Again, was there ever a movie in which a F-16 landed on a carrier?
2006-10-31 11:29:56 · 12 answers · asked by Dylan J 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
i think TOP GUN did
2006-10-31 11:32:02 · answer #1 · answered by blueman2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, an F-16 has never landed on a carrier, not even in the movies. The planes used in Top Gun are F-14 Tomcats. The reason F-16's have never landed on a carrier is not due to it only having one engine, it has to do with the fact that it does not have a tailhook to catch the wire (which it could be fitted with one), but the biggest reason is that the landing gear is not built to take the constant abuse of carrier landings. "Planes are not landed on carriers, they are flown onto them" -F-18 pilot. Compare the pictures of the F-18's landing gear to the F-16's landing gear, (I have included links under resources) the F-18's gear is much more stout, you can deffinately tell it was designed to take abuse and absorb a LOT of shock. The Airforce jets do not need to be built so tough because they never land on carriers, only the Navy and Marines. The army only flight cargo such as the C-130 and helicopters.
2006-10-31 14:08:54 · answer #2 · answered by uc_pilot_20 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree that an F-16 has never been landed on a carrier. Let's straighten some stuff out from other "answers".
-All USAF fighters have tailhooks. These are designed to engage cable systems on runways in case an aircraft has a malfunction that might require an alternative means of stoping the plane. A brake malfuction for example.
- If we are talking US military, the Army does not operate any C-130's or fighter aircraft. This is all done by the USAF. The Army does operate some smaller aircraft, like the Sherpa.
2006-11-01 04:46:50 · answer #3 · answered by sc0tt.rm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not believe so, unless the US Navy or USMC wanted carrier trials to determine the suitability of the AC for Naval use. I am not aware of any tests being done, but that does not mean they were not. I would look at US Navy Carrier videos. I believe they are available from many suppliers on-line. The F-16 was initially designed as a light weight USAF fighter to complement the F-15 eagle. It has since evolved into quite a different bird. Remember also the Navy went with the F/A-18 as its Light weight fighter to complement the F-14 tomcat
2006-10-31 13:02:32 · answer #4 · answered by gregva2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The planes used by the US Navy typically have 2 engines (F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18, etc.), due the the fact that if one engine dies, they still have one more to get back to the ship... (no place to land in the middle of the ocean right?). F-15's and F-16's are used by the Army and Air Force, and not by the Navy. They only have one engine, and most importatly, they would not have the "tail-hook" used the catch the arresting cables on the aircraft carrier deck, therefor they would not normally land on an aircraft carrier. If one had to (for emergency sakes) and they didn't want to do a low altitude emergency eject close to the ship, they would have to use the aircraft arresting net/barricade.... weather they would risk that kind of damage would be the big question.
2006-10-31 11:41:32 · answer #5 · answered by jason_parker_2002 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I worked on aircraft part of my career. I then went to Civil Service and did technical writing on aircraft service manuals. I have loved aircraft all my life and have read more than most on the subject. Point is I was immersed in the subject for about 35 years. In that time I never heard of or saw anything that would lead me to believe an F16 ever landed on a carrier. I know something about the F16s and about carrier landings. You can believe, if an unmodified F16 was landed on an aircraft carrier in the fashion of a Tom Cat or F18 it would not fly again without major repairs and component replacement. And even with extensive repairs it might never achieve air worthiness again. I sure wouldn't fly it.
As a frame of reference, the F4 Phantom flown by the Navy and Marine Corp is so different from its Air Force brother that I would have no trouble changing the "F" designation on one of them to set it aside from the other.
As far as movies go, I have seen most and I can't imagine me not noticing something like that happening even in a fiction format. Ask my wife, I think I have criticized every military movie we have ever watched together. I think she loves me but when Top Gun is on she would rather I go to the shop and play with my toys.
2006-11-01 11:53:09 · answer #6 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I watched loads of carrier movies but no F-16's landed on them or even went near one.
2006-11-01 06:59:46 · answer #7 · answered by brian L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
jason_parker_2002 ALMOST has it right. f-15's/f-16's, the army doesn't fly either one, just the air force and air national guard.
He is correct about the navy having a minimum of two engines.
The last single engine I can think of the navy having is the a-7.
Some air force craft still have a tail hook, but that's for emergency landing (on a runway, not a carrier.....non-navy personnel are not trained to land on a flat top).
2006-11-01 04:46:42 · answer #8 · answered by strech 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not even in the movies. It never could and never will since it will be replace by the F-35 which has a carrier based version for the Navy.
2006-10-31 13:07:12 · answer #9 · answered by Jerry L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably one of the lame Iron Eagle movies.
But there were single engine naval jet aircraft: the F-8, A-7, A-4 and the F9F to name a few.
2006-10-31 13:09:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i tihnk in top gun they did. i just asked my friend and he said they do.
2006-11-01 06:16:55 · answer #11 · answered by FreakGirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋