F-16 VISTA
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F-16 VISTA | |
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Type | Experimental fighter |
Manufacturer | General Dynamics (later Lockheed Martin) |
Number built | 1 |
Developed from | F-16 Fighting Falcon |
The General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 VISTA ("Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft") program, which ran from 1988 to 1997, began as a privately funded joint venture between General Electric and General Dynamics, to produce a Multi-Axis Thrust-Vectoring (MATV) variant of the Fighting Falcon.
The F-16 VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis thrust vectoring (MATV) engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a post-stall situation. The resulting aircraft is supermaneuverable, retaining pitch and yaw control at angles of attack beyond which the traditional control surfaces cannot change attitude.[citation needed]
The VISTA program was considered successful, but the thrust vector control (TVC) never made it into production fighter versions.[citation needed]
The program was also notable for the development of Direct Voice Input and the "Virtual HUD", which were both eventually to be incorporated into the cockpit design for the F-35 Lightning II.[1] The STOVL F-35 variants also incorporate MATV while hovering to provide attitude control.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Specifications (F-16C Block 30 - for comparison)
Data from USAF sheet,[2] AerospaceWeb[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 49 ft 5 in (14.8 m)
- Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.8 m)
- Height: 16 ft (4.8 m)
- Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
- Airfoil: NACA 64A204 root and tip
- Empty weight: 18,238 lb (8,272 kg)
- Loaded weight: 26,463 lb (12,003 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (16,875 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 afterburning turbofan
- Dry thrust: 14,590 lbf (64.9 kN)
- Thrust with afterburner: 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN)
- Alternate powerplant: 1× General Electric F110-GE-100 afterburning turbofan
- Dry thrust: 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN)
- Thrust with afterburner: 28,985 lbf (128.9 kN)
Performance
- Maximum speed:
- Combat radius: 340 mi (295 NM, 550 km) on a hi-lo-hi mission with six 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
- Ferry range: >3,200 mi (2,800 NM, 4,800 km)
- Service ceiling >50,000 ft (15,239 m)
- Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
- Wing loading: 88.2 lb/ft² (431 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: For F100 engine: 0.898, For F110: 1.095
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- F-16XL number 1 photo gallery
- F-16XL number 2 photo gallery
- NASA report
- NASA Could Put The F-16XL Back In The Air (2007)
- Harry Hillaker — Father of the F-16
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
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