Forum: General

Has anybody ever used the dorsal tail piece with the little air scoop from a C model on the D? Could you in a pinch? There's a D at Misawa 91-0462, and I've seen some others that have the scoop on the front of the tail at various times in their career.

Thanks!

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If my memory serves me right, those air scoops were for ASPJ cooling. The USAF never bought the ASPJ (airborne self-protection jammer) so those ducts are vestigial. They didn't appear until the block 30s came out, and I've never seen a D-model with these ducts. That makes sense, because the D was never designed to have the ASPJ. I'm sure the panel with the scoop will fit on a D-model and will do just fine on it.

There's also an air scoop that turns 180 degrees under the left strake just aft of the avionics door where the VHF radio is mounted (damn--getting old--forgot the door number). It too is part of the ASPJ cooling system and goes nowhere. We took some of them off our jets when we had them.

Not without a TCTO or other engineering configuration change authorization.

The USAF F-16D models came from the factory without the ASPJ scoops. In order to change the non scooped panels from an F-16D with the scoop panels off of an F-16C (or vis-vesa), an engineering configuration change would have to be accomplished. The whole process will be routed through the SPO, manufacture engineering, and flight test, for approval for that particular aircraft, since that action would change the aircraft’s "original airframe production configuration".

Never in my 13 years of F-16 Crew Chief experience have we ever canned the ASPJ scooped dorsal panels from a C to a D. While the panels are interchangeable, it would not be a typical or feasible can action. Also note that these panels “rarely” come off in the field and are usually only removed during phase.

In Flight test, where configuration changes are tested and approved, there's process that needs to be followed through, in order for such a change to be implemented before the flight line level.

I’ve seen and worked with many F-16D dorsal tail housings, where SI, test equipment and specific systems were installed. We’ve also had OT&E F-16Ds modified with the certain systems that were sent to the field like at Nellis and Misawa. These were one off test beds that went through the configuration change process via Flight Test.

This is very interesting, since this very subject came up at my model club meeting today. This topic was discussed in detail with a former Fort Worth Flight Test Engineer (now a NASA Flight Test Engineer), former Flight Test Pilot/Program director, NASA Quality Assurance Inspector, and another Flight Test Maintainer and we all confirmed the same procedure would have to be followed.

Mike V

The ASPJ scoops under the left strake have a lot of history; although they were not used, they were the subject of many FO searches in the bay, because the Wiggins clamp that joined the scoop and the ducting failed on numerous occasions, and many units spent a lot of time looking for the parts. At some time a cap was authorized to prevent this from happening, but I would have to dig deep to find exactly when that happened. Some ANG units received authorization to remove the scoop and cap the hole completely in that panel.

A few years ago, a message came out directing that no maintenance be performed and no funds be spent on any parts of the ASPJ system on USAF aircraft. If clamps broke, brackets broke, or waveguides cracked, a 107T was submitted to perform the stow/remove/tie back actions and document any maintenance performed (I assume should we ever choose to go with ASPJ, these 107s would be source information for ordering parts).

I assume (and again I would have to look) that at some point, some production aircraft had the ASPJ provisions installed, and that at some other point some production aircraft were delivered without these provisions.

It is interesting to note that USN experimented with ASPJ for a while, don't know how many aircraft they installed it on or even what type. Our feeling at the time in USAF was that we would let them spend the money and find the problems, and then retrofit our F-16s. To our surprise, that never happened.

Best Regards,

Forum: General

D model crew chiefs/maintenance people....