LY744 From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (6 years 10 months 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 2133 times:
They don't make them like they used to. If this was a Mirage it would be fixed up and shooting down MiGs again within a couple months. It would then be sold to Argentina and lost forever...
AirRyan From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 2529 posts, RR: 6 Reply 2, posted (6 years 10 months 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2110 times:
I don't understand why they ejected after takeoff? The tire blew so they ejected? Did it prohibit their rotation or did they get off the ground otherwise with just a blown out tire and open rim? You would have thought that as long as you could get the gear up you could still do the mission and worry about the tire later.
AislepathLight From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 562 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 years 10 months 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2094 times:
Quoting Prebennorholm (Reply 3): They are probably loading those F-16s heavier than the designers ever dreamed?
Probably... After all, they were designed as light weight fighters/multi role aircraft. The Israelis must have them loaded crazy full.
"We have slain a large dragon, but we now live in a jungle filled with a bewildering variety of poisonous snakes."
LY744 From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, RR: 11 Reply 5, posted (6 years 10 months 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2084 times:
The loads are probably more than what General Dynamics engineers envisioned 35 years ago, but the aircraft can definitely handle them. It does not look like the aircraft actually departed the runway, the crew probably had to eject as they were nearing the threshold, who wants to stay in an F-16 loaded with fuel and a couple tons of explosives heading for the open desert? Until we see pictures of the Sufa I wouldn't be discounting it as a total write off BTW, a few years ago an F-15A crashed on take off and the IDF/AF rebuilt it, it took about 2 years, but they really like their Eagles.
FlyUSCG From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 656 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (6 years 10 months 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1990 times:
Quoting AirRyan (Reply 2): I don't understand why they ejected after takeoff? The tire blew so they ejected? Did it prohibit their rotation or did they get off the ground otherwise with just a blown out tire and open rim? You would have thought that as long as you could get the gear up you could still do the mission and worry about the tire later.
First of all, one word... Concorde. Second of all, a blown tire can have serious consequences. Shreds and debris ripping into the fuselage and tearing up all kinds of systems. And you dont raise a blown tire, it's no longer the same dimensions as the well was designed. Strips of tire still left on could latch onto something and then rip it out when they are lowered again. Then of course a fully fueled and armed fighter takes up a SHIT load of runway and if a tire blows out (IF you can even maintain control) your running out of runway faster than you can afford. So anything other than ejecting would have probably meant certain death for the crew.
Checksixx From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 996 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (6 years 10 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1891 times:
My simple answer would simply be that F-16's like to roll so you could take your chances I guess.
AirRyan From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 2529 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (6 years 10 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 1862 times:
Quoting FlyUSCG (Reply 6): First of all, one word... Concorde. Second of all, a blown tire can have serious consequences. Shreds and debris ripping into the fuselage and tearing up all kinds of systems. And you dont raise a blown tire, it's no longer the same dimensions as the well was designed. Strips of tire still left on could latch onto something and then rip it out when they are lowered again. Then of course a fully fueled and armed fighter takes up a SHIT load of runway and if a tire blows out (IF you can even maintain control) your running out of runway faster than you can afford. So anything other than ejecting would have probably meant certain death for the crew.
But the question remains - could they have still dropped that ordinance on the target before ejecting? Sucks to have one of their late model F-16I's, that's the least best news I've heard since Korea parked one of their shiny new F-15K's in the bottom of the Yellow Sea or Korean Strait!
Elsewhere, it is stated that Israel's purchase of the F-16I will be completed in the year 2008. Losses from attrition were probably anticipated, but even if not, it appears that the production line is still under way and that the loss of the F-16I aircraft, if considered totaled, in the last few days could be made up for by the purchase of an additional aircraft.
The following image-heavy Website also contains references to the acquisition of F-16I's and F-15I's. It appears that at least some of the F-16I's were paid for through U.S. military aid provided to Israel.
The following Website contains a description of the F-16I, its capabilities, and its reception by the Government of Israel. It also contains a graphic purporting to identify the nature of various exterior features that are visible on the F-16I.
LY744 From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, RR: 11 Reply 13, posted (6 years 10 months 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1658 times:
Quoting Bennett123 (Reply 11): There was an interview at an unnamed base, when F16 343 took off.
There's no F-16 with the tail number 343 in the IDF/AF. But the airbase you saw would have been Ramat David. That's where all the 3XX numbered F-16s are, and one of the bases from which the Isreali Meteors used to operate.
LY744 From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, RR: 11 Reply 15, posted (6 years 10 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1619 times:
Quoting Bennett123 (Reply 14): I checked the latest news, the number was 341.
That works! Like I said, you saw Ramat David AB. It's the closest base to the Syrian and Lebanese border and houses three squadrons of F-16s as well as the IDF/AFs small unit of maritime helicopters.
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From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, 
It would then be sold to Argentina and lost forever...
From Denmark, joined Mar 2000, 6016 posts, 
Sucks to have one of their late model F-16I's, that's the least best news I've heard since Korea parked one of their shiny new F-15K's in the bottom of the Yellow Sea or Korean Strait!
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