Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Guys,

I was just thinking about the engine mounts on the F-16 and just how little I know about 'em. I seem to recall hearing that the Tomcat has three mounts per engine made out of titanium, but I don't have a clue about the engine mounts on the Viper.

So what are they made of? I'm guessing they're titanium, but not sure. How many of them are there? And just how does one bolt an engine into an airframe and make sure it can handle all that thrust and the kick in the pants every time Burner is selected?

I hope this ain't OPSEC stuff, but again, I just don't know. I'll completely understand if this post sits here with zero replies or if I start to get replies about tritanium, transparent aluminum, or any other Star Trek reference Wink

.

Thanks in advance Very Happy

!

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The mounts are not titanium, there is 3. I believe its a high strength steel. The mounts at the 3 & 9 position are hollow like a bone for strength, and the one on the front is made of the same material, however its on a roller for installation and removal purposes.

Forum Veteran Joined: Dec 25, 2003 - 10:03 PM Posts: 679

I know you don't want to safety wire the coke bottles!

M300 Steel is the material the coke bottles and rollers are made from.

Last edited by 229guy on Jan 09, 2006 - 07:35 PM; edited 1 time in total

IDCrewDawg wrote:

The mounts are not titanium, there is 3. I believe its a high strength steel. The mounts at the 3 & 9 position are hollow like a bone for strength, and the one on the front is made of the same material, however its on a roller for installation and removal purposes.

There are 4 engine mounts The one Idcrewdawg left out is the one that's called the side link. The side link prevents the engine from swaying side to side and helps support the engine weight when the aircraft is flying sideways.

1. The Fwd upper mount.(skate mount) Has two rollers on top and a bolt hole on the bottom (bolt hole goes to the engine) and kinda looks like a triangle. The two rollers engage the aircraft track and track extension (red rail) thats mounted in the engine bay 12 O'Clock position. The track helps with installation and when the engine gets hot it actually streaches out (just a little)

Next the engine is pushed inside the bay and once the engine passes the temp red rail and engages the aircraft rail, the red rail is removed.

Keep pushing!!

Now the engine is all the way in and is pressed against the inlet.

2 the two side mounts (thrust pins or coke bottles) Looks like a two liter Coke bottle) Hold one up horizionaly and point the cap to the left and drill a hole thru the cap so you can see thru it, thats basicly your left mount! is installed. Just like IDcrewdawg explained. (the cap end) has a hole that mounts to a post on the aircraft and the
other end (fat side) slides inside that engine mount bearing structure and is supported by a clamp setup. (this mount provides anti roll and thrust support)

3 the side link (dog bone) is installed.. Sits mid engine on the bottom right side about 5 O'Clock. basically a sway brace.

Since the engine can barley move fwd there is no fwd movement of the engine. The kick in the pants is all power!

How exactly would I use some F-16 engine mounts to construct a nuclear weapon and employ it from an F-16?

AfterburnerDecalsScott wrote:

How exactly would I use some F-16 engine mounts to construct a nuclear weapon and employ it from an F-16?

That is sensative info...Gums could hook you up though! Rolling Eyes

Careful though with the "Dog Bone". Sometimes you need to use a "Burner bar" to line everything up.

WOW

! I haven't seen this type of response in quite a while - Thanks Very Happy

!!! Now that I have the descriptions, I'll have to check through the photo library for some pics so I can put it all together in my head Wink

.

And Scott, please keep the OPSEC stuff to a dull roar LMAO

!

One other thing - anyone ever seen a broken engine mount?

Never seen one broken. The reasons we might replace one, is for things like out of limit nicks or scratches. The rollers get flat spots from time to time, and the side link (dog bone) gets scratched or nicked very easily. Where the "Skate Mount" (forward mount) comes to a stop once installed. That part of the aircraft track is also made of the high strength steel. The forward engine mount is just below one of the fuel cells so occasionally we have to repair fuel leaks. Also the forward mount can get wear spots that require us to replace it every so often.

shiz302 wrote:

I know you don't want to safety wire the coke bottles!

I think the duct boots are harder to safety than the coke bottles are. Actually installing the boots is even harder that installing the wire. But I have found twisting the wire by hand on the coke bottles is easier than using safety wire pliers. But I've been twisting wire since 1975 so that probably helps a little.

I never could do the bottle on the left....it was a pain in the a$$

AfterburnerDecalsScott wrote:

How exactly would I use some F-16 engine mounts to construct a nuclear weapon and employ it from an F-16?

Scott, I'm envisioning some kind of A-5 Vigilante weapons deployment system... Wink

Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 - 08:39 PM Posts: 1496

habu2 wrote:

I'm envisioning some kind of A-5 Vigilante weapons deployment system... Wink

The tricky part would be making the turbine stages out of enriched uranium. LMAO

http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item45880.html thrust pins are seen "reinstalled" after the engine was removed.

http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item20632.html someone left dog bone hanging in this photo its connected to the jet still. silver thing right side below the coke bottles

The engine track is seen in both pictures but you probley will not find a good photo of the skate mount unless you find a picture of a engine ready to be installed here is one from a distance http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item46672.html gravity has allowed it to roll back but you can still see it sticking up on the top of the engine fan (front 12:00)...

look around the middle of the photo and you see where the coke bottles go into the engine look at the middle of the (double flange) here http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item46683.html

Purplehaze wrote:

I never could do the bottle on the left....it was a pain in the a$$

Funny, The coke bottle on the right side is the hardest one to do! (unless your left handed?) We normally let the new guys do the right side and we do the left and say "Look I'm done already on the left, that was easy" Whyle we wait an hour for them to finish. Takes them an install or two to realise that the right side is a pain in the left side has more room in there.

I have never seen a mount break but on a TDY to remove a engine the left coke bottle was stuck in the engine mount... Cant remove a engine with a coke bottle sticking out of the engine...We even hooked a tow truck with cargo straps to that mount and could not remove it...So after trying everything we ended up putting dri Ice in there and she slid right out....We even were prepared to use the blow torch!!

Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Engine Mounts