Forum: F-16 versus XYZ

I assumed it was someone having fun with a 3D modeler and building a 35/22 hybrid. Is this an actual proposal?

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stereospace wrote:

I assumed it was someone having fun with a 3D modeler and building a 35/22 hybrid. Is this an actual proposal?

I can't wait to actually fly it in MS Flight Simulator! Rolling Eyes

neurotech wrote:

shingen wrote:

Is there any way to take an F100 or F110 and superdupercharge it rather than using what appears to be 2 F414 type engines?

Yes, the PW F119 or the GE YF120 engine. The F110-132 is used on the F-16 Block 60 aircraft but I don't think they upgraded the intakes from the baseline 'big mouth' Block 40/50 jets.

The F119 engine is very expensive, if it was available for export at all. The F414 EDE is available, relatively cheap (A prroduction F414 engine is around $4m each) and high performance. The KAI F/A-50 is slated to use a single F414 engine. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet uses the F414 engine in the fleet, and the F/A-18 for Brazil would likely get the F414-EDE engine.

For instance, a F135 engine wont be fitted to a F-22 upgrade, as it is not optimized for supersonic flight. It uses a larger fan for increased thrust. The F-22 engine bay wont accommodate a significantly larger fan either.

That_Engine_Guy might have more information or corrections.

The 'super-charged' F100 was the F100-PW-232, which lost out to the F110-GE-132; both required the 'big-mouth' inlet to achieve the 32K of MAX thrust. The engines would fit the F-15 or F-16. The PW-232 was dropped after the UAE selected the GE-132.

The F119 will not likely be exported due to the congressional mandates on the Raptor's technology. The YF120 program technology was moved into other propulsion programs and it's variable cycle design did not follow into the F136. The F135 is obviously past the export rules, as it is part of an 'international' program. The F136 would have been the same IF it would have survived the budget cuts. It would be simply too expensive to revamp the YF120 or restart the F136 program without direct funding from a customer.

As for replacing twin F414s with a single; why? It was clearly the designer's intent for a twin engine aircraft. While twin F414s may be cheaper than a single F135, they will cost more over the program's life-cycle. (Twins always do; more maintenance and 2x as many overhauls). There are the obvious benefits having twin engines, but in aviation you can't have something for nothing. In this case you may get cheaper initial cost, and redundancy in your propulsion system, but you're spending more $$ over the program's life and adding weight and complexity to your aircraft.

IF the F135 is produced in quantity the price per motor SHOULD approach the cost of two F414s. This would only be the purchase price. Like I've said many times (and just now) maintaining 2 jet engines for a number years will cost more than maintaining 1 engine even if the latter is more expensive to begin with.

But since this is mainly hypothetical; I'll keep flying my F-22 and F-35 on MSFS.

Keep 'em flyin' Thumb

TEG

@TEG Do you think a F/A-50 with a single F414-EDE would make a good light strike fighter? Similar to how the F-5E/F became & F-20 was planned to be.

neurotech wrote:

@TEG Do you think a F/A-50 with a single F414-EDE would make a good light strike fighter? Similar to how the F-5E/F became & F-20 was planned to be.

Why not the F-5 has been doing an outstanding job in that role for decades!

TEG

Forum: F-16 versus XYZ

KFX C100 V.S. F-35