General Dynamics F-16 VISTA

F-16 VISTA

Picture - The VISTA/MATV aircraft in formation with the X-31 (middle) and the F/A 18 HARV (top)

Role: Experimental fighter
Manufacturer: General Dynamics (later Lockheed Martin)
Number built: 1
Developed from: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 VISTA ("Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft")

The F-16 VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis thrust vectoring (MATV) engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a post-stall situation. The resulting aircraft is supermaneuverable, retaining pitch and yaw control at angles of attack beyond which the traditional control surfaces cannot change attitude.

The VISTA program was considered successful, but the thrust vector control (TVC) never made it into production fighter versions.

The program was also notable for the development of Direct Voice Input and the "Virtual HUD", which were both eventually to be incorporated into the cockpit design for the F-35 Lightning II. The STOVL F-35 variants also incorporate MATV while hovering to provide attitude control.

Specifications

The F-16 VISTA is a Block 30 F-16D based on the airframe design of the Israel Air Force version, which incorporates a dorsal fairing running the length of the fuselage aft of the canopy and a heavyweight landing gear derived from the Block 40 F-16C/D. The fairing houses most of the variable-stability equipment and test instrumentation. The heavyweight gear will permit simulation of aircraft with higher landing sink rates than a standard F-16.

Data from USAF sheet, AerospaceWeb

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (one test pilot and one safety pilot)
Length: 49 ft 5 in (14.8 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.8 m)
Height: 16 ft (4.8 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A204 root and tip
Empty weight: 18,238 lb (8,272 kg)
Loaded weight: 26,463 lb (12,003 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (16,875 kg)
Powerplant: 1x— General Electric F110 afterburning turbofan
Dry thrust: 14,590 lbf (64.9 kN)
Thrust with afterburner: 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed:
At sea level: Mach 1.2 (915 mph, 1,460 km/h)
At altitude: Mach 2+ (1,500 mph, 2,414 km/h)
Ferry range: >3,200 mi (2,800 NM, 4,800 km)
Service ceiling: >50,000 ft (15,239 m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
Wing loading: 88.2 lb/ft² (431 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 1.095

Related development

F-16 Fighting Falcon
General Dynamics F-16XL

Comparable aircraft

Rockwell-MBB X-31

General Dynamics F-16 VISTA Pictures

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia