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Hill AFB Media Advisory: First F-16 Thunderbirds aircraft upgraded wrote:10/23/2007 - First F-16 Thunderbirds aircraft upgraded -- WHEN: Oct. 24, 11 a.m.

WHERE: Hangar 233, Hill Air Force Base

WHO: The USAF Thunderbird Air Demonstration Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Greg Thomas, will accept the first Block 52 F-16 Thunderbird from the Ogden Air Logistics Center.

WHAT: The 309th Maintenance Wing and the 508th Aerospace Sustainment Wing will host a ceremony for the F-16 Thunderbird Conversion Program.

The Thunderbirds will receive 11 Block 52s in the Thunderbird configuration to support their 2009 show season. At the conclusion of the Block 52 modification effort, the Thunderbirds will retire their current Block 32 models and return them to combat configuration.

With an added 4,730 lb.s.t with AB usage for the F100-PW-229 found in the Block 52 compared to the current F100-PW-220 in the Tbirds Block 32s, it will be interesting to see what show modifications will take place. This is great and exciting news, as there has been talks about this for quite some time!

Specifications (standard Block 50/52)
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 turbofan, rated at 17,000 lb.s.t. dry and 28,500 lb.s.t. with afterburning or one General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan, rated at 17,155 lb.s.t. dry and 28,984 lb.s.t. with afterburning.

Performance: Maximum short-endurance speed: Mach 2.05 (1353 mph) at 40,000 feet. Maximum sustained speed Mach 1.89 (1247 mph) at 40,000 feet. Tactical radius (hi-lo-hi interdiction on internal fuel with six 500-lb bombs) 360 miles. Maximum ferry range 2450 miles with maximum external fuel (excluding 600gal. tanks or CFT's) .

Dimensions: wingspan 31 feet 0 inches, length 49 feet 4 inches, height 16 feet 8 1/2 inches, wing area 300 square feet.

Weights: 18,238 pounds empty, 26,463 pounds normal loaded (air-to-air mission), 42,300 pounds maximum takeoff.


Specifications (Block 30/32)
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 turbofan, rated at 14,590 lb.s.t. dry and 23,770 lb.s.t. with afterburning or one General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan, rated at 17,155 lb.s.t. dry and 28,984 lb.s.t. with afterburning.

Performance: Maximum short-endurance speed: Mach 2.02 (1333 mph) at 40,000 feet. Maximum sustained speed Mach 1.89 (1247 mph) at 40,000 feet. Tactical radius (hi-lo-hi interdiction on internal fuel with six 500-lb bombs) 360 miles. Maximum ferry range 2450 miles with maximum external fuel.

Dimensions: wingspan 31 feet 0 inches, length 49 feet 4 inches, height 16 feet 8 1/2 inches, wing area 300 square feet.

Weights: 18,238 pounds empty, 26,463 pounds normal loaded (air-to-air mission), 42,300 pounds maximum takeoff.


Note: Performance info source: www.F-16.net

From what I remember from talking to a Capt. with the Illinois Air National Guard who flies Block 30s, that the GE Vipers have a bit more giddyup than the PW Vipers. I think I remember him saying that it was the Block 30, 40, and 50 Vipers that had the GE's in them and the 32, 42, and 52 that had Pratts. Also heard that the GE's were easier to maintain. So the question is, why go to Block 52s and not 50s with more horses and less maintenance issues?

FYI: The West Coast Demo birds are F-16C Block 40s and the East Coast from Shaw are Block 50s. Seems like they prefer the GE, or its whatever they have on their hands.

AFAIK, most of the birds in the Air Force's inventory are 2s (PWs), and since the Tbirds inherit their planes from other squadrons, I doubt they get to be picky. Besides the T/W ratio between the F100-PW-229 and F110-GE-129 is negligible. The rated thrust is almost identical on the 50/52 engines (GE/PW), whereas the 30/32s and 40/42s have significant differences between the 0s and the 2s.

Posted at FighterOps boards today:

grab wrote:This is the first T-Bird Block 52 and damn shes pretty, using different paint on these, much more gloss and much less cracking. 229's should really put a kick into the demo.

Oh NO's! They kept the Wild Weasel Sensors on the nose!

Time to update the model

Can anyone tell looking at these pics if they have the old style sidewinder rails or new? It looks like the old but its hard to tell.

If anyone talks w/Grab be sure to ask him.

Burner wrote:Oh NO's! They kept the Wild Weasel Sensors on the nose!

I thought these were nose strakes to help control side slip and improve high AoA. The WW Block 52s do, however, emply more sensors in the nose section and allow use for more pods - are you sure that's what these "fins" are? Look like strips/vortex gens to me...

Lawndart wrote:

Burner wrote:Oh NO's! They kept the Wild Weasel Sensors on the nose!

I thought these were nose strakes to help control side slip and improve high AoA. The WW Block 52s do, however, emply more sensors in the nose section and allow use for more pods - are you sure that's what these "fins" are? Look like strips/vortex gens to me...

If you're talking about the fins right in front of the canopy, they are bird slicers. Sounds like with No. 2's recent history he could use these.

Ah, yes... Rhino is correct!

They're 'bird cutter' IFF antennas.

Good article on these.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/pl ... 286b.shtml

I'm sure the winder rails aren't different if you're talking about the switch from the 9M to the 9X. Plus, usually now with the F-16 they're hanging AMRAAMS on the wingends.

It is cool though that both US teams will be getting upgrades in 2009! (Blues are going to C models.)

Here is a link to the story on the Hill Air Force Base web site. The following Hi-Res photos are from this article.

Here's beautiful (Hi-Res)
http://www.hill.af.mil/shared/media/pho ... 4L-189.JPG

"Charger" accepting the first of 11 aircraft
http://www.hill.af.mil/shared/media/pho ... 4L-028.JPG

http://www.hill.af.mil/shared/media/pho ... 4L-263.JPG

Is it just me or is the red not as dark as it has been? Seems kinda faded.

Rhino wrote:Is it just me or is the red not as dark as it has been? Seems kinda faded.

It might just be you....doesn't the red on the American flag and the emblem on the hanger floor appear more faded also? In fact the contrast level seems a bit high in that first shot.