Forum: General

Why is it that the Viper doesn't have exterior formation and/or strip lighting like other fighters? Is it due to it's small size?

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Strip lighting is a boeing thing, not lockheed martin

McDonald Douglas....they loved them.

By the way the F-16 has Formation lights on the left wing, right wing, forward top, aft top, forward bottom. Also Position lights left and right intake, wings and aft tail light. hope this helps.

Strip lights were a GD thing (on the F-111s) previously that's why I thought it was strange the Viper didn't have them.

afetsf16 wrote:

By the way the F-16 has Formation lights on the left wing, right wing, forward top, aft top, forward bottom. Also Position lights left and right intake, wings and aft tail light. hope this helps.

I think he is refering to the slime lights. Even the KC-10 has them, McDonnell Douglas loved to put them on their jets. Just another reason the MD jets are the best. Smile

I've asked that before and never really got a definitive answer. Whether it's a

McDonnell Douglas thing or not, it seems like it must be a great idea because literally everything has them from the F-14 to the F-22.
Everything except the F-16 in any capacity whatsoever?!?

Hmm, just jumped over to google on a hunch and looks like at least UAE block 60's have them

That's why I was wondering if it was a relative size thing since the smaller fighters (F-16 and smaller) don't have them. There's NOTHING cooler than strip lights turned all the way up at night though IMO.

Block 60 F-16's have the strip formation lighting, as well as LED formation lights on the intake

Thanks jester!!

Strip lights are of zippo value and actually counterproductive with NVGs on. All current USAF Vipers have NVIS lighting compatible with NVGs and very NICE. At other times the visible lights are adequate and all that is necessary to formate at night w/o NVGs on the rare occasions when you do so. I got my goggs on ASAP after takeoff and left them on as long as possible up to landing. As soon as you went goggs on you had lead go covert and only wingies were flashing visible light. Covert strips were evaluated and rejected in favor of the point IR lights as they bloom less on Noggs.

I think we're asking this question in the wrong way. Instead of asking why they weren't purchased and/or installed (a manuf. question) let's ask the guys that fly it how they fly formation at night.
I know that the slime lights are dimmable like volume on a radio, and from the way they're positioned we can all figure out that you take off, dim the lights to just where you need them and voila your flight is a bunch of glowing green stick figures to form up upon.
So how about it Viper pilots? How do you use a/c illum. on night formations?
My guess would be that there are enough lights including maybe the cockpit glow to form up upon? Are the two lights that illum. the tailcodes dimmable?
If any of you pilots have flown other a/c and used the slime lights, are they really cool and functional?

Vegas, posted at same time....I answered your question. Right after TO I am on NVGs and want my lead to be covert...that means you can't see him at all w/o NVGs on. On Noggs he is nicely lit up, w/o he is invisible. Never heard them called slime lights before but that's a good description...they slime your Noggs and are visible to folks w/o noggs...why have them? Current non-covert lights on Vipers are also Nogg friendly as their "dirty" IR light is reduced via filters...your slime lights are very IR dirty and bloom like a floodlight on Noggs. You will not find a USAF Viper driver that wants to fly very long at night w/o his Noggs on.

Salute!

I flew before strip lights. Put them on the planes I was flying and they looked cool, but only thing they helped with was when the lead rolled. Was easier to pick it up than the single red or green lights. You know, "light on the star" thingie.

Best lights I saw for formation were the logo lights the Viper had that lit up the tail numbers and markings. Had great 3-D effect and roll/oitch changes were easy to pick up. Depth perseption was much better than those strip lights.

oh well,

Gums sends...

Copy both those answers and they were good ones! 'slime lights' is a way pre NVG term, refers to the slimy green color probably both on and off. Any experience with the newer slime lights? They have a black strip which is supposed to be NVG compatible (see the F-22, Israeli F-15I and F-18E/F). I wonder if you can select one or the other because if the green part were on at the same time as the black part it seems like it would be self defeating.
While we're on the subject, newer jets can switch cockpit lighting to NVG as well right? Is it visible light or just a dimmer setting or diff. color that looks better on NVG?