the 2016 Turkish coup, the rebel F-16s were carrying two tanks I believe and stayed up all night long with their tankers when they had no place to land.
Please note that all these (and more) are reasons why in combat Mission Profile IV, the two-tank option is voted most likely.
As regards your minimum fuel load, I believe that even in an air-defense role over very tiny countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, the minimum takeoff load for an F-16AM would likely be a centerline tank and four missiles. Please see combat Mission Profile II above for clarity (there is a reason for working through and listing four options here although only two of them are very likely).
Well, that became the LONG answer quickly. I don't know when to shut up.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not necessarily true and have nothing to do with any of the air forces mentioned. I have never even met a fighter pilot or an aerospace engineer (working, not just a grad student).
EDIT: Just remembered I went to the home of an ex-PAF pilot in Riyadh when I was little. He tried to explain Gs to me with the Child's Swing example and I had no idea what he was saying for many years, because I had not been on many swings. The mission analysis quoted above also took me more than two months to learn to do (something fighter pilots have to learn in a couple of days for a new jet). Regards
Allah keep everyone safe.
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Raider 21
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Where is the study ??
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