![]() ![]() ![]() The plane has UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landing system. Hand pressure on the side stick controller sends electrical signals to actuators of flight control surfaces such as ailerons and rudder.Īvionics systems include a highly accurate enhanced global positioning and inertial navigation systems, or EGI, in which computers provide steering information to the pilot. For easy and accurate control of the aircraft during high G-force combat maneuvers, a side stick controller is used instead of the conventional center-mounted stick. Electrical wires relay commands, replacing the usual cables and linkage controls. The pilot has excellent flight control of the F-16 through its "fly-by-wire" system. The seat-back angle was expanded from the usual 13 degrees to 30 degrees, increasing pilot comfort and gravity force tolerance. The cockpit and its bubble canopy give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear. With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to nine G's - nine times the force of gravity - which exceeds the capability of other current fighter aircraft. The light weight of the fuselage is achieved without reducing its strength. These were combined to simplify the airplane and reduce its size, purchase price, maintenance costs and weight. In designing the F-16, advanced aerospace science and proven reliable systems from other aircraft such as the F-15 and F-111 were selected. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 fighting falcon can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. With over 1,000 F-16s in service, the platform has been adapted to complete a number of missions, including air-to-air fighting, ground attack and electronic warfare. Air Force inventory, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the mainstay of the Air Force aerial combat fleet. One of the most versatile aircraft in the U.S. Once they make it through, it's usually clear that the student has what it takes to fly some of the highest-performance aircraft on the planet.Categories Military Aircraft Air Force Aircraft Air Force Attack Aircraft Air Force Fighters Attack Aircraft Fighter Aircraft Air Force EquipmentĪrmament: M-61A1 20mm cannon external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods "The worst part about it is that when the G’s relax, the arm of the centrifuge slows and causes the fluid in your inner ears to slide forward, giving you the sensation that you are falling forward," he said.įortunately, pilots typically only go through centrifugal training a single time before moving on to the real thing. Stewart told Business Insider that the pressure during centrifugal training can be worse than actually flying a jet. The label is similar to being called a "stud" or "beast" in athletics, wrote Stewart.Ī training guide from the Federal Aviation Administration describes AGSM as "a physical technique where the aviator pushes air out of the lungs against a closed glottis" - that's the audible hic sound the trainee in the video is instructed to make - "while simultaneously contracting the muscles in the calves, thighs, and shoulders." This prevents flood from flowing away from the brain, which minimizes the risk to a pilot. YouTube is full of videos of what pilots call "g-monsters," or individuals adept at handling the incredible pressure created by the centrifuge, which is meant to simulate a fighter jet's G-force. But the sensation of intense pressure is greater and longer in duration for someone strapped into the cockpit of a fighter jet, a vehicle which can "pull" up to nine times the force of gravity. If you've ever been on a roller coaster, you know what a quick spike in G-force feels like. "Yes, it feels like weight is pushing down on every part of you." "Essentially, you are placed in a chamber that is on the end of a long arm that spins around the room - the faster it spins, the more G-forces you feel on your body," Jack Stewart, an active pilot with over 2,000 hours of experience in jet aircraft, wrote in an email to Business Insider. That's why fighter pilots-in-training have to spend some time in a centrifuge to prove they can handle the pressure. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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