Sweet Little Sixteen

[fatman17]

why do they refer to it as block 50/52? whats the difference between the 50 and 52?

Why step from a single block designation to two? to split engine orders between P&W and GE as part of the alternative fighter engine (AFE) program.
F-16s built as Block 30/32 had a common engine bay able to accept either the P&W F-100 PW-220 (a block 32) or the F110 GE-100 engine (a block 30).


pls read the posts carefully - all your answers are already in front of you!
cheers!

 

[SSGPA1]

TSgt. Joseph Kurdell suggested the name Fighting Falcon in 1976.

"Four years earlier, in 1976, the Department of the Air Force had organized a "Name-the-Plane Contest" for the F-16 at MacDill AFB in Florida. The winning entry was submitted by TSgt. Joseph A. Kurdell, the Photo Sensor Shop Supervisor for the 1st TFW A&E sqn."

On May 11th, 1976, TSgt. Kurdell received an official letter from the Department of the Air Force, congratulating him for submitting the prize-winning entry in the "Name-the-Plane Contest", winning him a free dinner at the MacDill NCO Mess.

Read more at the link below:

http://www.f-16.net/articles_article10.html

 

[Sgt Automatic]

This is very interessting information. I have a question thats been bugging me for a while, it be great if some one could answer. To get straight to the point, which aircraft would come out on top during a dog fight, the F-16 b52, or F-15 strike eagle, also, F-18 super hornet??, how and why??, I know F-16 is a multiroll fighter, while F-15 trends more towards air supermacy! But F-15 is alot bigger as well. Here is a video from you tube that I found and its pretty amazing but I don't think it answers my question.

I think if you look closely it seems like the F-15 turns right away while the F-16 sort of drifts but that could just be the reaction time by the pilot.

 

[PAFAce]

This is very interessting information. I have a question thats been bugging me for a while, it be great if some one could answer. To get straight to the point, which aircraft would come out on top during a dog fight, the F-16 b52, or F-15 strike eagle, also, F-18 super hornet??, how and why??, I know F-16 is a multiroll fighter, while F-15 trends more towards air supermacy! But F-15 is alot bigger as well. Here is a video from you tube that I found and its pretty amazing but I don't think it answers my question.

The video is from the IMAX movie, Operation Red Flag. Though the movie/documentary is absolutely amazing (in hi-def, it blows your mind), it is completely staged. This dogfight, where the F-16 Agressor defeats the F-15, is staged, and so is another one at the end in which the F-15 gets the F-16 after a barrel-role by the Eagle pilot reverses their positions.

The question you have asked has no clear answer. Depending on the situation, any one plane could have the edge over the other two. I know that the Canadian Forces Air Command chose the CF-18 (the only fighter plane the Canadians operate) over the F-16 because it offers a higher Thrust-to-Weight ratio. Also, it provides the Canadian Air Force (as well as the US Navy) with a middle-ground plane between the F-15 Air Superiority Fighter and the F-16 Miltirole Combat Aircraft.

That being said, in a pure air-to-air combta sense, the edge would go to the F-15 Eagle because that is what it was made to do, dominate in the air.

 

[hj786]

I have read that the F-15 has a significant advantage not only in thrust to weight ratio, but in high altitude maneuverability also - as PAFAce said, that is why it is an air superiority fighter.

 

[Sgt Automatic]

The video is from the IMAX movie, Operation Red Flag. Though the movie/documentary is absolutely amazing (in hi-def, it blows your mind), it is completely staged. This dogfight, where the F-16 Agressor defeats the F-15, is staged, and so is another one at the end in which the F-15 gets the F-16 after a barrel-role by the Eagle pilot reverses their positions.

The question you have asked has no clear answer. Depending on the situation, any one plane could have the edge over the other two. I know that the Canadian Forces Air Command chose the CF-18 (the only fighter plane the Canadians operate) over the F-16 because it offers a higher Thrust-to-Weight ratio. Also, it provides the Canadian Air Force (as well as the US Navy) with a middle-ground plane between the F-15 Air Superiority Fighter and the F-16 Miltirole Combat Aircraft.

That being said, in a pure air-to-air combta sense, the edge would go to the F-15 Eagle because that is what it was made to do, dominate in the air.

Haha, i noticed that it was too cheesy to be real lol. You are absoloutly right that its staged. Amazing still. As a Canadian, I must say that Canada has a pathetic airforce. Good training though. Anyhow thnx for the info. How about if you compare the F-18 to the F-16, do you think that F-18SH is still superior in manouvering than the F-1652

 

[PAFAce]

Haha, i noticed that it was too cheesy to be real lol. You are absoloutly right that its staged. Amazing still. As a Canadian, I must say that Canada has a pathetic airforce. Good training though. Anyhow thnx for the info. How about if you compare the F-18 to the F-16, do you think that F-18SH is still superior in manouvering than the F-1652

Oh man, I don't think CFAC is pathetic. They operate one of the largest fleets of F-18s in the world (second only to the US Navy, I think). They inducted 82 CF-18s (customized F/A-18 Hornet) a while back, and have at least 70 of them operational at any one time. Also, like you said, they have some of the best training in the world. They train pilots from NATO allies and some (rich) Middle Eastern countries (UAE etc).

Apart from this, the Canadians regularly participate in large-scale exercises such as the Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base and the Maple Flag at Cold Lake, Albeta, Canada. These exercise give Canadian pilots an edge over most Asian pilots (even Pakistani pilots), because in their first few years of flying they have already racked up many hours of combat flying.

In my opinion, for Canada's needs, this Air Force is perfect. Canada does not need Air Superiority aircraft, neither does it need dedicated ground attack planes. What they need are multirole aircrafts, with a slight lean towards the Air Superiority side, which is why they did not choose the F-16.

Lastly, Canada is one of the confirmed customers of the F-35s, as some Canadian companies were involved in the design and the Canadian govt. invested in the JSF program. In a few years, the CFAC will be operating about 50-60 CF-18s with one squadron of F-35s. I don't know too many Air Forces in the world that would not envy that configuration. I'm telling you, if I weren't a patriot of Pakistan, I would be in the Canadian Air Force right now. The entrance policies are not as strict as they are in Pakistan, mainly because, unlike Pakistan, there isn't much interest in the military in Canada. However, I love Pakistan too much to join the CFAC.

 

[A.Rahman]

And I came in here thinking it was spam!

same here

 

[PAFAce]

This thread is more or less dead, but I'd like to add to what I said above to avoid the spread of misinformation or incomplete information.

Canada is interested in app. 80 F-35s, to replace their fleet of CF-18s entirely by 2025. By 2017, they plan to retire their existing fleet of CF-18s, and will have already inducted app. 40 F-35 aircrafts by then. Also, the CF-18s in Canada's possession currently are capable of being quite productive late into the next decade because Canada is currently upgrading them (similar to the ROSE upgrades on the Mirages by PAF). These upgrades include newer avionics, updated missile avoidance systems, helmet-mounted tracking etc.

Source:
Joint Strike Fighter: Design and Development of the International Aircraft
By Gerard Keijsper

That being said, I am sorry to revive a dead thread.

 

[zombie:-)]

prolly something u guys might like the moon and f-16

 

[hj786]

prolly something u guys might like the moon and f-16

Thanks zombie, nice pic!