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

wing damping.

Believe it or not, it reduces fatigue on the aircraft. Many aircraft maintain fuel in the wings as long as possible for the same reason.

Thanks for the answers, chaps, much appreciated! :ok:

-RP

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.

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

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...

I know the F-18 had some problems with target acquisition with tip mounted AiM9s. The Mx flops around all over the place, no-idea how they solved it.

Makes it look meaner

If memory serves, F-16 never flew with Sparrows because the radar required to illuminate the target for the Sparrow would not fit in the F-16. AIM-120 can be used with radars that fit in F-16.

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, so it would seem rather pointless if it couldn't actually carry and fire the AIM-7, the APG-66 was modded to provide CW illumination...
http://www.f-16.net/g3/var/resizes/f...g?m=1371913173
http://www.f-16.net/g3/var/resizes/f...g?m=1371917438
http://www.f-16.net/g3/var/resizes/f...G?m=1371917352

-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?

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

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.

:ok:

Example:

http://combatace.com/uploads/post-15...1365739391.jpg

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

You are of course correct. The F-16 ADF role and attendant mods completely slipped my mind. Mea culpa and thanks for the correction.

All understood. To leave the rail the motor has to ignite first so in this regard the AIM-7 is identical to the AIM-120 when it is rail launched.

:ok:

Shall we now discuss 100 way connectors, prc and optional swarf filling direct from the penitentiary????

:E

RAAF F-4E and a youthful Bren Roberts [pilot] and "assistant"