Whats Are These Extra Humps, F-16

Airfoilsguy (Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 03:36

Fuel?
Electronics?

View photo on airliners.net

lobster68w (Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 03:41

Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT)

Down with this sort of thing!

BCA 29 Jan 10, 03:44

lobster68w wrote:Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT)

I had no freakin' idea there was such a thing. I must admit.. they look pretty damn sick!!

Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 03:47

BCA wrote:
lobster68w wrote:Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT)

I had no freakin' idea there was such a thing. I must admit.. they look pretty damn sick!!

Have to concur. Makes it look like something from the SciFi channel.

LPNTed 29 Jan 10, 11:10

I think they are fugly, but how does one make an argument against what works?

At least I'm not a drunk.

captoveur 29 Jan 10, 11:22

BCA wrote:
lobster68w wrote:Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT)

I had no freakin' idea there was such a thing. I must admit.. they look pretty damn sick!!

If I am not mistaken that is a USAF F-16 sporting those tanks.. I didn't know we used them

If I am not mistaken they were developed by the Israelis

I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.

miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 29 Jan 10, 11:59

Block52/60 F-16 aircraft, currently procured for Israel, Greece and the UAE, have structural, plumbing, and wiring provisions for the Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT). These external, pod-like fuel reservoirs are attached on the upper surface of the F-16’s fuselage, with the tank’s lower surface conforming to the aircraft shape. The upper surface arrangement allows the CFTs to be relatively light weight because nothing is suspended from them. With an empty weight of 900 pounds, tank set holds 450 gallons (ca. 3,050 pounds, or 2,271 litres) of additional JP-5/8 fuel.

Click Here For More Info

And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 12:49

I remember when the first F-15E's started showing up with FAST packs back in the mid 80's. I thought they looked very strange, but now it would be strange to see one without them. They fit so well on the F-15 that most people probably never even realized they were there on the -E's but not on most -C's and -D's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformal_Fuel_Tank

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

Click Click D'oh (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 12:56

captoveur wrote:If I am not mistaken that is a USAF F-16 sporting those tanks.. I didn't know we used them

It's probably a permanently stationed foreign aircraft used for pilot training. Those tend to fly with US markings despite being owned by another nation. I know there's a whole slew of those at Tucson IAP.

Clicky the linky for a UAE F-16 with AZ tail markings.

We sleep peacefully in our beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 13:07

You know, thinking about this a little more and looking at the shape and placement, they could actually help fuel burn at near trans-sonic speeds because they could improve compliance with the Area Rule. Check out the slight "pinch" near the middle, I'm sure that's no accident.

For those of you unfamiliar... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_rule

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 29 Jan 10, 13:19

Right you are Cheese man, the classic Coke bottle shape.

And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen

captoveur 29 Jan 10, 13:24

Click Click D'oh wrote:
captoveur wrote:If I am not mistaken that is a USAF F-16 sporting those tanks.. I didn't know we used them

It's probably a permanently stationed foreign aircraft used for pilot training. Those tend to fly with US markings despite being owned by another nation. I know there's a whole slew of those at Tucson IAP.

Clicky the linky for a UAE F-16 with AZ tail markings.

I was thinking that.. But the SP tailcode is Spangdahlem.

I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.

Click Click D'oh (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 14:26

captoveur wrote:I was thinking that.. But the SP tailcode is Spangdahlem.

A little digging and the truth comes out. The picture is from the 44th Paris Airshow in 2001. The aircraft is in fact a USAF owned F-16C of the 52FW out of Spangdahlem. The tanks are mock-ups used for the show, not real tanks.

We sleep peacefully in our beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 14:30

Click Click D'oh wrote:
captoveur wrote:I was thinking that.. But the SP tailcode is Spangdahlem.

A little digging and the truth comes out. The picture is from the 44th Paris Airshow in 2001. The aircraft is in fact a USAF owned F-16C of the 52FW out of Spangdahlem. The tanks are mock-ups used for the show, not real tanks.

But a picture from Miamiair's link shows them in actual use on a HAF bird....

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

Click Click D'oh (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 14:35

Queso wrote:But a picture from Miamiair's link shows them in actual use on a HAF bird....

So does the pic in my link. We were just trying to figure out why a USAF bird had them since they haven't been introduced into service with the USAF.

We sleep peacefully in our beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf

Airfoilsguy (Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 14:40

Click Click D'oh wrote:
Queso wrote:But a picture from Miamiair's link shows them in actual use on a HAF bird....

So does the pic in my link. We were just trying to figure out why a USAF bird had them since they haven't been introduced into service with the USAF.

Certification testing?

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 Jan 10, 14:40

Click Click D'oh wrote:
Queso wrote:But a picture from Miamiair's link shows them in actual use on a HAF bird....

So does the pic in my link. We were just trying to figure out why a USAF bird had them since they haven't been introduced into service with the USAF.

OK, my apologies. I missed the point you guys were making in discussing the tail code.

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

Fumanchewd 29 Jan 10, 21:54

I thought the main country to have bought these so far is Poland? The US does not even operate them.

"Give us a kiss, big tits."

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