Forum: Technology

I have seen some foreign jet fighters land with a parachute. Does the F-16 do that? How about any other fighter planes? Do we have any jets in the USAF who land with parachutes? Are there any inconveniances with parachute landing?

Thanks.

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Hi !
As far as I know, the only F-16's that use a chute are norwegian F-16's. I do know that many of our airports are rather short so this might be part of the reason. But I think the main reason is our long and often hard winters. So, to land safely on a short icey runway they use a chute ! Wink

Netherlands, Greece F-16's also use dragchutes.
Belgian F-16's are also equipped with a tail that could hold a chute, but in stead they have put CARAPACE (an EWS system) in it.

Venezuelan Vipers also use the drag chute.

Quote:

Do we have any jets in USAF land with parachutes?

The F-117 has one, and the F-4 used to have one too. IIRC the F-105 should have had one as well.

Most European F-16's have drag chutes (not sure about Greece though).

SR-71 used one, I believe F-84s and F-100s did as well.

Mirage III's and F-104's also had one. Every country with 104's had a different type chute. Some had high speed chutes with low speed risers, some high speed chutes and high speed risers and some Low speed chutes with low speed risers. It was a nightmare working TA and making sure you had the correct chute. Also the Brit f-4's had a different chute from the USAF. F-5's also used a chute.

Purplehaze

If we already went un-American, then most of the Russian fighters have one.

About how much runway does the Viper need to land, with or without the chute?

Oh, I'd say 5000ft or so.

Turkish Vipers use the shoot, but only deploy it on certian runways.

Last edited by JR007 on Mar 23, 2005 - 06:37 PM; edited 1 time in total

Well imagine this, it's November 1952 and you are designing the aircraft that is about to hold the world speed record, altitude record, and time to climb record, all at the same time. You try to design a set of wheels and brakes small enough to fit into the new light weight fighter’s fuselage. So the good old drag chute helps to slow your 13,500 pounds touching down at 155 knots without catching things on fire from overheating the brakes.

Imagine it’s 50+ years later and you’re still touching down at 13.5 and 155… Brakes are getting really expensive and your mains are $1,000 a piece and you get a whole 12 landings on a set… Chutes help make both the tires and brakes last longer. If the runway is under 10,000 feet long, we will use the chute.

Inconveniences, after flying from coast to coast around weather in one day, hydroplaning at 160 kts, using the chute on a waterlogged joint use runway, and having to repack the chute, by yourself, while it’s sopping wet while you’re getting refueled so you can make it to base and do an arrival show… Chutes are a pain in the backside if you only have one person to do it. Even with two it’s a dirty and hot job that saves us money every time we land.

Nice pic JR Very Happy

! I hadn't seen that one. I can understand the thought process - MUST SAVE $$$ FOR GAS Wink

!

Obi-gums sez.....

What JR said! Heh heh.

The Norwegians wanted the chute due to the ice-coverd runways. Think the Danes and Dutch also had chutes. Biggest problem was weather-vaning during crosswind landings.

I used the chute in the F-102 and F-101B. Other jets I was around that used the chute: F-106, F-100, Zipper and F-105. The chute in the VooDoo was the way you recovered from a departure. When IAS got below 200, you pulled the chute and the pointy end of the jet went down.

later,

wow JR, off topic I know, but you only get 12 landings on a set of gear? That, dare I say, is nuts!! I agree to you and purplehaze both- I'm in TA now, and we have to deal with chutes from Korean F-4's (and occaisionally F-5's) when they come in. We're lucky though- we don't have to pack them (chute shop does that), we just have to pick them up off the taxiway and re-install them, which isn't bad.

Forum: Technology

How do fighter planes land?