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How long does it take to produce one Viper?
And what time does it take to flighttest one before delivery?

If delivering is scheduled in july 2006, when will they start assembling the aircraft?

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It depends on when you define the start point. Many individual parts and subassemblies are built months before things start to come together on the assembly floor. Plus a lot depends on the production rate and the size of the workforce. I don't have the exact years or numbers but I am sure that in the F-16s heyday the FW factory cranked out a few hundred jets a year. In later years that number was more like 20 or 30. Guess I'm saying there is no set number or time.

They can produce the aircraft faster or slower depending on the need for the aircraft. During WWII, they produced a heck of a lot of B-17s in one month due to the need for them in Europe, but not much after the war. Same goes for the F-16s, if theres no war going on, then theres no rush to build um.

Last edited by awetsock on Feb 14, 2004 - 06:22 PM; edited 1 time in total

We have a couple of reservists that work for Lockheed and I was told that they put out three per month...

Update:

They have ramped up production recently and are producing 4 to 6 now per month...

Veteran Joined: Nov 23, 2003 Posts: 285 Status: Offline

-UAE signs agreement for purchase of 80 F-16s in early march 2000.

- Fabrication of first structural part starts in early Nov 2001.

Fabrication work on F-16s for UAE starts
Dubai |By A Staff Reporter | 05-11-2001

Fabrication on the first structural part of the Block 60 F-16s for the UAE Air Force has been started by Lockheed Martin.

"Cutting the first chips was an important milestone for the programme," John Bean, vice-president of the UAE Block 70 programme. "It is exciting to finally be building the actual aircraft," he is quoted as saying in Flight Daily News.

- CHIEF OF UAE ARMED FORCES VIEWS FINAL ASSEMBLY OF FIRST BLOCK 60 F-16 on the 23rd of may 2003.

CHIEF OF UAE ARMED FORCES VIEWS FINAL ASSEMBLY OF FIRST BLOCK 60 F-16
FORT WORTH, TX, May 23, 2003 -- Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Chief of Staff of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, and his delegation visited Lockheed Martin¿s [NYSE: LMT] Fort Worth plant on May 23 to review the status of the UAE F-16 program.

The visit included a program status briefing, a tour of the Block 60 program area and a demonstration in the Block 60 F-16 flight simulator. During a tour of the factory, the delegation observed that the forward, center and aft fuselage sections of the first UAE F-16 are in final assembly. The delegation also was able to meet with Lockheed Martin executives and with UAE pilots and project team members residing in the United States.

"I was very impressed with the design tools and modern aircraft factory that are being used to develop and produce the UAE F-16," said Sheikh Mohammed. "I am pleased with the progress of the Block 60 program, which is tracking to schedule. This is a very important program for our national defense, and we eagerly await receiving our first aircraft next year."

The delegation also included Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Information and Culture, and Maj. Gen. Khalid bin Abdullah al Buainain, Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence.

"We highly value the strong relationships with the United Arab Emirates," said Dain M. Hancock, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "Sheikh Mohammed has been a strong supporter of this program, and his personal involvement since the beginning has set the tone for success."

- "informal" rollout: November 10, 2003
- "Official" rollout: does anybody have this date?

-First Flight: December 6, 2003

Hope it helps

Well I know Israel is getting 2 F-16I's a month for the next 4 years, plus others that have already been stated UAE etc so I'd say the figure of 5-6 a month is fair.

Elite Joined: Jun 29, 2004 Posts: 961 Status: Offline

But the question was how long? When I was buying USAF B50s in the late 90s, it was 36 months from contract to delivery. I heard rumors that an FMS contract took 24 months but never got the details.

Newbie Joined: Dec 02, 2003 Posts: 17 Status: Offline

24-30 months now

Newbie Joined: Sep 22, 2005 Posts: 5 Status: Offline

Yeah, I know...ressurrecting an old thread. 'How long it takes to build' is different than rate of production. From start to finish I believe its around 6-9 months. From loading of parts in tools to finished product ready for flight testing and delivery to customer. Just to compare, the new boeing 787 is shooting for a 3 day flow, from mate to final assembly. I believe the 737NG is around 20 days.

Elite Joined: May 14, 2004 Posts: 2945 Location: Utah

I don't know about these days but in 1981 I was sent to the plant in Fort Worth to watch my aircraft being built. They started on a Monday (pressing out the metal skin, formers and such), assembly began that same day. Now keep in mind, the plant was going 24 hours a day back then to kick out aircraft to the USAF and its partners in this venture. It actually took my aircraft five days to be built and flown (FCF'ed) on Saturday, I launched it out for its maiden voyage.

It was an amazing process, I watched it in all phases of construction. Monday I was back at Nellis and I was recovering my aircraft that afternoon. Great time, great folks, great aircraft. I knew I was part of history back then, many Crew Chiefs from Nellis got to go on this limited program, I was one. It was very cool...

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How long to build an F-16?