F-16N Viper
Crew Chief: Steve Aikins
This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.
The F-16N Viper on the field at the Pacific Coast Air Museum.
F-16N Viper Specifications
| Country of Origin: | USA |
| B/N or Serial Number: | 163271 |
| Type: | Lightweight air-combat fighter |
| Accommodation: | Pilot seated on a Douglas ACES II ejector seat. |
| Electronics and operational equipment: | Communication and navigation equipment, plus Westinghouse AN/APG-66 pulse-Doppler range and angle track radar (with look-down and look-up ranges of 56km (35 miles) and 74km (46 miles) respectively), Dalmo Victor AN/ALR radar-warning receiver, Sperry central air-data computer, SingerKearfott SKN-2400 (modified) inertial navigation system, Marconi heads-up display, Kaiser radar electrooptional display, Delco fire-control computer, Westinghouse ANI ALQ-1 19 and AN/ALQ-131 ECM pods and other electronic countermeasures equipment. |
| Powerplant and fuel system: | One 11,340 kg (25,000lbs), Afterburning thrust General Electric F110-GE-100 engine |
| Performance: | Maximum speed more than 2,124km/h (1,320mph) or Mach 2 at 12,190m (40,000ft); service ceiling more than 15,240m (50,000ft); range more than 925km (575-mile) combat radius, or more than 3,890km (2,145 miles) for ferrying with internal and external fuel |
| Weights: | Empty 8,065kg (17,780lbs); normal take-off 11,633kg (25,647lbs); maximum take-off 16,057kg (35,400lbs) | Dimensions: | Span 9.45m (31ft) over missile rails length 15.09m (49ft 5.9in) height 5.09m (16ft 8.5in) wing area 27.87m2 (300sqft) |
F-16N Viper History
Although an Air Force jet, the Pacific Coast Air Museum's F-16N is the Navy version of the famous and well used “hot rod” of the Air Forces of the NATO countries, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.The F-16N was developed as a “chase plane” and used in an aggressor role at Top Gun, Mirimar California, where it would play the role of the "bad guy" in air combat maneuvers (ACM) and training. The F-16 closely resembles the performance of the Warsaw Pact countries' Mig-29, and so the F-16N was painted in Warsaw Pact colors.
Top Gun at Miramar was closing down due to budget cuts, and moving the operation to Fallon, Nevada. The Navy wanted to get rid of its only 22 F-16N's and replace the aggressor role with the F-18 Hornet.
Five F-16Ns were assigned to museums. We are extremely fortunate to have obtained this aircraft, which joined our museum in January 1995. The Pacific Coast Air Museum has an excellent reputation with the armed forces, especially the Navy, and was given the opportunity to acquire this aircraft. Currently we are one of only three civilian museums in the world to have an F-16N Viper.
Because it needed such a long runway, it was not allowed to land at Sonoma County airport. It was dismantled at Miramar and trucked to Sonoma County, where Pacific Coast Air Museum members reassembled it. It was the highlight of its first display day, with many people getting the only chance anywhere to sit in an F-16.
Our “hot rod” will be a popular exhibit for years to come.
