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Stupid question: I know what a Block 32 is, but what is a Block 32J? I have never seen it.

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Wildcat wrote:

Stupid question: I know what a Block 32 is, but what is a Block 32J? I have never seen it.

Believe it or not, there's yet another identifying character on which aircraft is what-the sub-block letter. Goes like this:
Version-Block number-sub-Block letter-a/c serial number

In this case:
F-16C, Block 30J, #87-0327

There's Block 30A, 30B, 30C...etc..h2, jump in anytime with your Block list...

Awful... I only knew Block 50/52Ds as sub-block so far. Why were there sub-blocks in the case of Block 30s?

Well I could write a book about miniblocks - if I didn't already have a job...

Many times improvements are made during the production cycle and these improvements are incorporated during production and designated as "miniblocks" by the alphabetic suffix to the numerical block number.

Another reason for miniblocks is Foreign Military Sales (FMS) - the configuration for that customer might differ so the airframes get a different miniblock designation.

I have a book at home that shows the block/miniblock of every F-16 built and who it was delivered to - up through late Block 40/42 production. There is too much detail to go into here, but browsing the Serial Number database on this site and observing the mini-block designations for the different operators can provide some insight.

But as far as what changed between, say, a Block 30A and a Block 30B, I couldn't tell ya.

Also, the miniblock designations don't start with 30A (for example), they start with 30 then 30a, 30B etc. There were so many Block 15 miniblocks that the alpha suffix went to "double digits".

Another thought - most but not all blocks had miniblocks. Blocks 1 and 5 had no miniblocks. Then came Block 10, followed by 10A etc. The first Block 15s were just that - 15, followed by 15A, etc.

In the case of Block 50/52 F-16C/D they are commonly called CJ/DJ but this is not a miniblock identifier. The J is meant to infer the "Jammer" (SEAD) role of the aircraft. The fact is that the original Block 50/52 did not have SEAD capability - it was first introduced with miniblock 50D and 52D. It has probably been retrofitted to USAF Blocks 50/50A/50B/50C etc but the initial SEAD capability was first built into the 50D miniblock.

Also, we hear the latest Greek jets called Block 52+ and the Israeli jets called F-16I - those are not the official Block identifiers of those jets. I don't know the miniblock designations but you would expect a Block 52+ to really be something like Block 52M (for example). Same for the F-16I, it is really just another miniblock in Block 50/52 production.

OK, thanks a lot Very Happy

! You wrote about a book that explains every miniblocks, can you be more specific about it please? I'd like very much to be able to get it if I can.

Euhm Wildcat,

I don't think that Habu2 is referring to an official publication. By the way, if you browse the serials database on this site, you can always see the miniblock designation. We have all of them up to FY '93 deliveries. From FY '94 deliveries the problem starts with retrieving them.

If anyone has more info about miniblock designations of F-16's build after FY '93, you're most welcome to share them with us.

Greets,

I get it. Thanks a lot Bjorn! Very Happy

I will closely look at that.

HEY, THIS IS MY 100TH POST!!! Shocked

WOW!

Wildcat, the book I referred to is/was a GD publication, not for public release. But like Bjorn said, the same miniblock info is in the serial number database on this site.

Wildcat,

Although it's not really easy to get an overview of all miniblocks from the serials database, there is a way to do it.

Go to the "Advanced Search" in the F-16 serials section

http://www.f-16.net/index.php?module=f1 ... ced_search

Select a specific Block (e.g. Block 32) and leave all the rest blank. Hit search. You'll get a list of all block 32 aircraft, and if you scroll through that list you'll see the different miniblocks.

stefaan

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2862

Wildcat

Don't get too wraped up in the mini-blocks. It is important to know and there are some neat things ( like knowing that part way through Block 3x the "beer can" RWHR started being put on the wing, or something like that ). Just keep it in perspective. The most important thing is that you know that it exists and you are way ahead of most other people on your F-16 knowledge because you visit this site and read all the cool stuff.

You are now ahead of the game because you might in the future, have to drill down to the mini-block level of detail, to get the answer you need. ( my example above was taken from the description of the Block 3x on this site from the Versions Link on the left. And that knowledge has helped me out in the past ) The short answer would be: Take your time: Very Happy

Over time of viewing this site, and being exposed to all of the excellent content here and the close contact with the end users, you will be France's leading expert on the F-16. Very Happy

Hi hi hi, it will look just fine pinned on my wall, close to my bachelor's degree! Laughing

Thanks for advice, 'nice to have people spending some of their time to answer to my stupid questions Very Happy

.

By the way, as I am so selfish that I request help after having already got much Razz

:
I think about building a website dedicated to Mirage 2000s (probably not as big and well designed as this one but it is a very good model Wink

), though I have never made any website before. Can you give me some basic advice to proceed if you have time, please?

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2862

Do it on the M2000 and the Rafale. Idea

Well, the matter is there is already some info about Rafales in several websites (though I have to admit that a lot of them are only written in French) but scarcely anything serious about Mirage 2000s. Moreover, maybe it would be easier to do something about Mirage 2000s only to start. I would like to do it in English, in order not to provide info merely for French readers but for foreigners as well. I read so many posts showing that little was known about Mirage 2000s that I think this website would be useful.

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Sub-blocks of the F-16