Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hey guys,

The outlet? just below the "Danger Ejection Seat" stencil. I came to realise that all the Ds don't have it. I don't see it on all the Cs. What is that for? And why is it optional?

Thanks in advance for any responses.
Picture from ARC Walkarounds

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I think the Daco book addresses this, I'll look tonight, letcha know...

Gotta fly!
Skippy

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi Habu,
Thanks for the help. I have the DACO myself. Didn't know it is mentioned in the book! The book is not with me now. Will wait for your response. Very Happy

Thanks,

I looked for ya and didn't see that cover over the vent. The pics that show that vent just show a grille over them, no hood.
Gotta fly!
Skippy

One of the things I have planned for my website is a kind of 'walk-around' showing each part of the F-16 and how it differs between blocks. This vent or outlet is one of those differences. While I don't have any idea what this vent is actually for, I can tell you just when it started appearing. I went through several of my F-16 books trying to figure out just which F-16s had this vent and which ones didn't. What I ended up with was a spreadsheet full of serial numbers, users, and other factors for about 200 different F-16Cs and Ds. Shocked

I came to the following conclusions (not facts), all based on photo-analysis:

The vent in question first appeared on Block 30B and 32C F-16Cs (there were no 32Bs). The vent appears on all USAF F-16C Blk 30B and later, and never on any F-16D. None of the USN F-16Ns or TF-16Ns have the vent.

It never appears on any production F-16 earlier than Block 30B with the exception of a couple of test birds at Edwards, Eglin and NASA, and it was added to those birds because I have before/after pictures.

Export market gets trickier - Egypt Blk 32 did not have it but Egypt Blk 40 did. Korean Blk 32 did not have it but Blk 52 did. I found photos Greek Blk 30s both with and without it. Never found it on F-16s for Turkey, Israel or Bahrain, no matter what the production block was.

The DACO book shows the panel with the vent on p.22 but does not describe it. If you look at the section on the Blk 40 Aviano bird with all the panels open you can see what is behind the vent on p.85 (top right photo) and you can see some kind of duct or plenum on the inside of the open panel that apparently feeds the vent.

I would guess the reason the vent does not appear on any 2-seat D models is because whatever was behind the vent was displaced by the addition of the second cockpit and was moved elsewhere in the airframe. Surely some crew chief knows what this vent is for and what is behind it.

One last observation - I would estimate that only 20% of the published F-16 photographs are of the right side of the airplane, most are of the left side. Even fewer show both the vent and the tail number, without both the photo did not help my analysis. I thought that was rather interesting in and of itself...

GregD

So would it be safe to say that it appeared on the Block 32 F-16C I'm doing from OIF?

Gotta fly!
Skippy

Habu, only if it is a Block 32C or later - what is the serial #?

Quote:

One last observation - I would estimate that only 20% of the published F-16 photographs are of the right side of the airplane, most are of the left side. Even fewer show both the vent and the tail number, without both the photo did not help my analysis. I thought that was rather interesting in and of itself...

Hi Habu2,

Refer:F-16 Fighting Falcons (Osprey Publishing), pg 33: F-16C Block 32 (87-0319) and pg 48: a/c ...F-16C (not sure).

RSAF F-16C #615 (140 sqn) has the vent on the starboard but not the port - maybe the cannon was in the way.

Will try to upload some pics under the technical section.

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi habu2,
That sounds like a pile of homework man! Shocked

If you look at the section on the Blk 40 Aviano bird with all the panels open you can see what is behind the vent on p.85 (top right photo) and you can see some kind of duct or plenum on the inside of the open panel that apparently feeds the vent.
That is from the DACO? I guess that will answer most if not whole of the question.

Greetings hawkeye,
RSAF F-16C #615 (140 sqn) has the vent on the starboard but not the port - maybe the cannon was in the way.
Sorry, I think you have misinterpreted habu2's lines. If I'm right, habu2 meant to say, most Viper publication focus on the port side of the a/c. There isn't sufficient pictures, showing both the vent cover together with the tail number to facilitate his studies.
Nonetheless, you sure are right when you mentioned that the same location on the opposite side is occupied by the gun. If my data is correct, all RSAF C Vipers has the vent cover.

cheers, Very Happy

habu2 wrote:

Habu, only if it is a Block 32C or later - what is the serial #?

87-284
I looked it up in the database, and it's a Block 30H, rather than a 32 as I first thought. So my guess is the vent is not there. Also, being a Block 30, methinks it had the small mouth intake, yesnot?
It's the CO bird from the latest TwoBobs sheet 48-061.

Gotta fly!
Skippy

Habu, 30H is later than 30B so I would think that it would have the vent present. Also 87-0274 has the large mouth MCID inlet, not the small mouth. You can check here:

http://www.habu2.net/vipers/viperblocks ... nlets.html

This list covers US production during the period when both inlets were being used on GE-powered F-16s, and when Block 25 production overlapped Blocks 30/32. The data comes straight from General Dynamics. Be forewarned, the file size is about 1400KB Shocked

so if you are on a dialup connection it may take a while...

Nah, don't worry about filesize, I've bid farewell to dialup long ago. I would only use it as a very last resort.
Anyway, got it....I had a feeling it was the MCID, but I had started building this kit years ago, when I didn't know the diff. And the Hasegawa kit only came with the NSI, it's V106, so no MCID intake. I dunno I guess I could kitbash an intake from one of my other kits, but I know the Cutting Edge intake would be nicer....decisions, decisions...
Gotta fly!
Skippy

Hi Pumpkin,

What I meant was I couldn't see any vent on the port side similar to the photo you attached.

Sorry for the confusion. Wink

Forum Veteran Joined: Nov 07, 2003 - 09:12 PM Posts: 901

Hi hawkeye,
no worries, I guess I am the one who misinterpreted your words.
cheers, Very Happy

As far as the vent on the right side of the aircraft.......that is nothing more than a vent for the aft equip bay. Its not connected to anything if memory suits me. I have spent many an hour with my head up in that bay and even have taken that particular panel completely off the aircraft (its normally hinged at the top). To satisfy my curiosity I will wander over to the depot hangar on wed (federal holiday tomorrow) and verify.

Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Outlet just below cockpit ?