Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Hi all,

I'm in search of the following information:<ul>
<li>different ECP (engineering change proposals) who are applicable to the F-16
<li>different 'Pacer' programs (like Pacer SLIP, Pacer Bond, etc.)
<li>different 'Falcon' programs (like Falcon UP, Falcon STAR, etc.)
</ul>If anyone has more information about these different subject, please feel free to share them with us.

The meaning of this topic is to get general information about these programs. For example: the Pacer Bond program was a program which resulted in applying the gold metal film inside the canopy and the application of RAM coatings on the F-16 to reduce RCS. Of course we don't need to now the exact composition of the gold film or the composition of the RAM materials. We know these informations are still in the classified area. So don't need those, just the general idea behind a program.

Greets,

F-16.net Sponsor

Bjorn, there are literally hundreds of ECPs, I don't know that there is a public listing of all of them. Some are listed in the front of the -1 when the -1 is updated (change pages) along with the aircraft. I'm sure GD/LMTAS logistics has an extensive database on this but I doubt they would be very forthcoming.

Wow. This would be a great list if it ever happens. Would help me understand and connect the dots even more on worldwide jets. Yes the insanely detailed Block listing with all of it's info even has limits. This would be great to understand even more, the capability of a certain batch of jets used by customer x or y.

Be nice if we all kick in some money to send the F-16.net team to Hill AFB for a week or more, to talk to people at the depot and pick up on all of the extra F-16 trivia. Very Happy

( seriously you could probably get a tour and an interview with F-16 SPO and depot "MA" people that are very knowledgeable on these very matters) . Their P.A. office could clear it I am sure considering this site is one of the public consumption authorities on all things F-16, they wouldn't have a problem with it. Depot pukes would know what all those programs are, chapter and verse.

OK,

To make it easier for everybody. I will do some research on what we have. I'll post it here tomorrow so you guys can add to the list that I provide. Its always easier to add to an existing list than to start from scratch.

Just give me one day to do some research.

Greets,

Here we go. This is what I already came up with after a very brief research. This list of course is far from complete (not even close), but anyone who has more info can post it here.

1. Different ECP's

ECP-1910: wing carry-through bulkheads FS309/325/341
ECP-1987: upper blk inclined stiffener FS-341 replacement
ECP-1871: BL-16 cockpit longeron replacement
ECP-7616: ASPIS installation on Greek F-16s
ECP-1962: GE engine mount longeron
ECP-1912: changing engine mount support
ECP-1992: inspecting FS-462 and replacing FS-479 bulkhead
ECP-1085: F-16 OCU
ECP-1172: F-16 OCU
ECP-1147: incorporation of altitude warning system
ECP-1203: introduction of voice message unit
ECP-1315: adding a drag chute
ECP-1641: introduction of the Have Quick radio
ECP-4003: replacement of the original small horizontal tails with the larger ones
ECP-4021: replacement of the F-100-PW-200 engines with the –220E version
ECP-H026: replacement of the original inertial nav unit with the LN-93 ring laser gyro

2. Pacer programs

Pacer SLIP: Structural Life Improvement Program (including ECP-1910)
Pacer UP:
Pacer AMSTEL: After MLU Structural Enhancement of Lifetime (same as Falcon STAR)
Pacer BOND: Fitting of gold film on the canopy and RAM materials on the engine intake and other sharp surfaces to reduce RCS
Pacer LOFT I: conversion block 1 & 5 to block 10 (1982)
Pacer LOFT II: conversion block 1 & 5 to block 10 (1983)
Pacer PIPE:

3. Falcon programs

Falcon-Up: Structural enhancements
Falcon STAR: Structural Augmentation Roadmap: 8,000 hour cycle for European MLU’s

Greets,

Bjorn,

On the F-16 maintenance side with regards to your query! Are you crazy? Very Happy

I would say that when a modification to an aircraft (ECP) gets to us it's called a TCTO (Time Compliance Tech Order). Within the instructions of these TCTO's are probably comments in regards to ECP's but there would be hundreds if not a thousand plus. I don't know who would have such a data base other then Hill AFB and Lockheed/Martin. Each unit would receive the reguired TCTO's based on the block series of their aircraft only. Now mind you, they may also receive TCTO's for other block aircraft as well but would be foolish to keep them all due to the amount of storage space a hard copy would require.

I'm basing this on 7 years experience in the Quality Assuance field and of course this is the office whick reviews all TCTO's to determine applicability and determines (with the assistance of the assigned work centers) what is required to accomplish the modification (if it can be accomplished at unit level).

There might be some members in this forum that know the sequence of modifications with regards to Falcon-up and Falcon Star. I've seen the long term schedule of modifications on a power point demo but deleted it long ago based on my belief that most proposals for modifications can sometimes be more optimistic than what is funded.

I'm sorry to carry on here but I thought I'd share a little of my own experience with regards to these modifications.

Have a great day!
Chickenlegs

Hey!!! I like insanely detailed trivia... just because you work with the stuff all the time... Very Happy

Seriously, though I think some of it might be really useful, I found a lot of that short list he posted kind of interesting. Could be risky though. If someone just off the top of their head wondered if F-16's Block "XX" from "a" airforce can use "w" weapon, I can rattle off that they need "_______" update for it to work.

The problem is, when that day happens, it will be a wake up call, that I need a life. Laughing

Hi Chickenlegs,

Yes, not only from a maintenance point of view is this effort insane.

You say thousand!? Today, there are written more than 2,000 ECP's for the F-16. But its not that we want to finish the job tomorrow. We have time to complete it. Yes, I know that every ECP is written down in a TCTO. I have that info as well, but I didn't include it because its rather technical and of no much use to the community.

Elp, for your concern about the release of sensitive data. I wouldn't worry too much about that. Its not that we're releasing detailled data for a certain system. For example ECP-7616, we state that its the instalment of ASPIS on Greek F-16s. Well, everybody nows already that they have that system. And so it is with most ECM systems (or other systems) on the worldwide F-16 fleet.

BTW, there is much more detailled information already available on the web about these ECP's and TCTO's than we're providing here. Info that's often released by some governments themselves, so I don't think it will harm that much that we display a very short overview list.

So, any addition to the list is very welcome.

Greets,

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

Don't forget there are Pacer programs for the engines as well.

Pacer Century is the accelerated engine life program for the F100-PW-220/-220E and the F100-PW-229.

The goal is to fly a "Pacer" engine twice as much as the rest of the fleet.

The data gathered from the Pacers through normal use and special inspections is used to identify problems or incoporate improvements on a limited basis. This allows age or useage problems to be identified prior to the entire fleet being affected. It also allows limited flight testing of improvements to the engines, prior to a fleet upgrade.

Thanks bix,

Very nice!

Greets,

Bjorn,

Well I must say that this will be quite the endeavor. Where do you plan on posting this stream of information? I'll give you credit........and maybe to others that to get 90% of this information would be quite an achievement. I agree that most of the information could be harmless if put in the right context. I'm a bit curious though. How are you even going to get close to compiling this info without help from someone in the know? Is there that much info on the internet to compile such a list? Now I know why you guys needed your vacations? Very Happy

I can't even imagine the number of hours this could take! Best of luck.....and who knows.....I might get sucked up in the moment and do a little homework myself!

Have a great day!
Chickenlegs

Bjorn wrote:

Hi Chickenlegs,

Yes, not only from a maintenance point of view is this effort insane.

You say thousand!? Today, there are written more than 2,000 ECP's for the F-16. But its not that we want to finish the job tomorrow. We have time to complete it. Yes, I know that every ECP is written down in a TCTO. I have that info as well, but I didn't include it because its rather technical and of no much use to the community.

Elp, for your concern about the release of sensitive data. I wouldn't worry too much about that. Its not that we're releasing detailled data for a certain system. For example ECP-7616, we state that its the instalment of ASPIS on Greek F-16s. Well, everybody nows already that they have that system. And so it is with most ECM systems (or other systems) on the worldwide F-16 fleet.

BTW, there is much more detailled information already available on the web about these ECP's and TCTO's than we're providing here. Info that's often released by some governments themselves, so I don't think it will harm that much that we display a very short overview list.

So, any addition to the list is very welcome.

Greets,

Oh I didn't mean "risky" from an OPSEC point of view. I meant "risky" from the ability to absorb so much trivia on the jet that people would lock me up in a looney bin Very Happy

Hi guys,

Nice answer elp Very Happy

Chickenlegs. If you want to do some research on this as well, I won't stop you. You know the general context on what we're looking for.

But hey, vacation for us doe mean that we're working on the site. But its far more than this. This research is what we do between (as we say it in Belgium) between the soup and the salad. Cool

So everybody, keep posted on this one and keep contributing those ECP's, Pacer's and Falcon's.

Greets,

Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Pacer, Falcon or ECP