Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

The lights included in that PDF link didn't include all the lights.

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Good point. I just figured that any help is good Smile

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yeah, obviously the PDF didn't include all the lights since it was a single manufacturer's brochure.

Here is a figure from the flight manual which is a general listing of all exterior lighting. You probably already have this since it is pretty old but just in case, here it is again:
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Thanks Falcon-watcher! I got a good look at EVERYTHING today, too! The nice guys from the 194th Fighter Squadron of the California National Guard were nice enough to take down all the ropes around one of the F-16s Very Happy

! The pilots were there and were very nice and helpful, too. I got crawl all around and under the jet and take all the pictures I wanted Cool

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Here's the fun part - I have lots of questions after looking at all the pictures. Here's the first question: What's this line on the radome? There are little silver dots all along its length. I've also seen these on other airplanes' radomes, but I never knew what they are. Thanks in advance!

That is a a static discharger strip, they experimented with them on the canopies too only they were shorter, 90-801 at Misawa had them on its canopy for a while back in 95. According to the book if there are more than 2 of those little buttons found missing during the Preflt the discharger strip is bad! They are supposed to dissipate the staic buildup on the radome in flight since it is made of spun fiberglass coated in neoprene.
Rigo

Rigamortis, thanks man! Let's see here, spun fiberglass and neoprene... sounds like that would hold quite a charge! Would the fact that the radar antenna sits right behind it while transmitting lots of watts have anything to do with the static buildup, or would it just be the airflow over the surface?

I think it is from both sources, though I cant be sure. I would have to ask a spec if the radar adds to the static buildup any, the radar does produce when transmitting.

Rigo

Thanks Rigo! I think someone around here will fill us both in.

Here's the next one: Does anyone know what the vent or exhaust in the red square in the bottom left of this picture is? It's just forward of the port wheel well.

Again, thanks in advance Very Happy

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Thats the ground ECS Exhaust outlet. You will see little doors on both sides of the jet about the size of your fist forward of the main wheels. Those doors are the air inlet for the gound exhaust. It's purpose is to provide ground airflow to prevent stagnant fuel vapors during ground operations. You must be cautious when entering that wheel well as the air exiting it is over 200 degrees, I think as high as 300. They are also the around the engine cowling one inboard of each horizontal stablizer, and one under the vertical stabelizer.

Also, the picture depicting the lights is block 30 or earlier, the landing lights are on the nose door on later blocks and the color of the right wing tip is blue not green. Also the identification light forward of the cockpit aft of the radome is only on a few blocks. Not the ones we use in active duty.

Sounds like the wheel well might be a good place in the middle of winter - nice and warm! You also answered one of my future questions - I was wondering what those outlets between the nozzle and stabilizers were. Now that I know about the doors, I'll have to look for them next month at Nellis. Wouldn't you know, with all the pictures I took in the last two days, I didn't get a picture of those doors Laughing

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Here's two more. There's an inlet inbetween the engine air intake and the fuselage and a door on the bottom of the LEF that I've circled in red and green. I've also included a closeup of the door and what's inside incase it helps. Thanks for all the help guys Cool

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They are two different systems. The one circled in red is a RAM air intake, and helps with the ECS system during flight. The doors I mentioned earlier are directly behind and below thos ducts. The drop down door is the vent door for the gun, it opens while the gun is firing and closes afterward. Loader could give you a better discripion of how it works. The gun is electrically safed through this door. If you look at your picture on the left side of the picture (would be outboard) there is a little nub, that is the safety pin used to safe the gun system.

IDCrewDawg comes through again! I figured that door had something to do with the gun system, but I thought it might be too far forward for that. Safing the gun on the ground sounds like a good idea! Now you have me wondering how you open that door when the jet's on the ground so you can safe the gun?

Here's the last question for the night (it's actually almost 0100 here in San Diego). Would you be so kind as to tell me what this intake or connection is in the forward part of the port wheel well?

Well for the gun system, the safing is done with the pin inserted from the outside as that door will not open and can not be opened during ground operations. The safing pin is the same lenth and thickness as the EPU pin.

The duct you see there is where ground ECS air is applied if the engine is not going to be running. This is used for 3 principle uses; for cooling of the computers and cockpit while the canopy is closed it also inflates the canopy seal and pressurizes the cockpit, for fuel system pressure, and to test the ECS system for leaks. There is a hose that is hooked up to it from a gas powered generator and the temprature is approximatly the same as coming from the jet during engine operation. The fuel system can be pressurized with a seperate adapter in the oppisite wheel well with different equipment, and the cockpit componets can also be cooled using differnt equipment.

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Well for the gun system, the safing is done with the pin inserted from the outside as that door will not open and can not be opened during ground operations.

That makes sense about the safing pin for the gun, but how did they get that door open while the jet was sitting on the tarmac at the airshow? Do you mean that it just can't be opened by the pilot or ground crew while the engine's running?

I thought that connection for the ground ECS air looked like a connection for some sort of air hose. Thanks for clearing that one up for me!

Here's the next one. This panel/vent is on the top of the port side, a little ways back from the muzzle of the gun. I'm thinking it's some sort of access and vent for the gun, but I can't be sure. Thanks for all the help! I know I've been asking a lot of questions in the last few days, so please let me know if I start to get annoying Wink

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falcon-watcher, those pics look mighty familiar to me... Wink

Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Please help me identify this F-16 part