Climb: F-16 Viper vs F-104 Strafighter

[mascalzone]

Hi everybody.As manoeuvrability the Viper is more quick than Starfighter but I think that Zipper is much faster and more climb than Viper!
Is it true?

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

Well, unofficially a CF-104 topped out at speeds reserved for the F-15 Streak Eagle or F-106, something like 1700mph. As for climb the Viper will walk away from the Zipper through the simple virtue of T/W.

[geogen]

An F-16XL-type single seater with GE-132 would blow both stats off the records. No respect for Viper as it was born to be..

[Kryptid]

Rates of climb:

F-104G: 48,000 ft/min
F-16A/B: 62,000 ft/min
F-16XL: 62,000 ft/min

[mascalzone]

Rates of climb:

F-104G: 48,000 ft/min
F-16A/B: 62,000 ft/min
F-16XL: 62,000 ft/min

Thanks for these dates

[Kryptid]

Rates of climb:

F-104G: 48,000 ft/min
F-16A/B: 62,000 ft/min
F-16XL: 62,000 ft/min

Thanks for these dates

I got the F-104G ROC from Wikipedia, whereas the two F-16 values came from this very website (look at the upper left side of the screen where it says "F-16 Versions").

[geogen]

Rates of climb:

F-104G: 48,000 ft/min
F-16A/B: 62,000 ft/min
F-16XL: 62,000 ft/min

Configure a single-seater XL with GE-132 and you should see greater than 65k/min. (Including 4 AMRAAM + 2 AIM-9x + a couple hundred extra miles combat range)! A new designation is born: Interceptor/Strike (IS-16xx).

And the F-16A/B claim of 62k/min was probably achieved clean? RIP, -104, -16A/B..

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

I am pretty sure that the 62,000 ft/min XL climb was done with less than full fuel, much less carrying weps. XL is a HEAVY bird for a viper, heavier than even the Blk 60.

[kamov]

Hmm whats the climb rate of both birds at say around 50,000' while tooling around at say Mach 2? bet the 16 would love a VG intake about then *L*

[bazdriver]

Rates of climb:

F-104G: 48,000 ft/min
F-16A/B: 62,000 ft/min
F-16XL: 62,000 ft/min

Those numbers have to be taking with care. They are very approximative and should equate to theoretical max seal level climb rate, and not to actual time to climb to a certain altitude. For this, Specific Excess Thrust(Ps in ft/s) curves are all. Any pilot will use them to calculate and determin best climb profile to get to a precise altitude. Not sure the XL will really smoke a light F-16A. It has more power but it's heaver too. To better understand the role of SEP i just put some graph and actual profile used by the streak Eagle back in the 70's. And for a more direct comparison of F-16 and F-104, 1g SEP graph for both the 104G and F-16C block 30.

[gyrfalcon16]

What if Chuck Yeagar is in the F-104 Starfighter? I'm sure he'll be able to push a few more 10k ft per/min from the jet!

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

then when he reaches the moon it will fail and he will have to eject and smash his face on the seat and loose his fingertips....

[gyrfalcon16]

then when he reaches the moon it will fail and he will have to eject and smash his face on the seat and loose his fingertips....

Yeah but that's such a small price to pay, when you feel the need for speeed!

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

Yeah well he paid a price for what was an "instrument verification" flight.

[shimeixiaoxiao]

then when he reaches the moon it will fail and he will have to eject and smash his face on the seat and loose his fingertips....

Yeah but that's such a small price to pay, when you feel the need for speeed!