Pinay F-16 Fighting Falcon Pilot

[safeorigin]

tail insignias btw are just squadron names. sometimes, there's a wolf insignia, knight insignia et al. as for the a-10, yes it's the thunderbolt with the rotary avenger autocannon.

[ChevyChaser]

[quote=redorange;1145747]Really what Navy Squadron still uses the F16? To the best of my knowledge the F16 was not accepted by the Navy which is the reason the F18 was made, the F16 did not meet the criteria of the Navy. The exception being the 26 F16N which was used by the Navy until the arrival of the F18 as a bridge for the gap after the F5 and A4 was retired and was in active use for only 10 years.

Found this on www.F-16.net


History

In the mid-eighties, the USNavy was eagerly seeking a replacement for its agressor training aircraft. Both the F-5 and A-4 were in service at the time. The Navy found that these aircraft were not longer to their satisfaction in forfilling this task. These aircraft lacked the latest avionics developments and they were becomming obsolete very soon, with extensive maintenance being required. Also the lack of a high maneuverable and fast jet aircraft to performe this agressor training was felt very badly. A decision was taken to develop a customised version of the F-16 te fill this gap.
Structure & Avionics

US Navy agressor F-16N. (LMTAS photo)

The F-16N is based on the standard F-16C/D Block 30 and is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine. However, the F-16N has a strengthened wing and is capable of carrying an Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) pod on the starboard wingtip.
The ACMI pod allows details of air-to-air engagements to be transmitted to a ground station. Although the (T)F-16N's are based on the early-production small-inlet Block 30 F-16C/D airframe, they retain the APG-66 radar of the F-16A/B. However, they have no cannon or ASPJ and carry no missiles. Their EW fit consists of an ALR-69 radar warning receiver (RWR) and an ALE-40 chaff/flare dispenser. The (T)F-16N's have the standard Air Force tailhook and undercarriage, and are definitely NOT carrier capable.
Production

Production totalled 26 airframes of which 22 are singel-seat F-16N's and 4 are double-seat TF-16N's. The aircraft were in service between 1988 and 1998. At that time hair cracks were discovered in several bulckheads. The Navy didn't have the resources to replace them, so the aircraft were placed into storage at AMARC, ultimately being replaced by embargoed ex-Pakistani F-16s in 2003.
Introduction

The USNavy was the only operator of the special N-series of the F-16. They were specifically designed for the Navy to be used as agressor aircraft in a dissimilar combat environment. The airframes featured a strenghtened structure and although derivatives of the C/D-models they had the older APG-66 radar installed.
Inventory

F-16N & TF-16N

US Navy aggressor: VF-45 'Blackbirds' TF-16N #163281

The U.S. Navy announced in January 1985 that it had selected the F-16 to fulfil its dissimilar air combat training (DACT) requirement. The F-16s were going to be used as adversary aircraft, emulating Soviet aircraft capabilities and tactics. A total of 22 single seat F-16N's and four two-seat TF-16N trainers were ordered by the Navy.

The F-16N and F-16N aircraft were based on F-16 Block 30E models, and were all built during 1987/1988. They were optimized for one thing only: the Dissimilar Air Combat Training mission. The airframes were made lighter, and they were strengthened to cope with the continuous high-G loads associated with air combat manoeuvring. To save weight, the F-16N was fitted with the less cabable but lighter APG-66 radar of earlier F-16A/B models, the M61 A1 internal gun was removed, and all provisions for external stores were removed. All F-16Ns used the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine. TF-16N models are identical to F-16Ns except for the addition of a second seat.
Deliveries of the F-16N to the Navy began in early 1987 and ended in May 1988. In April 1987, VF-126 Bandits based at NAS Miramar achieved IOC with 6 aircraft. Three other units followed: VF-45 Blackbirds from NAS Key West, VF-43 Challengers from NAS Oceana, and the Navy Fighter Weapons School at NAS Miramar. The latter operated one aircraft in "Marines" markings to represent the USMC's participation in the adversary program.
Despite the fact that (T)F-16Ns were strenghtened, the airframes were experiencing metal fatigue before the end of their operational lifetime. This resulted in their premature withdrawal from service. In 1991, the Navy temporarily grounded its F-16 fleet. The adversary training mission was more and more shifted to F-14s and F-18s. Finally, in 1994, the US Navy announced the retirment of the (T)F-16N fleet; the last F-16N arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB in January 1995.
Embargoed Pakistani F-16s

U.S. Navy F-16B #92-0460, one of fourteen embargoed Pakistani F-16s, now used for Dissimilar Air Combat Training by the Navy.

After the withdrawal of the (T)F-16N's, the Navy found itself lacking a high performance aggressor aircraft, and the decision was made to re-introduce the F-16. Fourteen airframes, ordered by Pakistan in the early nineties but never delivered to the country because of a weapons embargo, were taken out of storage and delivered to the Navy. Since the aircraft were stored at AMARC straight from the production line, these airframes have a very low airframe life, making them useful for the demanding aggressor task. These aircraft are also the last Block 15s ever built, and are more advanced than any other F-16A/B stored at AMARC. Additional Pakistani aircraft will go to the USAF.
Modifications & Armament

Armament

The F-16N was optimized to conduct DACT. The only 'armament' they could carry was an ACMI pod under the engine intake.
Avionics

Contrary to normal C/D models, these aircraft had the earlier A/B models' AN/APG-66 radar installed, mainly to save weight. The (T)F-16N aircraft were fitted with an ALR-69 radar warning receiver, instead of the standard ALR-65 fitted to USAF F-16s, plus an ALE-40 chaff/flare dispenser.
Arrestor hook

It is worth noting that even though the U.S. Navy F-16Ns and TF-16Ns retained the standard runway arrestor hook fitted to all F-16s, it was not able to land on aircraft carriers. The F-16 and its landing gear in particular are simply not designed to absorb the high impact energy associated with carrier landings. The arrestor hook is used only in emergencies, e.g. to prevent runway overruns.

[iho250]

again! pinoys..well, pinay for this matter...has proven that we excel in anything we involve ourselves into...including graft and corruption..joke!

[1D4LV]

So you can't be Filipino and a native-born American? Me and a whole bunch of other people would beg to differ... :hysterical:

There's no doubt that she is in the Air Force... she's on the roster at Laughlin AFB in the US.

What I doubt is the authenticity of that picture. No way can she be that cute. Seriously...

hehehe, pareho tayo ng napansin niks...bakit ang cute nung girl sa picture?

[ChevyChaser]

hehehe, pareho tayo ng napansin niks...bakit ang cute nung girl sa picture?

Who knows...must be the climate in Texas. Well, you can be a native born American with migrant parents and be cute as well..or can you???

[ghosthunter]

This thread has gone totally OFF-TOPIC.

Either stay on topic or this thread will be closed.