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REID AIR PUBLICATIONS ..JAKE MELAMPY

THE MODERN VIPER GU"IDE THE &JAKE MELAMPY

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Introduction

ition 2007

J k Melampy 2007 All rights reserved. No p rl f lhi book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any m n I ctronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopying, r cording, or any information storage and retrieval system without writt n permission from the publisher. (

ISBN 978-0-9795064-1-3 Book layout and design by Jake Melampy All photographs by author unless otherwise stated. Acknowledgements The 181st Fighter Wing, Indiana Air National Guard, gave up time and manpower to help out with this book. Col. Chris "Bert" Colbert, TSgt Dave "Cookie" Cook (retired), SMSgt. JD Brown, and TSgt. Pat Green are to thank for the ability to get most of the photos that appear in this book. Pete "Pig" Fleischmann, former ACC and ANG Viper driver, proved to be an invaluable help with this project, providing first-hand accounts and technical expertise. Likewise, SSgt. Sean Hampton of the 150th Fighter Wing, New Mexico ANG, provided technical help, photos, and an escort on the Kirtland AFB ramp. Other people that contributed time and/or photos include SSgt. Dan Wells (20FW), TSgt. Joe Moore (20FW), Scott Brown, Steve Chapis (113Wg), Mark Gallimore, TSgt. Beth Holliker (180FW), Duane Kaiser, Mark Nankivil, Tom Silkowsi (103FW), and Wally Van Winkle (USAF, retired).

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There are countless books on the F-16 flooding the military aviation book market. Many deal with the research and development of the jet, others cover the operational life of the jet, while still others give the model builders invaluable reference material for building that perfect scale replica. 'T~uality of these books, including the detail books aimed at model builders, ranges from very, very good, to very, very bad. There are already a few that have come and gone over the years, and a couple that are still readily available through various book stores and hobby shops. However, the quality of these books sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. Covering the F-16, a jet that has been on the front-line of Air Forces worldwide, and served in countless conflicts across the globe since 1979, thoroughly, is impossible to do in one book. The jet has undergone a myriad of update and service life extension programs over the years, making any single book outdated and obsolete within a few years. Complicating the effort is the fact that F-16 production was broken up into production "Blocks", along with the more familiar and standard way of differentiating different versions of the same jet by a new suffix (F-16A vs F-16C, for example). These Blocks have plagued the model builders for years, as each introduced subtle differences to the previous Block. The visual differences among the Blocks has, to this day, never been explained in book form. Until now. In the pages that follow, you will find intensive, clear, descriptive photos that clearly show the differences from one Block to the next, with informative captions to describe exactly what the photo is showing, where necessary. Special emphasis is given to modern upgrades (CCIP and CUPID), along with modern weapons (Sniper and L1TENING II pods, AIM-9X, WCMD, JDAM, etc), resulting in the most complete, thorough, modern F-16 detail book on the market.

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Because this book has the advantage of arriving into the book market so late after the F-16's debut, it will focus purely on USAF F-16C/D aircraft. The F-16NB models have been removed from the USAF inventory as of June 2007, and have largely been covered (and quite well) in other, previous books by various authors/publishers. This book will also not cover foreign users of the jet, simply because there are too many differences from one country's jets to the next. Including every country's aircraft into one book, while at the same time giving them full coverage, is simply not possible. This book, too, will become obsolete in the very near future, as the F-16 will continue to be upgraded and modernized to keep up with technology and the needs of the USAF. Until that time, I hope it serves the aircraft enthusiast, model builder, and Viper Nut well, and helps to unveil some of the questions and confusion related to the F-16 and its production Blocks.

On the cover: A 4-ship of thirsty Vipers lines up off the wing of a KC-135.

Title page: A Block 50 Viper in flight during a training mission.

The Modern Viper Guide

Jake Melampy

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The pitot tube, above, is heated during flight to prevent ice build-up. The heat discolors the metal for some interesting effects. Like all pitots on any aircraft, it provides airspeed information for the flight instruments.

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Prominent on the Viper's radome are v n tati I '0 Iri -it th'll tricity "zippers", below, to di per C slati could damage the radar an I til r, nsit i a i( ni .~,

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The F-16's radome has one job: to provide an aerodynamic covering of the radar assembly, and to allow the radar to "see" through it at the same time. The radome is not painted, but its neoprene coating is initially about the same color as the forward fuselage section (FS 36270). However, the coating is very sensitive to dirt and grime, and quickly darkens as a result of contaminants in the air. A radome is seldom replaced, so the color will continue to darken as it ages.U1Ifii1'g the jet's routine repaint, the radome will remain unpainted. For this reason, there is no "correct" color to paint a model's radome. It can be any color between FS 36270 and dark grey, depending on the radome's age.

Notice there are no panel lines surrounding the AOA vanes. The discoloration is due to the protection to that area from the AOA covers.

At the rear of the radome, at the jet's 3 and 9 o'clock positions, are the electrically heated Angle of Attack (AOA) vanes. The pitot tube and AOA vanes are normally covered whenever the jet is parked and secured.

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All models of the F-16CID use the Northrop Grumman (formerly Westinghouse) AN/APG-68 radar assembly, which replaced the AN/APG-66 found in the F-16A/B. It is very compact in c nstruction in order to fit behind the Viper's radome. The P 66 was designed exclusively for the F-16. The APG-6 i. an improved version that offers increased range (up to 184 mi Is), and more capable, modernized, software. The radar a mbly consists of the radar antenna, transmitter, and programmabl si l_ nal processor. All of these items can be replaced on th ni 'ht line, reducing maintenance hours. There are slight variali( ns to the radar, with no visible external differences, in tall'd n each of the subsequent production Blocks. It is shown fr( m all angles in these photos. Also note the detail inside th ra I 111'.

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Immediately behind the radome are doors that allow access to the internal avionics of the radar. The "blisters" on the forward doors were originally part of the Radar Homing And Warning (RHAW) system. Beginning with Block 30B/32 jets, the RHAW gear was moved to the "beer cans" on the wings, and these blisters were disconnected, and subsequent Blocks had the wiring left out of the jet. However, beginning in 2003, the blisters were re-added to the RHAW suite. They were re-connected on the Block 25 and 30A jets, and wiring harnesses were installed on subsequent Blocks to make the blisters functional. Also on the doors of most Block 25/30/32/40/42 models are Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) panels. This is a very recent addition to the F-16 fleet, with installations beginning in 2003, and continuing through today. Although the majority of the fleet now has the panels installed, many jets have yet to receive them. Before the addition of these panels, the front doors were a popular place to find nose art. The RAM panels will eventually be fitted on Block 50/52 jets.

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The avionics doors are hinged at the top, revealing the avionics and radar. These boxes can be swapped out in very little time, thus decreasing the time to repair a jet with avionics faults. Notice how the aft panels incorporate the wing strakes into the shape of the door. On the right hand side, on the most forward door, is an Air Data probe, left, that sends information to the jet's Air Data Computers for air tempurate, pressure, etc. It is electrically heated during flight to prevent ice accumulation. Like the pitot tube, it is subject to some very interesting heat discoloration patterns.

Above is a close look at the avionics units behind the doors. The forward bay is at left, while the rear bay is at right. The forward bay is detailed even more closely below. The next page details the avionics bays on the right side of the nose. The forward bay is at top; the rear at bottom. ... - f;

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The Modern Viper Guide

The interior of the bay doors has some detail that shouldn't be ignored. The photos above are the left side of the jet, with the front at left. The hose attached to the front door leads to the RHAW blister, while the hose on the rear door is connected to the static port. Below are the right side doors, with the front at right. Again, the hoses attached to the doors lead to the RHAW blister and static port. The front door has an additional six lines that attach to the Air Data probe found on the outside of that door. The doors remain quite clean.

Left is an overall look at the forward section of the left side of the fuselage. Visible towards the front are the two access doors to the avionics that are shown above, two static ports, an emergency canopy jettison door, and the external canopy control. The two tick marks below the canopy and above the wing strake is to assist ground crew with the positioning of the crew boarding ladder. Towards the rear of the photo, another avionics access door is visible. This photo also shows the angle that the ejection seat is reclined.

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Jake Melampy

(above, far right) There are five static ports--two on the left and three on the righton the forward fuselage that provide information to the Air Data Computers and flight instruments.

Top left is a closer look at the canopy emergency jettison door and canopy lock access, while a closeup of the manual canopy open/close control is above middle. Both are located on the forward fuselage area beneath the cockpit.

(right) The access door is hinged at the top. When opened, it reveals shelves for avionics boxes, wiring harnesses, and plumbing.

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The Modern Viper Guide

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1. PUSH BUTTON TO OPEN DOOR 2. PUll RING OUT 6 FEET TO JETTISON CANOPY

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