IDF Apaches collide in midair, crash

[TangoWhiskey]

CNN: "two Israeli Apache attack helicopters crashed in northern Israel early Friday after colliding in midair"

 

[Armageddon Aviator]

According to a preliminary report, it looks like one of the helicopters experienced some kind of mechanical failure and tried to autorotate - during the emergency procedure it accidentally hit the other chopper (it happened at night).

A few days ago, a brand new F-16I was damaged during take off in the Ramon AFB.
The front tire blew up and the crew immediately ejected, seconds before the aircraft went out of control and crashed.

Another 100 million $ went down the drain...but if you're gonna perform well over 1000 combat sorties in a week...things like that are to be expected.

 

[Frank Browne]

I was watching a Fox news report last night that showed two IAF F-16's launching on a sortie, and noticed a very prominent "camel back" ridge that ran along the spine from the canopy to the vertical stabilizer much like the later model A-4M Skyhawks. I have never seen this on any USAF Falcons.
Is this a modification done by the Israelis, or are they being delivered with this configuration?

 

[Armageddon Aviator]

The F16 -I (I is for Israel) is a largely modified Falcon.

It is manufactured in the USA according to Israeli specs (only minor modifications are made locally) .

The multi-role attack aircraft has a crew of 2 and an extended range.

Packed with sophisticated electronics, it has a distinctive "humpback".

The french tried to sell us modified Mirage 2000 but were turned down.
The last aircraft we purchased in France were Mirage IIIC in 1965 along with a few batches of Vautour bombers.

Since that time, Israel exclusively buys American hardware...

The only exception were 4 Panther naval helicopters (a modified version of the Dolphin).

 

[Frank Browne]

Thanks Alon. You stay safe and fight the good fight.

 

[tdager]

Alon....wow I did not realize you were in Isreal.

I have always wondered about GA flying there.

Is it expensive? Difficult? Dangerous?

 

[Armageddon Aviator]

Hi Tom,

GA in Israel is extremely expensive, around 175 $/hour for a C-172...

There is no VFR, only CVFR (Controlled VFR). Apart from a few exceptions you must fly in designated corridors and maintain radio contact with ATC at all times.

The airforce often needs the airspace for exercises / maneuvers / combat operations and restricting NOTAMS are issued frequently.

In order to obtain a pilot's license, you must pass 7 knowledge exams and 2 checkrides.
The syllabus is almost identical to the British program.

The only way to have fun and fly VFR (under 500') is to fly ultralight aircraft (many places are off-limit for ultralights as well).

 

[tdager]

Thanks Alon. I must admit, you have got to have flying as a sizzling passion in your veins to go through all of that to fly.

I admit I love to fly...but I also love to sail and most likely would just do that given the hoops you had to jump through!

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Do you know what other modifications are done to make the F-16-I a 100 million dollar bird?

The F16 -I (I is for Israel) is a largely modified Falcon.

It is manufactured in the USA according to Israeli specs (only minor modifications are made locally) .

The multi-role attack aircraft has a crew of 2 and an extended range.

Packed with sophisticated electronics, it has a distinctive "humpback".

The french tried to sell us modified Mirage 2000 but were turned down.
The last aircraft we purchased in France were Mirage IIIC in 1965 along with a few batches of Vautour bombers.

Since that time, Israel exclusively buys American hardware...

The only exception were 4 Panther naval helicopters (a modified version of the Dolphin).

 

[Armageddon Aviator]

That's the available information regarding the IAF F-16I:




[SIZE=-1]The F-16I is a heavily modified two seat version of the U.S. Air Force's F-16D [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Block 50/52-series fighter. In addition to the new and more powerful Pratt & [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Whitney F100-PW-229 engine, the F-16I boasts numerous internal and e[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]xternal [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]advancements and modifications. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]For example, the Sufa has been customized with [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]new avionic technologies, internally [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]mounted FLIR (forward looking infrared) viewers, [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]and cutting edge weapon system [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]hardware provided by the Israeli defense company[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Lahav - a division of Israel Aircraft [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Industries. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The Lahav technology will allow for simultaneous, multi-target air-to-air engagement [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]and increased standoff and survivability capabilities. The F-16I has been earmarked [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]to receive the new Python 5 imaging infrared-guided high agility air-to-air missile [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]produced by Rafael, the former Israeli Armaments Development Authority. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The predecessor to the Python 5, the Python 4, was regarded to be the most [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]advanced heat-seeking missile in the world. The Python 5 boasts a new seeker less [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]prone to countermeasures, lock-after-launch capabilities, and an extended operational [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]engagement time once fired. In addition, the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68(V)9 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]multimode radar increases the distance of airborne engagement by 30 percent [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]over the older APG-69 system and affords the "Sufa" with a high-resolution [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]synthetic-aperture ground mapping capability. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Complementing the upgraded weapon systems is a dorsal compartment containing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]enhanced mission avionics and chaff and flare dispensers, enabling it to conduct either [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]pilot training or combat missions. In addition, removable conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]have been added along the fuselage and above the wing roots, freeing-up underwing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]hard points for [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]additional armaments. The F-16I has an unrefueled combat strike radius well in excess [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of 500 miles. The extended flight range allows Israeli forces to attack targets well [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]within Iran and Libya without having to refuel. In addition, the cockpit of the F-16I has [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]been expanded to provide for the addition of an onboard weapons officer situated behind[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1] the pilot. It has a 820 non-refueling radius of operation.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Israel had originally ordered 50 F-16Is in 2001 but increased the purchase to 102 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]after deciding against the procurement of additional F-15Is. The acquisition of the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Sufa compliments Israel's deterrent strategy by further strengthening the threat to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]carry out retaliatory strikes throughout the Middle East while at the same time allowing[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1] the IAF to retire aging A-4 Skyhawks and F-4E Phantom IIs in service with the IAF [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]since the late 1960s. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Three squadrons of the new aircraft are expected to be operational from the Ramon [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]airbase deep inside the Negev by 2008 with the first strike aircraft arriving next month.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]With the arrival of the 102 F-16Is, Israel will have a total of 362 of the jets – the largest [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]fleet in any country in the world behind the United States. The F-16s are the backbone [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of the IAF, but these new "I" models will give added punch to the long-range capabilities [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of the IAF and will complement the squadron of F-15Is Israel received in the end of [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the 1990s. [/SIZE]​

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Thanks. That old Falcon is really loaded for Bear!

That's the available information regarding the IAF F-16I:




[SIZE=-1]The F-16I is a heavily modified two seat version of the U.S. Air Force's F-16D [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Block 50/52-series fighter. In addition to the new and more powerful Pratt & [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Whitney F100-PW-229 engine, the F-16I boasts numerous internal and e[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]xternal [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]advancements and modifications. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]For example, the Sufa has been customized with [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]new avionic technologies, internally [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]mounted FLIR (forward looking infrared) viewers, [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]and cutting edge weapon system [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]hardware provided by the Israeli defense company[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Lahav - a division of Israel Aircraft [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Industries. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The Lahav technology will allow for simultaneous, multi-target air-to-air engagement [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]and increased standoff and survivability capabilities. The F-16I has been earmarked [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]to receive the new Python 5 imaging infrared-guided high agility air-to-air missile [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]produced by Rafael, the former Israeli Armaments Development Authority. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The predecessor to the Python 5, the Python 4, was regarded to be the most [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]advanced heat-seeking missile in the world. The Python 5 boasts a new seeker less [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]prone to countermeasures, lock-after-launch capabilities, and an extended operational [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]engagement time once fired. In addition, the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68(V)9 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]multimode radar increases the distance of airborne engagement by 30 percent [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]over the older APG-69 system and affords the "Sufa" with a high-resolution [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]synthetic-aperture ground mapping capability. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Complementing the upgraded weapon systems is a dorsal compartment containing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]enhanced mission avionics and chaff and flare dispensers, enabling it to conduct either [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]pilot training or combat missions. In addition, removable conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]have been added along the fuselage and above the wing roots, freeing-up underwing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]hard points for [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]additional armaments. The F-16I has an unrefueled combat strike radius well in excess [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of 500 miles. The extended flight range allows Israeli forces to attack targets well [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]within Iran and Libya without having to refuel. In addition, the cockpit of the F-16I has [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]been expanded to provide for the addition of an onboard weapons officer situated behind[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the pilot. It has a 820 non-refueling radius of operation.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Israel had originally ordered 50 F-16Is in 2001 but increased the purchase to 102 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]after deciding against the procurement of additional F-15Is. The acquisition of the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Sufa compliments Israel's deterrent strategy by further strengthening the threat to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]carry out retaliatory strikes throughout the Middle East while at the same time allowing[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the IAF to retire aging A-4 Skyhawks and F-4E Phantom IIs in service with the IAF [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]since the late 1960s. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]Three squadrons of the new aircraft are expected to be operational from the Ramon [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]airbase deep inside the Negev by 2008 with the first strike aircraft arriving next month.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]With the arrival of the 102 F-16Is, Israel will have a total of 362 of the jets – the largest [/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]fleet in any country in the world behind the United States. The F-16s are the backbone [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of the IAF, but these new "I" models will give added punch to the long-range capabilities [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of the IAF and will complement the squadron of F-15Is Israel received in the end of [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the 1990s. [/SIZE]​

​

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Thanks. That old Falcon is really loaded for Bear!

Lots more great PIX & info here:

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/f-16i/F-16I.html