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Newbie Joined: Sep 25, 2008 Posts: 1 Status: Offline

What are the most significant structural-related issues that the F-16 will be facing up to its retirement? Clearly, the fact that the F-16 is planned for use beyond its original intended lifespan, structural fatigue due to over-use is a risk. Block 25 aircraft are getting old and will retire soon but there may be some structural-related evaluations that should be conducted before it is fully retired. Block 30/32 aircraft are also getting up there in age but there may be more structure-related evaluations that should be conducted to keep these aircraft flying until they are retired than for the Block 25. Certainly, Block 40/42 aircraft are reaching their midlife crises and structure-related evaluations may be needed more with this group of aircraft than the other blocks to prepare these aircraft for a longer-than-planned-for-life-expectancy. Finally, plans for conducting structure-related evaluations for Block 50/52 aircraft should be planned well in advance to keep these aircraft flying as long as they are able to perform their missions. What are your thoughts?

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Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2601 Status: Offline

The biggest problem that we saw the Viper face was the fact that for the past couple of decades, the AF has increasingly used the plane for things that it was not designed to be used for. Heavier fuel and bomb loads, and newer ordnance has led to stress in many of the airframes. Using a single type fighter for virtually every type of tasking is also known as "F-4 Syndrome". It only leads to more problems, and there are many birds that will go to AMARC before their time because of it.

Several years ago, Aviation Leak did a great article about this problem. I wish I could find it again.

Elite 1K Joined: Apr 26, 2004 Posts: 1192 Status: Offline

TC....you hit the nail on the head. When the F-16 was first brought on board it was to bring down the evil empire. As it turned out we spent 4-5 hours each day with either Northern Watch, Southern Watch, or for you old timers Provide Comfort.....then came Operation Allied Force.Many airframe hours were spent in support of these. When we purchased them it wasn't even in the books......so now we have to live with what we have. If you don't like it tough!

Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2601 Status: Offline

Funny enough Purple, I wind up flying in a plane that could very well face the same problem. The problem for a lot of our planes today, is that they just weren't designed to handle the day in and day out of our new Ops Tempo. We'll fly a bird on an OIF multi-stopper, and then fly it home. From there, MX will do a turn and burn, and then the very same bird just a couple of hours later is going out on an OEF multi-stopper. The stress of use, along with the heat and sand of the desert, are simply tearing our airframes to pieces. There is no good reason why a 9 or 10 year old airframe should have the equivalent of 20+ years of use.

Enthusiast Joined: Jul 03, 2008 Posts: 40 Status: Offline

I work '85-'86 small mouth block 30's with the jets on avg between 5000 and 6000 hours on them, it is getting harder to maintain, especially when I get called out for possible cracks in areas of the jet where I got no tech data on how to a NDI inspection in that area. I've seen some cracking where you wouldn't think it would crack but every piece of structure on the jet has a breaking point, and its becoming much harder to look at areas of the jet. the latest structural upgrade only covers specific bulkheads depending on the block of aircraft, Block 25,30,32 have the bulk of the upgrades, 40, 42, 50, and 52 have less structural upgrades.

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Increased F-16 structural evaluations to retirement?