Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Pumpkin, the canopy treatment was only one of the changes made for Have Glass, there are many others. Anyone who published the entire list of Have Glass mods and/or quoted an exact figure for the reduction in RCS in a public forum would be getting a visit from the Men In Black. Shocked

Some of us on this site must walk a fine line between we post and what we know. Don't assume every question is innocent. Loose Lips Sink Sixteens. Smile

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When I was at Misawa in the 14th the OG bird 801 actually had a canopy that had static discharge strips like on the radome but they were only a few inches long. They were mounted in the 10 and 2 o'clock postion on the canopy.

There is a thread over on ARC on similar strips on an F-14 canopy. Someone there mentioned they are small electrically heated strips that act defog the canopy. That makes a lot more sense than the guy who posted it being detonation cord.... Rolling Eyes

I scanned and uploaded the pics from KokuFan and then promptly forgot the filename. Embarassed

I'll check again tonite when I have access to my server.

The ones we had on 801 weren't wired in anyway, I remember working debrief there and the pilots would tell about the "electrical storms" they would get in the cockpit from the static build up, one pilot said he had a big blue arch of electricity shoot from rail to rail. The ones on 801 were specifically for static discharge. Most aircraft have excellent defog systems in them. I know in the viper we would fight over who got to run the jet in Korea during the winter the heat worked so well in it!

These are pics from KokuFan Illustrated #70 of a Nellis aggressor bird. There were many photos of several different aggressor F-16s in the book but this one (<A href="f-16_fighting_falcon_airframe-2052.html">86-0269</a>) was the only one with these strips.

Hey Greg, think it would be possible to get those pics of the aggressor birds? PM me or something, thanks!

Habu wrote:

Geez... how much does that thing weigh?

Out of the 5-1 T.O. (basic a/c weights)

A canopy-253 lbs
B canopy 389 lbs

these weights are including the frame and release rockets.

Not lightweight to be sure.

I don't know where he got 5 to 6 inches..............The new bluish shade is more for NVIS.

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

5-6 inches? no way...... That would way a tonn! The little bolt holding the canopy actuator linkage would shear under that!

Maybe 5-6cm.....?

I also thought that the gold layer was to protect the pilot from lasers damaging their eyes..? ?

yeah just steped out my door, try less then 1/2 inch!

JanHas wrote:

I also thought that the gold layer was to protect the pilot from lasers damaging their eyes..? ?

I have seen the gold tinting since I have been in, that is 14 years now. I have worked these things since I learned what safety wire was. Slowly the canopys are not having the gold tint. It is more of a clear, or gray color. Even the aft trasnparency is comming in clear now. When I first joined I was told by my trainer that it was to keep their eyes from being hit by lasers. I doubted this, but that was the only explanation given. Comming back from CCIP modification with the new HAVE GLASS modifications done, the canopy is staying the same color. The HAVE GLASS you are refering to is talking about the paint, and a few other things. The gold tinting is a very thin almost plastic lining on the inside of the canopy, and if your not carefull you can tear this coating. Cleaning was with water only and only your hand, no rags or cleaners, this was per the TO that told us how to do it. That was also during the day's of canopy polishing which has for the most part gone to the wayside, it is still in the books but not gone. From how I have seen pilots treat the inside of the canopy (wearing watches rings) this is a lot of wear and tear on the inside coating for a situation that since the end of the cold war is no longer an issue.

Well, the cold war is over for now. We will probably see it coming back when lasers, like the ABL, are becoming operational. Cool

Hi guys,

I know that Habu allready talked about this but I checked with the guys
and this is the final answer I hope.

According to the people of egress, who are the only guys in our AF that are allowed to clean the inside of the canopy, it's to prevent radiation from the radar or keep it out of the cockpit like a cage of faraday.
May be that explains the colors and little electrical storms.

We (the crewchiefs and ACC's) are not allowed to clean the inside of the canopy.

Why the our F-16B's don't have it on the second part of the canopy I don't know maybe the radiation there insn't so much.

Laser can only damage your eyes when you look in to the source and that is kindda hard when you are in a jet with the laser that looks down and is locked on to a target.

greetz

henkster

I was part of crash discovery crew once and found a piece of the canopy and it was about 1", not 5-6".

Forum: F-16 Design & Construction

Golden canopy