Test Viper: F-16B 75-0752

[Old Viper Tester]

Some shots of Full Scale Development F-16B 75-0752 after she was bailed to General Dynamics for J79 engine integration evaluation. In this configuration, she was one-of-a-kind and the concept was eventually shelved.

 

On the Edwards AFB ramp during pre-flight checks, November 1980.

 

On display at the NAS Miramar Air Show, August 1983. Carried these markings while being demonstrated to the Navy as a potential Naval Fighter Weapons School aggressor.

 

Elongated intake splitter plate to accommodate the J79 engine air flow requirement.

 

Fuselage extension and J79 exhaust nozzle.

 

Ad from Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine, 1980.

 

Thanks of looking,

Sven

Old Viper Tester

[Troffa]

Now there's a piece of history- thanks, as ever, for posting!  

[Robert]

Great shots again. Are those Stencil seats fitted.

 

Regards

Robert

[Old Viper Tester]

10 minutes ago, Robert said:

Are those Stencil seats fitted.

Yes on the Stencel seats. We had them in her sister ship, 75-0751, until the mid '80s. Very uncomfortable.

 

Sven

[Vingtor]

The best looking F-16 in my eyes. I made a model some years ago, based on the Hasegawa 1/48 F-16B. 🙂

 

Nils

 

[exdraken]

did it acutally work as advertised?

any COG issues`?

[Old Viper Tester]

On 5/6/2023 at 5:34 PM, exdraken said:

did it acutally work as advertised?

any COG issues`?

Worked pretty much as advertised, but in the end, the Carter era restrictions on late tech exports were lifted by Reagan and all of the potential customers opted for F100 powered F-16s.

As for CG issues, one of the GD pilots said there was a a "little bit" of ballast added up front to help out the FBW system.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Old Viper Tester

[HOUSTON]

Sven, 

OUTSTANDING  photographs. 

LOVELY.

thank you for sharing them.

 

 

[Stephen]

Superb shots, thanks for sharing them.