Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

That's where I made the mistake. I thought that the tailhook was also used for backtowing in a HAS. And yes, that's always strait backwards like someone suggested. But evidently the backtowing is performed in another way than I thought. If someone can give us more details on how that's exactly done, you're welcome to do so.

Greets,

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Where I live (BOO, Norway), there is a wire in both ends of the runway. Used to stop of F-16's that for some reason not are able to stop (icy runways, brake failure etc.).

Civilian pilots always get a ?check wire inside threshold? reminder before landing.

Every now and then a couple of our pilots need to re-qual on barrier engagments. I believe they are the FCF pilots but I'm not sure. Sucks for crew chiefs because there are inspections to do after a barrier engagment.

I know someone already said it but the Tail hook at least I know in the USAD would never be used for towing. And yes there is a cable at the end of every runway a F-16 lands on

_________________ LET'S ROLL! SPIRIT OF 9-11-01

I know this is somewhat off the subject but I've heard some dumb questions and remarks at airshows. Like this one lady was pointing at a C-130 and said to her kid, look at that F-16 Shocked

. Also this other soccer mom asked this PBY Catalina pilot what kind of airplane does he fly? He playfully remarked thats the enlarged version of the Cessna 172 Seaplane, the lady siad thanks and walked away. Rolling Eyes

. My dad and I almost peed our pants!

Like its been said earlier, the only way your going to get an F-16 aboard a carrier is with a crane.

And like Gums said, the Hook is there because nobody wants to make a barrier trap. Its even less appealing on the carrier, because the approach is straight in instead of angled off the bow and your starring at parked aircraft hopping your not one of the guys thats going to keep going after they hit the ropes.

Drew

Joined: Feb 01, 2007 - 02:38 AM Posts: 0 Status: Offline

The hook CAN be used for towing, kinda......

When pulling the aircraft to the rear, the shear bold is removed, and a winch is attached to the hook in the lowered position. A steering bar is attached to the nose wheel and the aircraft is pulled to the rear.

The same procedure may be done with other aircraft with tail hooks as well, or with tow bars installed on the main gear.

It is rarely done. I've never even heard of it actually being done, but I know the procedure exists.

Many hardened aircraft shelters world-wide, and the Test Cells (Hush Houses) the USAF uses have winches installed at the rear.

Has anyone ever actaully seen this done? I'm interested to know.

Lawman wrote:

Like its been said earlier, the only way your going to get an F-16 aboard a carrier is with a crane.

Drew

I bet I could get one ON, but not off again. Unless it was a touch-and-go. Wink

Grumpy

Can you say "barrier" ??? Thought you could! Smile

"raise the net!!!"

Hey guys,

Just some extra info on the tail hook. Gums is correct that the tailhook is used to stop the aircraft.

The F-16 has two hydraulical systems. System A and B. The only system which is related to breaking is System B. So if you loose this system...

Off course there's a back up system. There are two bottles which will provide breaking pressure for 75 seconds. This is not too much if you know that depressing the pedals (1/16th of an inch) will already start eating of your breaking time. If you managed to stop without any problem you will still need some pressure to put on the parking brake until a crewchief arrives to put the aircraft in the blocks. So the 75 seconds is not that much...

Another problem is that if you have to start up the engine in flight you need pressure to crank up the JFS (JET FUEL STARTER= the start-motor), that pressure comes from...the same bottles. So those bottles will already be empty resulting in no brakes. (it is possible to refill the bottles in flight but that is done by...surprise...: system B!!)
All this adds up to one thing: sometimes you will need a system to stop the aircraft even without brakes. That's where the hook comes in. You put down the hook and it will catch the cable at the end or the middle of the runway. (A cable is not as expensive as a net and it reduces the change of structural damage on the aircraft)

The max speed to engage a cable in the Belgian airforce is 150Kts. When aborting a take-off above 100Kts the hook is lowered anyway, just to be sure.

So I think that's about it guys...

Have fun!

Gums, you are the man!

I'll add a little to the discussion if I could.....

Barriers at most Viper only bases are strung depending on the active runway. Usually 2 cables, 1 sitting about 1500' from the departure end and another sitting just in the overrun. Vipers typically can't take off over cables on the approach end of the runway because they tend to wreak havoc with centerline tanks and ECM pods on station 5. If you're at a base that leaves cables strung at both ends of the runway (Nellis for example), you just taxi past the cable, then start your takeoff roll.

Taking the cable in the Viper is definitely an emergency procedure only (unless the barrier needs to be certified). And very few situations exist that warrant an approach end cable. I've been the SOF for 2 Viper approach end arrestments and there is much nashing of teeth until the jet is safely down. The first worked like a champ, we had time to get the cable strung on the approach end of the active runway before he ran out of gas. He took the 1500' cable perfectly with no damage to the jet or pilot. The second one was a little hairy (sts) because gas was a factor so we couldn't get the approach end cable strung to the active runway. The solution? - an opposite direction approach with a 10kt tailwind. He ends up landing in the overrun which caused him to bounce and catch the overrun cable with the mains about a foot in the air. Quite a show to say the least, but the jet held up with minimal damage to the ventral fins and speed brakes.

Got to love being the SOF....

Push it UP!
Burn

Setting the barrier

GWALIOR AIR FORCE STATION, India -- Airman 1st Class Kevin Baker (left) and Staff Sgts. Robert Roe (center) and Todd Pederson secure the Mobile Aircraft Arresting System cable in place during Cope India 04 here. The MAAS is designed to ensure U.S. pilots land safely in the event of an in-flight emergency. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown)

Full Story: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123007019

Burn,

Here at Luke we takeoff over the approach end cable, centerline tank and all. We're usual at around 70 knots (if I remember correctly) when we run over the cable. Doesn't seem to cause too much problem.

On a side note, we had two jets take the cable today (separate incidents). Some really bad weather (for Luke at least). Only took about 15-20 minutes to get the runway back open after the engagements.

-JF

JF,

I didn't remember that from Luke (then again, there's a lot I dont remember from Luke), but after looking in an IFR sup the approach end cables are strung but not in the raised postition on 03R/21L (which is the runway we usually took off from, correct?) Taking off over the cable is OK if it's not raised on the doughnuts. See if that's the case the next time you take off.

Burn

Does anyone know how much weight the tailhook on an F-16 can hold?

Thanks

Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Why do Vipers have arrestor hooks?