F-16 Viper and Red Flag podcasts

On the Hydraulics, the pilots mentions Hydraulics systems A power landing gear and brakes(@1:09:25), that is incorrect, that is part of System B. System B has all non essential devices and devises with a back up.

- So System B power landing gear, brakes, gun, IFR door, NWS, drag chute and supplements system A on flight controls.

- System A power flight controls, speed brakes, Fuel Flow Proportioner (FFP)

- EPU power System A

Question @ 1:10:21

Each actuator is called Integrated Servo Actuator (ISA) One per flying surface (i.e. one per flaperon, one for right horizontal stabilizer, etc.) so 5 total. Each servo has connections to system A and system B. Leading Edge Flap (LEF) uses a different system, one main hydraulic motor, called Power Drive Unit (PDU). The PDU moves "torque shafts" which in term move Rotating actuators (4 per LEF).

@1:15:05

B and D models have less Forward/Right fuel.

@1:24:

It is a block 32. Zero and the end of the block above 30 is GE engine (40, 50, etc). Two at the end of the block is PW (32, 42, etc). All blocks below 25 use only PW engines.

and we do not load SADL codes nor any code, those guys are specialist/specs/avionics guys. Pilots call everyone not and officer on the flight line a chief...

@1:43:33

EPU can not be power by RAM air. It can be powered by Hydrazine ( if the engine if out) By bleed air from the engine (testing) or by both hydrazine and bleed air. So if you loose main and standby power or if Hydraulic system A goes below a certain pressure, the EPU will activate. If the Engine is running when any of this things happen, the EPU will use hydrazine to achieve initial operational speed and use bleed air to maintain that speed (hydrazine will switch to back up power as long as bleed air can maintain needed EPU turbine speed).

@1:50:53

Delta P are just for the filters. If the filter element is plug, pressure will change inside the and push the Delta P out...a hammer or a magnet can also do that...not that I ever did that to keep a pilot from flying my jet.

@1:52:11

Normally each airbase will have it own dry/wet weather limits (as long as they are more restrictive than the tire limits) but generally speaking tires are change when a Red layer cord is visible on dry weather and for wet weather it tends to be around 2/32 of an inch for maximum wear.

@1:53:49

Nitrogen is use to open all three landing gear doors. The Main Landing Gear(MLG) is actually held up by the doors, so opening the doors releases the MLG. The Nose Landing Gear (NLG) is as he mentions.

@1:55:14

LEF do not move independently of each other, they physically can't unless something disconnected and that is not good at all. Both sides respond to the PDU as stated earlier, which is control by the command servo, which gets inputs form the FLCC and turns them into mechanical inputs for the PDU.

@1:56:56

Explosive carts can go on stations 3 to 7. 1,2,8 and 9 and can't be jettison. There are different carts depending on the weapon. Those same carts also release the bombs.

@1:57:55 Pylon is bolted to the wing the only pylon than will go is the fuel tank pylon and he can't choose to keep it. He can choose to drop or jettison a bomb and keep a TER or other racks mounted on the pylon.

@1:59:51

Argon tank is between the control fins, you can see the sight glass

@2:08:19

Why does everyone always pushes the nozzle close even tho it is written on them "No push"?

@2:15:37

The gauges are for Nitrogen tanks the push hydraulic fluid from accumulators that are use for emergency braking and starting the Jet Fuel Starter (JFS). What we crank is the JFS pump in the left wheel well. It pumps hydraulic fluid not air and it is not pleasant to us, hit my head so many times. Imagine a row machine you have to use standing inside a phone both...sad part most people can't remember what a phone both looks like.

@2:16:43

No, you can't use an external cart (called AGE, Aerospace Ground Equipment) to start the engine nor the JFS. You can use AGE for electrical power and you can use an external cart (we call it a mule) to pressurize the hydraulics, but you have to disconnect the mule before starting the engine.

@2:39:31

FTIT= Fan Turbine Inlet Temperature only for PW engine. It reads the gas temp coming off the HPT (high Pressure Turbine) and before it hits the LPT (Low Pressure Turbine) The LPT is the one that drives or moves the Fan which is the low pressure compressor. GE engine uses EGT (exhaust Gas Temperature), the gauges is called FTIT to avoid pilot confusion.