Very cool story told by the F-16 pilot.
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How Fast Can The F-16 Fly?
- Thread starter BlueOvalFitter
- Start date
Five zones implies the F100. The F110 augmenter (AB) is smooth, not staged like the P&W.
I will say that the flight manual altitude limit for the F-14 was also 50,000’ for the same physiological considerations (pressure loss, time of consciousness, etc.).
But at 60,000’ one afternoon, out over the Atlantic Ocean, in an F-14B (with the F110s) the airplane was still climbing at over 1,000 feet per minute.
I was maintaining about 1.5 Mach, which gave us a good climb rate* in full AB.
The sky was very dark.
I could see all of the Chesapeake Bay, all the way up to DC.
And I’m here to tell you that the Earth is curved.
*Climb rate is a function of Ps, specific excess power. Used to accelerate or climb. One unique thing about the F-14, as opposed to the F/A-18 or F-16, is that thrust greatly increased with airspeed, due mostly to the compression of the air in those large intakes. So, at sea level, best Ps was about 450 KIAS, where the engines, rated at 23,800# each in AB static/zero speed thrust, made over 32,000#. Each.
Sure, drag was higher as you went faster, but it was more than offset by he increased thrust. and the jet. Up high, over 30,000 feet, best Ps was around 1.4 IMN and the airspeed at which that happens continues to go down as you climb because the air gets thinner. I was flying a bit faster, because up over 50,000 feet, the indicated (KIAS) was so low that it took a lot of nose up trim to fly, and going a bit faster than best engine thrust speed reduced some of the drag from the nose up trim and have a bit better climb. Or so it felt. I later validated my impression with the performance charts on the airplane. Ps IMN and KIAS varied with altitude.
But at 60,000’ one afternoon, out over the Atlantic Ocean, in an F-14B (with the F110s) the airplane was still climbing at over 1,000 feet per minute.
I was maintaining about 1.5 Mach, which gave us a good climb rate* in full AB.
The sky was very dark.
I could see all of the Chesapeake Bay, all the way up to DC.
And I’m here to tell you that the Earth is curved.
*Climb rate is a function of Ps, specific excess power. Used to accelerate or climb. One unique thing about the F-14, as opposed to the F/A-18 or F-16, is that thrust greatly increased with airspeed, due mostly to the compression of the air in those large intakes. So, at sea level, best Ps was about 450 KIAS, where the engines, rated at 23,800# each in AB static/zero speed thrust, made over 32,000#. Each.
Sure, drag was higher as you went faster, but it was more than offset by he increased thrust. and the jet. Up high, over 30,000 feet, best Ps was around 1.4 IMN and the airspeed at which that happens continues to go down as you climb because the air gets thinner. I was flying a bit faster, because up over 50,000 feet, the indicated (KIAS) was so low that it took a lot of nose up trim to fly, and going a bit faster than best engine thrust speed reduced some of the drag from the nose up trim and have a bit better climb. Or so it felt. I later validated my impression with the performance charts on the airplane. Ps IMN and KIAS varied with altitude.
Speed?
Same mission - different day - Functional check flight after an engine install on an F-14A. The old one, with the less powerful engines.
After the 1.4 IMN engine check (part of the required test parameter), I asked my RIO, a guy named ”Shu” how fast he had ever been. He mumbled something about 1.5. I said we have to beat that, and went back into full AB.
We climbed to 55,000’ (yeah, yeah, I know, the flight manual says the altitude limit is 50,000, but fortunately, the airplane can’t read! ).
Then we nosed over a bit for a speed run.
At about 37,000 feet we hit Mach 2.0. It was close to 950 KIAS, which is incredibly high indicated airspeed. Mach 2.0 on the gauge is about 2.12 actual Mach due to pitot-static errors in the system.
Coming out of AB was just like this F-16 pilot described. Hard, continuous deceleration, that threw you forward and didn’t let up. It took a while to get subsonic again, and to help out, I banked to about 90 degrees and pulled some G to add drag.
Still took a while to get the beast subsonic. An extra 600-700 MPH takes a while to scrub off.
Same mission - different day - Functional check flight after an engine install on an F-14A. The old one, with the less powerful engines.
After the 1.4 IMN engine check (part of the required test parameter), I asked my RIO, a guy named ”Shu” how fast he had ever been. He mumbled something about 1.5. I said we have to beat that, and went back into full AB.
We climbed to 55,000’ (yeah, yeah, I know, the flight manual says the altitude limit is 50,000, but fortunately, the airplane can’t read! ).
Then we nosed over a bit for a speed run.
At about 37,000 feet we hit Mach 2.0. It was close to 950 KIAS, which is incredibly high indicated airspeed. Mach 2.0 on the gauge is about 2.12 actual Mach due to pitot-static errors in the system.
Coming out of AB was just like this F-16 pilot described. Hard, continuous deceleration, that threw you forward and didn’t let up. It took a while to get subsonic again, and to help out, I banked to about 90 degrees and pulled some G to add drag.
Still took a while to get the beast subsonic. An extra 600-700 MPH takes a while to scrub off.
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“Jet”, “plane”, “aircraft”…all the same. Interchangeable words.
I know nothing about this kind of stuff, but sure do enjoy your stories. Thanks for sharing.
I went 150 MPH in a car one time, when we got down to 90 it felt like I could open the door and get out.....
Astro, what are you currently flying, 747, 777........I bet they would give the F-14 a run for the money! J/K.
I am like members Bud and MM99. I really enjoy your stories about when you were a fighter pilot. And, I too hang onto every word! Please share more!
I am like members Bud and MM99. I really enjoy your stories about when you were a fighter pilot. And, I too hang onto every word! Please share more!
It's really cool to hear the stories of high speed flight and all that's involved in going so fast. Even as an experienced airman, it's not something I've done or experienced. I've never been over the speed of sound, maybe someday. The fastest I've ever been is just over 700mph over the ground, which is fairly normal for jet travel with a tailwind. It is interesting that at high altitudes the typical sensation of speed we are used to, is missing. But even in the luxurious Gulfstream, pushing it up to it's maximum speed of M0.925, you know you are movin'. Mostly because the airflow is not silent and the roar becomes ever louder.
Well, I’ll try to be more clear in the future…I’m typing on an iPad, so, I was not super-detailed.
KIAS - Knots Indicated Air Speed. A measure of the air pressure created by the airplane moving through the air.
More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicated_airspeed
IMN - Indicated Mach Number. A measure of the Airplane‘s current speed through the air in relation to the speed of sound at that altitude and temperature. IMN, along with True Airspeed calculations and displays require an air data computer and both pitot-static sensors along with a total air temperature sensor.
More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach_number
I may have talked about those two flights before, and in better detail, in my F-14 thread, but I would have to look.
F-14 Questions Answered - Ask Away
All - I get quite a few questions on the F-14 via PM or in the threads...I flew the big fighter for 10 years, including in combat, and had 2 instructor tours in it. I am guessing that a few other folks might be interested in the particulars of the jet, so here's the beginning of the thread...
bobistheoilguy.com
I‘m currently a 757/767 Captain and Line Check Airman for a major airline. I last flew the F-14 in 1997, but some things stick with you.
It sure was, thanks! I consider myself extremely fortunate.
I’ve seen 1.7 IMN with tanks and weapons rails - in level flight.
I’ve seen 800+ KIAS with weapons on board.
We did a bunch of TARPS runs at 10,000’ over Kuwait. Combat load. Tanks. Rails. Missiles. Camera pod.
Routinely saw 700+ KIAS. 1.3 IMN. mid range AB. for a couple hundred miles.
That’s fast.
I’ve seen 800+ KIAS with weapons on board.
We did a bunch of TARPS runs at 10,000’ over Kuwait. Combat load. Tanks. Rails. Missiles. Camera pod.
Routinely saw 700+ KIAS. 1.3 IMN. mid range AB. for a couple hundred miles.
That’s fast.
