Posted on 09/15/2014 7:19:21 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Israeli air force is developing a short field operating capability for its Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters, based on the use of a rocket-assisted take-off.
A first test is scheduled for next year, with the air force having decided to develop such a system for its F-16A/B, C/D and I-model variants.
Rocket assistance can be used by some military transports to provide additional thrust when an aircraft is heavy or a runway is short.
As part of the new plan, rockets will be placed under the wing of the F-16 and released after they have burned out.
Close attention will be paid to aircraft safety, according to an article in the Israeli air force magazine, which reports that the addition will havea "meaningful" effect on the F-16's aerodynamics.
In recent years the Israeli air force has taken steps to allow uninterrupted operations in a situation where its bases come under attack. The most realistic scenario is heavy rocket attacks on its facilities, some of which were targeted during the recent Protective Edge operation in the Gaza strip.
Other measures include the ability to rapidly fix damaged runways.
Friend of mine who flew KC-10s told me a saying: “Nobody kicks ass without tanker gas. Nobody.”
Launch configs (combat loadouts) require planes like F-16s to burn a LOT of fuel just to get airborne, requiring them to immediately hit the tanker for a refil.
Israel has known tanker limitations, to the point where over the years they’ve experimented with various strap on refueling probes for their F-16s to allow multipoint refueling via drogue rather than flying boom.
From wiki -
On April 1, 2011, Rutan retired from Scaled Composites to his home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He said that he is working on one more innovative design.[13] In July 2011, this was revealed to be a hybrid flying car, the Model 367 BiPod.
This is the BiPod
And here in flying mode with the wings attached -
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