F-16 wingtip AAM question...
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F-16 wingtip AAM question...
This has puzzled me for a while, and I figured someone here may know the answer. Why is it, whenever you see an F-16 carrying either live or acquisition/drill AAMs on the wingtip rails, they are always AIM-120, with the much smaller, lighter AIM-9 on the outboard underwing pylons?
Surely it makes more sense to carry the larger and heavier AIM-120 underwing and the smaller, lighter AIM-9 on the wingtip rails? I can't remember seeing the F-16 ADF's carrying the AIM-7/AIM-9 combo in the same way as the, AIM-120/AIM-9 combo, surely carrying the larger and heavier missile on the wingtip rail causes more stress to the wing? So can someone enlighten me please?
-RP
Surely it makes more sense to carry the larger and heavier AIM-120 underwing and the smaller, lighter AIM-9 on the wingtip rails? I can't remember seeing the F-16 ADF's carrying the AIM-7/AIM-9 combo in the same way as the, AIM-120/AIM-9 combo, surely carrying the larger and heavier missile on the wingtip rail causes more stress to the wing? So can someone enlighten me please?
-RP
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Strangely enough it may also produce less drag with the larger missile acting as a better winglet. I don't think it was possible to use the wingtip rail on the F-16 could take the AIM-7 since it is a fair bit larger than the AIM-120.
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AIM-7 and AIM-120 are roughly the same size, but the AIM-7 is quite a bit heavier iirc, maybe that's why the AIM-7 wasn't carried on the wingtip rails?
-RP
-RP
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My guess would be that it's more likely to be a 1760-type wiring issue for the legacy AIM-7 given that the ADF was a sub-block of the A/B for the Guard. Why bother running it all the way when you could (I think) still use AIM-120 on the outers?
Must be a Viper guy around here who knows...
Must be a Viper guy around here who knows...
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AIM-7 and AIM-120 are roughly the same size, but the AIM-7 is quite a bit heavier iirc, maybe that's why the AIM-7 wasn't carried on the wingtip rails?
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-RP
AIM 7 Mountings
I seem to remember seeing a picture way back showing an AIM 7 mounting on the undercarriage door of an F16, as part of the F16 ADF trials.
Does anyone else recall this, or am I overdue for todays medication?
Does anyone else recall this, or am I overdue for todays medication?
Might it have something to do with AIM - 7 being dropped before the motor ignites whereas AIM - 120 launches 'off the rail'?
And yes, later blocks were perfectly capable of carrying and launching the Sparrow.
Regards,
Frank
And yes, later blocks were perfectly capable of carrying and launching the Sparrow.
Regards,
Frank
AIM-7 Sparrow could be rail launched and this feature was used on the Phantom when AIM-7s were carried on the inboard wing pylon. Indeed, the rail was built into the pylon itself, rather than requiring an adapter.
Thanks, J.T.O. - nice pic.
Perhaps I should make my language clearer: All the Sparrow launches I've seen, there is a clear delay from weapon release to motor ignition regardless of the station used for carriage. With AMRAAM, ignition and release seem co - incident, much as with the 'winder and other wingtip mounted AAMs.
Still no guarantee that my thinking's correct, though!
Regards,
Frank
Perhaps I should make my language clearer: All the Sparrow launches I've seen, there is a clear delay from weapon release to motor ignition regardless of the station used for carriage. With AMRAAM, ignition and release seem co - incident, much as with the 'winder and other wingtip mounted AAMs.
Still no guarantee that my thinking's correct, though!
Regards,
Frank
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These pictures seem to suggest otherwise, Ken, In fact the ADF test jet even has a Sparrow image on the tail! The whole point of the F-16 ADF was to give the F-16 a BVR capability
