QF-16? Yep!

gkainz

gkainz

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got this in an email forward yesterday - forgive the dramatic wording, as these types of modifications are nothing new - they've modified a lot of birds in the past to become aerial unmanned targets, but the F-16 is one of the latest...

begin forward:
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They are using up all their obsolete F-16s
You may have seen this. Not a good day for the future of manned aircraft.
The pilot is on the endangered list it seems. This little 4 minute Boeing
Video is really something.... A first for a full size jet air plane. Thousands of
Planes that were grave yard bound, with costs in the hundreds of millions,
now can be used as never before. These F-16 Boeing aircraft have been in
the bone yard at Davis-Monahan for 15 years and are now being used as drones.

VIDEO: Boeing QF-16

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Some of the F-16 fleet is over 35 years old. That's getting up there, especially given the utilization rate the last 25 years since the First Gulf War, and that's when the airframe's useful life is starting to fade (not to mention the obsolescent character of the original avionics). And I imagine the QF-4's are becoming unsupportable given that the F-4 fleet was retired over 20 years ago (and don't even think about the QF-100's).
 
Yeah the reports on this are suggesting the end of manned aircraft but the QF-16 has nothing to do with replacing manned aircraft. It's just a target drone because they're running out of F-4s. That and the fact the F-16's maneuverability makes it a more realistic aircraft to shoot at.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Why is this a 'first'?

Haven't they already been doing this with F-4s for years?
Click to expand...

Not my quote - like I said - the article was strong on dramatics ... yep, Q birds have been around a long time. Had friends at Pt Mugu in the 70's that I envied as the ultimate Radio Controlled Aircraft enthusiasts opportunity! :)
 
Why did they use an F-4 chase plane, didn't know we had hardly any left flying.

Brian
 
"Performing a barrel roll while pulling more than 7Gs".

You're doing it wrong.
 
docmirror said:
"Performing a barrel roll while pulling more than 7Gs".

You're doing it wrong.
Click to expand...
You're thinking GA aerobatics, not basic fighter maneuvering. A high-g barrel roll (under or over) is a fundamental guns defense.

Nauga,
and his dinner roll
 
nauga said:
You're thinking GA aerobatics, not basic fighter maneuvering. A high-g barrel roll (under or over) is a fundamental guns defense.

Nauga,
and his dinner roll
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what Maverick did in the final battle scene in Top Gun:yes:
 
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