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Enthusiast Joined: Jan 21, 2008 Posts: 55 Status: Offline

Just wondering what your cruise speed is? Also, is there a max range speed?

Thanks, Mike

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Elite 1K Joined: Aug 19, 2004 Posts: 1090

OleRusty wrote:

Just wondering what your cruise speed is? Also, is there a max range speed?

Thanks, Mike

It's entirely dependent on gross weight, drag index (i.e. external stores drag), and the F-16 variant in question (different engines give different cruise speeds). I'm probably leaving something out, but those are the main factors. There's no single cruise speed. There are cruise speed charts based on altitude and airspeed. Max range speed would occur at a specific altitude and gross weight and would continually change as weight decreased (from burning up fuel). Cruise speed is basically max range airspeed for a given set of conditions (altitude, gross weight, drag index, etc.). Absolute max range requires flying a very specific pre-planned profile. An F-16 pilot isn't really concerned with absolute max range because the F-16 is a combat aircraft and likely won't have the opportunity to fly such an ideal profile. The pilot is more interested in how to best fly his aircraft at certain stages of a mission so that his range (or possibly endurance) is maximized.

Senior member Joined: Jul 01, 2007 Posts: 347

Many factors are involved but for our typical altitudes max endurance is right around 250 and best range never gets very far from 300. We have cruise modes in the jet that we can call up for that kind of stuff and we just fly what the jet tells us to. It's no fun though, tactically life doesn't get interesting till 350-400. Very Happy

Enthusiast Joined: Jan 21, 2008 Posts: 55 Status: Offline

Raptor and Snake, thanks for the answers. I figured there were a lot of variables to the equation. You both gave me great info. Mike

Newbie Joined: Sep 13, 2007 Posts: 15 Status: Offline

The best I've seen is .93 mach at FL450 with about 2400 pph fuel flow. That was in the Block 40 demo config - clean with a travel pod on the centerline and launchers on the wingtips.

OIF config - 2x tanks, Sniper, 2x TER GBU-12s, 2x BRU GBU-38s, 2x -120s is about 325 KCAS and 5500 pph in the teens. The jets feels like a speed brake at tactical speeds!

SnakeHandler is right...

Shaft

Senior member Joined: Jul 01, 2007 Posts: 347

I still agree with TEG. We need the PW232 and the DSI inlet. Twisted Evil

SnakeHandler wrote:

We need the PW232 and the DSI inlet. Twisted Evil

Don't forget the Low-Observable Axisymmetrical Nozzle (LOAN) slapped onto that PW-232.... Keeps the IR signature of all that power to a minimum and increases nozzle life... Very Happy

(I wish they used them on the PW-229s...)

Edit "Asymetric" should be "Axisymmetrical" - This nozzle is not a vectoring nozzle. Found the error while looking at some old information sheets I still have laying about Wink

For thrust vector you'd need a PW PYBBN (Pitch-Yaw Balanced Beam Nozzle) which would also be way cool on a PW-232 or PW-229!

Senior member Joined: Jul 01, 2007 Posts: 347

me too

Enthusiast Joined: Jan 21, 2008 Posts: 55 Status: Offline

You lost me on the pw232 and loan but I think that you're refering to a newer engine and ir suppressors for the engines, right? if so, are you still using the pw100s?

Ain't nobody in the USAF usin' PW 100s any more, are they??

Enthusiast Joined: Jan 21, 2008 Posts: 55 Status: Offline

Bout half the references I've found showed PW100s. Take it everyone's using 229s now?

Yes the F100-PW-232 is a growth engine of the F100-PW-229 that uses fan (airflow) technologies from the F119 to increase airflow through the engine. The PW-232 would require the larger DSI inlet for greater airflow to allow higher thrust. In a standard inlet "Small Mouth" the PW-232 would only make about 29K thrust same as the PW-229 as it uses the maximum amount of airflow that inlet can provide to the engine's face. With a larger inlet the PW-232 would make about 32K in a Viper. Twisted Evil

(Perhaps a bit more in an Eagle with it's larger variable inlets.)

The LOAN nozzle would cool exhaust and nozzle components to reduce the IR signature of the nozzle/exhaust. This cooler operation would almost double the life of the parts between overhauls which is a major advantage over previous (current) nozzle life.

Information here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions_article20.html

Note the edit on my first post. I had my Asy and Axis mixed up Doh

As for the PYBB Nozzle: http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item46797.html

The PYBBN gave any F100 the ability to vector 360* with 4K of side-force. Cool

Neither nozzle nor the F199-PW-232 made it into production.
Two Cents

I believe they would have been too much compitetion for newer engines the USAF wanted to buy and PW wanted to sell? They all but disappeared in the late 1990s... Don't think they wanted to see foreign F-16s with all that power and trust vector, or an Eagle with 70K lbs of thrust with 3D vector? (Versus the Raptor's 2D Vector)

OleRusty wrote:

Bout half the references I've found showed PW100s. Take it everyone's using 229s now?

Block52/52+ Vipers get PW-229s, Almost all other blocks with PW have PW-220, very few have the original PW-200.

SixerViper wrote:

Ain't nobody in the USAF usin' PW 100s any more, are they??

Block52s and Block42s (ANG Only) use PW-229s. The Thunderbirds will be using them starting in the 2009 season in their "new" Block52s.

Block25s, Block32s and Block42s (USAF) use PW-220 or PW-220E (Same thing but the later was an upgrade or "equivalent" engine)

I believe the only Active Duty Vipers with PW engines would be at Nellis AFB. (Block42/52) The rest are in the hands of the USAFR and ANG.

The USAF is trying to get all the Eagles into PW-220s as well to be rid of the PW-100s from the 1970s!? Shocked

Enthusiast Joined: Jan 21, 2008 Posts: 55 Status: Offline

Thanks engine guy

Enthusiast Joined: Apr 28, 2005 Posts: 88 Status: Offline

250 and 300 knts? Isn't that about how fast the P-51 Mustang cruised?

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Viper cruise speed