F-16A ADF
Contents
Description
The F-16A Block 15 ADF Fighting Falcon is a rank VIII American jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.7 (AB/RB) and 13.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Apex Predators".
General info
Flight performance
Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at 10,973 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 2,093 | 2,063 | 15240 | 20.3 | 20.6 | 252.7 | 240.2 | ___ |
| Upgraded | ___ | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1,555 | 482 | N/A | 470 | 463 | ~__ | ~__ |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < ___ | < ___ | < ___ | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 | 1 | 7,970 kg | ___ kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with internal fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 29m fuel | ||
| 1,470 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | 8,942 kg | 10,193 kg | 11,210 kg | 12,914 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 8m fuel | 20m fuel | 29m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 6,490 kgf | 8,985 kgf | 1.01 | 0.88 | 0.80 | 0.70 |
| Optimal | 7,434 kgf (1,555 km/h) |
15,225 kgf (1,400 km/h) |
1.71 | 1.49 | 1.36 | 1.18 |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
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Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) |
 |
 |
|
|
Offensive armament
The F-16A ADF is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (512 rpg)
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 60 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The F-16A ADF can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:
- 1 x 300 gal drop tank
- 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
- 6 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
- 2 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles
Custom loadout options
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIM-7M Sparrow missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 300 gal drop tanks | 1 |
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent acceleration and climb rate, the former of which helps the F-16 recover from the lower speeds that it can dogfight at
- Excellent energy retention
- Excellent manoeuvrability at low to medium speeds
- Decent top speed
- 20 mm Vulcan cannon has high velocity and rate of fire
- Six powerful missiles: up to six all aspect AIM-9Ls and up to two potent SARH AIM-7Ms
- Drop tank available to extend range
- Bubble canopy with excellent unobstructed 360° visibility gives great situational awareness in simulator mode
Cons:
- Lacks any air-to-ground suspended ordinance whatsoever
- Internal M61 cannon has a small ammo pool
- Very poor manoeuvrability at higher speeds (above around 850km/h) due to 9G G limiter
- Staying at these higher speeds is ideal for general combat, but greatly limits manoeuvring and dogfighting ability
- At these speeds, poor nose pointing ability makes it troublesome to lock Sidewinders, get an ACM radar lock, or aim the gun
- Only by going below these speeds (thus getting slow) does any semblance of dogfighting ability whatsoever begin to be gained
- Acceleration can be "too good": Poor high speed manoeuvrability combined with excellent acceleration and energy retention means heavy down-throttling and air braking is practically required to drop below these speeds to dogfight
- Very hot engine temperature
- Extremely high fuel consumption on afterburner
History
In the mid-1980s, after the deactivation of the USAF Air Defense Command, the ANG (Air National Guard) was tasked with defending North American airspace from Soviet bombers. To complete this task, 270 F-16A/Bs were to be converted into ADFs (Air Defense Fighters) at Ogden Air Logistics Center in Utah. General Dynamics carried out the first conversions and then sent kits to Ogden to complete the conversion. The ADF conversion included upgrading the AN/APG-66 radar to improve target acquisition of small targets, IFF for distinguishing friendlies and foes (AN/APX-109), and a 150,000-candlepower night spotlight for identification.
The first F-16 ADF was delivered to the Oregon Air National Guard in March 1989. Conversions started from 1989 to 1992, with around 270 airframes converted to ADF F-16s. However, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there was no longer a purpose for the F-16 ADF. The Air National Guard F-16s were to be slowly phased out and were either converted back to the original F-16A/B configuration or placed in storage. The North Dakota ANG had the last few F-16 ADFs in service until they were retired in 2007. Since the F-16 ADFs in storage had low flight hours, they were sold to other countries like Jordan (Peace Falcon program) and Thailand (Peace Naresuan IV program.)
Media
- Images
4-blade "bird slicer" antenna on the nose of the F-16A ADF (AN/APX-109)
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| General Dynamics Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Jet Fighters | F-16A · F-16A ADF · F-16C |
| Strike Aircraft | F-111A · F-111F |
| Export | ▄F-16A ADF · ▄F-16A · ▄F-16AM · ␗F-16A MLU · F-16AJ · Netz · F-16D Barak II · F-16C Barak II |
| F-111C | |
| See also | SABCA |
| USA jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | |
| F9F | F9F-2 · F9F-5 · F9F-8 |
| F-80 | F-80A-5 · F-80C-10 |
| F-84 | F-84B-26 · F-84F · F-84G-21-RE |
| F-86 | F-86A-5 · F-86F-25 · F-86F-2 · F-86F-35 |
| F-89 | F-89B · F-89D |
| F-100 | F-100D |
| F-104 | F-104A · F-104C |
| F-4 | F-4C Phantom II · F-4E Phantom II · F-4J Phantom II · F-4S Phantom II |
| F-5 | F-5A · F-5C · F-5E · F-20A |
| F-8 | F8U-2 · F-8E |
| F-14 | F-14A Early · ▄F-14A IRIAF · F-14B |
| F-15 | F-15A · F-15C MSIP II · F-15E |
| F-16 | F-16A · F-16A ADF · F-16C |
| Other | P-59A · F2H-2 · F3D-1 · F3H-2 · F4D-1 · F11F-1 |
| Strike Aircraft | |
| FJ-4 | FJ-4B · FJ-4B VMF-232 |
| A-4 | A-4B · A-4E Early |
| A-7 | A-7D · A-7E · A-7K |
| AV-8 | AV-8A · AV-8C · AV-8B Plus · AV-8B (NA) |
| A-10 | A-10A · A-10A Late · A-10C |
| F-111 | F-111A · F-111F |
| Other | A-6E TRAM · F-105D · F-117 |
| Bombers | |
| B-57 | B-57A · B-57B |
