F-16 KLu

General Dynamics (Lockheed) F-16 Fighting Falcon
Airframe details versions F-16A / MLU / F-16C

root

last update June, 2016

Photos of the "real thing"
More than 150 photos, so may take some time to load on your screen !

This page will show you photos of the real F-16, most are from Royal Netherlands Air Force (KLu) planes but also some others.
Also many detail pictures are provided for scale modellers!

Photos: Meindert de Vreeze.
(c) Strictly copyright !!

FOR INFORMATION ON F-16 VERSIONS AND VARIANTS, LOOK AT MY MAIN F-16 MODEL PAGE HERE....

.

Royal Netherlands AF (KLu) F-16 MLU aircraft

F-16A MLU (referred to F-16AM), code J-015, serial 89-0015

F-16A MLU (referred to F-16AM), code J-138, serial 85-0138

same F-16A MLU (referred to F-16AM), code J-138, serial 85-0138 with open canopy

note tail fairing on Klu F-16A MLU with additional equipment and parachute pack installed here

Systems, avionics, hatches and bays

.

pitot tube on a F-16A MLU

Radar homing warning sensor "fairing" aft of the nose. The static tube is covered by a red protecting bulb.

.

.

air brake area F-16A MLU
.

view looking inside the older style airbrake

stabilizer hinge area (stabilizer removed)

.

APG-66 radar

.

F-16A avionics bay; the equipment varies between variants;

..

.

.

.

.

.

Landing gear and bays

later F-16C versions got thicker wheels and "bulged" main gear doors;
Style II main wheels with rectangular vent holes
.

F-16C nose gear; note the landing lights now located on the nose door

F-16A details

old style F-16 main gear and wheels; the main gear door is simple and has no "bulge" as compared to the later F-16 variants like the F-16C

Greek F-16C gear

Belgian F-16A MLU gear; older style "thin" wheels (recognizable as they have not so many vent holes)
.
F-16A without lights on the door
.

.

MLU upgrade had the main landing lights moved to the nose gear door (as on later style F-16 variants like the F-16C);
the lights were moved to enable FLIR pods to be carried on the forward lower fuselage sides.

Hatches and airframe

.

instructional airframe details: bay looking forward into the air intake duct
.
.

hydrazine tank of the Emergency Power Unit (EPU)
.

avionics and bays with various fuse boxes
.
danger...hydrazine!
.

avionics bays on an old F-16, some boxes are removed

.

bay aft of radar nose

F-16A details (instructional airframe), with older style "small" intake;

F-16A, note the landing light inside the main landing gear door

radar system (on training airframe)

.

.

.

Vulcan canon installation (training airframe) with large ammo drum
.

. view of the canon itself

F-16 with the later style gun vent port (with "2" holes)

another view with the EPU

F-16A

..

.

a "training" F-16 airframe for maintenance personnel

.

.

.
.
.

refuelling system area

.

Cockpit area

..
Klu F-16A canopy, note cross section; the Advanced IFF antenna strakes between the nose and wind shield are not seen, so this is not an upgraded F-16A MLU
.

canopy tints/ colours may vary!

canopy MLU with probably a pilot helm detection sensor for the night vision goggles seen extending above the lower edge.

.

F-16A cockpit, before MLU re-fitting; note the earlier style flight stick (3 knobs seen) on the right hand side;
MLU upgrades included the newer style 4 knob flight stick, amongst other instruments and displays.
A MLU (mid life update) type cockpit is also much darker with black interior to avoid a pilot flying with night vision goggles to be "blinded"

Royal Netherlands AF F-16 cockpit

.

MLU F-16A instrument cover area (cover removed for maintenance)
.

aft of the ejection seat, the MLU has a darker colour at the bulkhead
.

.

ACES II seat shown of Royal Netherlands AF F-16; the two sensing pitots on the head rest are seen also
(on some other ACES II seats these are retracted and deploy after ejection only)

.

F-16A MLU, with the Advanced IFF antenna strakes between the nose and windshield ;
note the static probe at mid radar nose is removed for maintenance; also the upgraded landing lights installation on the nose door is seen

KLu F-16A , code J-219, serial 78-0219; this is still a F-16A and used as instructional airframe at Leeuwarden air base

F-16A MLU

F-16A MLU , code J-616

F-16A MLU with normal older style Head Up Display (HUD);
note the helmet sensors on the inside edges of the canopy.

hatch to load the ammo drum

Norway AF F-16

.
F-16BM two seater of the Norway AF
tail

note: no search light on left side of nose

Belgian Air Force F-16A MLU

.
Belgian AF tail, with F100 engine exhaust
.
tailbase also seen with the "Belgian" RAPPORT ECM system (this was later replaced as it never worked); also note small intake tube.

.

.

tail of Belgian F-16A MLU

Belgian AF stabilizer;

older style "thin" wheel hub
.
Maverick missile and probably "dummy" Sidewinders missiles; on wing tip an AMRAAM missile

.

Portuguese F-16

F-16A with Sidewinder on wing tip and 370 gallon fuel tanks below wings;

note "flat area in the middle" in the standard two seater canopy; the search light seen is typical on Portuguese F-16's (also on Norwegian F-16's seen)

.
.
pretty standard rear tail end on this F-16A

F-16A

.

Sidewinder AIM-9; the blue lines indicate it is an inert missile

pylon on Portuguese F-16

.

Sidewinder AIM-9

Greek AF F-16

probably a Greek F-16DM , with also the thicker wheels and an antenna on the dorsal fin

    travel pod

.

F-16D with GE F110 engine which is more powerful than the older F100 engine; they have a bigger air intake and different afterburner nozzles than earlier F-16's;
Note: on some Hellenic F-16A, on the right tail base fairing a ECM antenna is often seen.

USAF

F-16C at Paris Le Bourget air show;
This F-16 variant and later ones differ from earlier F-16 types (A/B)
- the more squared and thicker tailfin base as compared to an earlier block F-16;
- the GE F110 engine;
- a bigger air intake and different afterburner nozzles;
- gear load allowed is larger, so thicker wheels and bulged main wheel doors were also added.
Note that this F-16C has no IFF strakes between radar nose and windshield.

KLu test F-16B Orange Jumper

   F-16B, J-066 testflight of Royal Netherlands AF ( KLu). "Orange Jumper"

    F-16B, J-066 "Orange Jumper"

.

.

Test aircraft used by Royal Netherlands Air Force with the NLR for various testing purposes.
.

camera below tail

LANTIRN test pod

.
NOTE: also single seater Dutch F-16AM planes were used for test flights

another test pod seen below the fuselage

.

test pitot nick named "viagra"

standard 370 gallon tanks also carry equipment

AMRAAM seen in wingtip (inert)

AMRAAM on wing tip

probably a GUBU-32 training bomb between fuel tank and outboard pylon

the blue missile is probably a radar reflector missile so the F-16 is seen earlier using civil radars

.

.

Engine details

Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, as fitted in the first F-16 variant *(other variants like many F-16C and later versions got the GE F110 engine); they have a bigger air intake and different afterburner nozzles

.

.

.

F-16A MLU engine details of the F100 engine

good view of the engine maintenance and removal dolly

.

F100 exhaust

.
..
.

F100 in rotating jig for maintenance

.

.

.

.

.

.
.
.

Weapons and loaders

probably a GBU-16 Paveway (here inert bomb)
.
.

GBU-24 Paveway III (inert)

GBU JDAM (inert)

LANTIRN pod

Smoke Sidewinder ?

wing 370 gallon fuel tank

practice bomb system on Dutch F-16

.

.

Vulcan gun loading system

Recon pod on a foreign F-16C
.

F-16 with the later style gun vent port (with "2" holes)

.
M61 Vulcan canon with six barrels

.

.

.

.

.

loading system

.

Photos: Meindert de Vreeze.
(c) Strictly copyright !!

Look here for F-16 scale models (including 1/32 Tamiya)

Back to real aircraft photos....

Your comments are welcomed by webmaster.

Royal Netherlands AF (KLu) F-16 MLU aircraft
F-16A MLU (referred to F-16AM), code J-015, serial 89-0015 F-16A MLU (referred to F-16AM), code J-138, serial 85-0138
same F-16A MLU (referred to F-16AM), code J-138, serial 85-0138 with open canopy
note tail fairing on Klu F-16A MLU with additional equipment and parachute pack installed here

Systems, avionics, hatches and bays
. pitot tube on a F-16A MLU Radar homing warning sensor "fairing" aft of the nose. The static tube is covered by a red protecting bulb. . . air brake area F-16A MLU . view looking inside the older style airbrake stabilizer hinge area (stabilizer removed) . APG-66 radar . F-16A avionics bay; the equipment varies between variants;
.. . . . . .
Landing gear and bays
later F-16C versions got thicker wheels and "bulged" main gear doors; Style II main wheels with rectangular vent holes . F-16C nose gear; note the landing lights now located on the nose door F-16A details old style F-16 main gear and wheels; the main gear door is simple and has no "bulge" as compared to the later F-16 variants like the F-16C Greek F-16C gear Belgian F-16A MLU gear; older style "thin" wheels (recognizable as they have not so many vent holes) . F-16A without lights on the door . . MLU upgrade had the main landing lights moved to the nose gear door (as on later style F-16 variants like the F-16C); the lights were moved to enable FLIR pods to be carried on the forward lower fuselage sides.

Hatches and airframe
. instructional airframe details: bay looking forward into the air intake duct . . hydrazine tank of the Emergency Power Unit (EPU) . avionics and bays with various fuse boxes . danger...hydrazine! . avionics bays on an old F-16, some boxes are removed . bay aft of radar nose F-16A details (instructional airframe), with older style "small" intake; F-16A, note the landing light inside the main landing gear door radar system (on training airframe) . . . Vulcan canon installation (training airframe) with large ammo drum . . view of the canon itself F-16 with the later style gun vent port (with "2" holes) another view with the EPU F-16A .. . a "training" F-16 airframe for maintenance personnel . . . . . refuelling system area	.
Cockpit area
.. Klu F-16A canopy, note cross section; the Advanced IFF antenna strakes between the nose and wind shield are not seen, so this is not an upgraded F-16A MLU . canopy tints/ colours may vary! canopy MLU with probably a pilot helm detection sensor for the night vision goggles seen extending above the lower edge. . F-16A cockpit, before MLU re-fitting; note the earlier style flight stick (3 knobs seen) on the right hand side; MLU upgrades included the newer style 4 knob flight stick, amongst other instruments and displays. A MLU (mid life update) type cockpit is also much darker with black interior to avoid a pilot flying with night vision goggles to be "blinded" Royal Netherlands AF F-16 cockpit . MLU F-16A instrument cover area (cover removed for maintenance) . aft of the ejection seat, the MLU has a darker colour at the bulkhead .
. ACES II seat shown of Royal Netherlands AF F-16; the two sensing pitots on the head rest are seen also (on some other ACES II seats these are retracted and deploy after ejection only) .
F-16A MLU, with the Advanced IFF antenna strakes between the nose and windshield ; note the static probe at mid radar nose is removed for maintenance; also the upgraded landing lights installation on the nose door is seen KLu F-16A , code J-219, serial 78-0219; this is still a F-16A and used as instructional airframe at Leeuwarden air base F-16A MLU F-16A MLU , code J-616 F-16A MLU with normal older style Head Up Display (HUD); note the helmet sensors on the inside edges of the canopy. hatch to load the ammo drum
Norway AF F-16
. F-16BM two seater of the Norway AF tail note: no search light on left side of nose
Belgian Air Force F-16A MLU
. Belgian AF tail, with F100 engine exhaust . tailbase also seen with the "Belgian" RAPPORT ECM system (this was later replaced as it never worked); also note small intake tube. . . tail of Belgian F-16A MLU Belgian AF stabilizer; older style "thin" wheel hub . Maverick missile and probably "dummy" Sidewinders missiles; on wing tip an AMRAAM missile .
Portuguese F-16
F-16A with Sidewinder on wing tip and 370 gallon fuel tanks below wings; note "flat area in the middle" in the standard two seater canopy; the search light seen is typical on Portuguese F-16's (also on Norwegian F-16's seen)
. . pretty standard rear tail end on this F-16A F-16A . Sidewinder AIM-9; the blue lines indicate it is an inert missile pylon on Portuguese F-16 . Sidewinder AIM-9
Greek AF F-16
probably a Greek F-16DM , with also the thicker wheels and an antenna on the dorsal fin travel pod . F-16D with GE F110 engine which is more powerful than the older F100 engine; they have a bigger air intake and different afterburner nozzles than earlier F-16's; Note: on some Hellenic F-16A, on the right tail base fairing a ECM antenna is often seen.
USAF
F-16C at Paris Le Bourget air show; This F-16 variant and later ones differ from earlier F-16 types (A/B) - the more squared and thicker tailfin base as compared to an earlier block F-16; - the GE F110 engine; - a bigger air intake and different afterburner nozzles; - gear load allowed is larger, so thicker wheels and bulged main wheel doors were also added. Note that this F-16C has no IFF strakes between radar nose and windshield.

KLu test F-16B Orange Jumper F-16B, J-066 testflight of Royal Netherlands AF ( KLu). "Orange Jumper"
F-16B, J-066 "Orange Jumper" . . Test aircraft used by Royal Netherlands Air Force with the NLR for various testing purposes. . camera below tail LANTIRN test pod . NOTE: also single seater Dutch F-16AM planes were used for test flights another test pod seen below the fuselage . test pitot nick named "viagra" standard 370 gallon tanks also carry equipment AMRAAM seen in wingtip (inert) AMRAAM on wing tip probably a GUBU-32 training bomb between fuel tank and outboard pylon the blue missile is probably a radar reflector missile so the F-16 is seen earlier using civil radars .	.

Engine details
Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, as fitted in the first F-16 variant *(other variants like many F-16C and later versions got the GE F110 engine); they have a bigger air intake and different afterburner nozzles . . . F-16A MLU engine details of the F100 engine good view of the engine maintenance and removal dolly . F100 exhaust . .. . F100 in rotating jig for maintenance . . . . .	. . .
Weapons and loaders
probably a GBU-16 Paveway (here inert bomb) . . GBU-24 Paveway III (inert) GBU JDAM (inert)
LANTIRN pod Smoke Sidewinder ? wing 370 gallon fuel tank practice bomb system on Dutch F-16 . . Vulcan gun loading system Recon pod on a foreign F-16C . F-16 with the later style gun vent port (with "2" holes)
. M61 Vulcan canon with six barrels . . . . . loading system .