Air brakes ?

[Marcq12]

Hi guys! How can you tell if the airbrakes are open or closed in the F16 ? Beside looking in external view

Marc…

[Fox3TwoShip]

Bottom left hand panel just above the RWR power panel shows a little gauge with either dots (open) or CLOSED (closed obviously). It becomes a bit of an excessive habit to constantly keep pushing forward on the SB switch on the throttle. Gas is extremely precious in this jet, and you don’t want to waste it by having the SBs open.

[-Pv-]

The indicator is a little hard to see in my pit because it’s mostly hidden under the canopy lever. I’m able to see it enough to confirm its position. Fills with a bunch of dots when open.
-Pv-

[Guest]

There’s a slightly different sound that you can hear inside the cockpit when the brakes are open as well. Easiest way is to check your airbrake switch… if it’s in the open position, it’s open. If it’s in the middle position, push it forward just to make sure you’re closing it or pull it back to make sure you’re opening it.

[clm79]

@Marcq12:

Hi guys! How can you tell if the airbrakes are open or closed in the F16 ? Beside looking in external view

Marc…

<falconbms-folder>\Docs\Falcon BMS Manuals\TO-BMS1F-16CM-1.pdf:
Chapter 1.13.4. Speed Brake system
A three position indicator is located left of the LG control panel.
Positions are:

• CLOSED
• 9 dots symbol: the speed brakes are not closed (thus open but it is not possible to say how open they are)
• Diagonal lines: the indicator is not receiving electrical power

Speedbrake closed:

Speedbrake open:

Cheerz</falconbms-folder>

[Raptor]

@Marcq12:

Hi guys! How can you tell if the airbrakes are open or closed in the F16 ? Beside looking in external view

Marc…

Ask for an OpsCheck every 5 minutes or so, if your buddies have more and more fuel than you, you probably have the brakes out! lol

[Marcq12]

Ah!! Perfect That’s going to help. Weird is that I used to hear it opening and closing but can hardly hear it now

Thanks a bunch
Marc…

[Marcq12]

@-Pv-:

The indicator is a little hard to see in my pit because it’s mostly hidden under the canopy lever. I’m able to see it enough to confirm its position. Fills with a bunch of dots when open.
-Pv-

Just noticed that, no wonder I couldn’t see it and that distracting blinking light just under, what is it? Can only see part of it,I think “search”

I also changed the setting in “sound effect”, now I can feel it with my transducer

Marc…

Marc…

[soldano]

I raised the volume of the airbrake sound file and now I have no doubts about its position, and I think it is more realistic too.-

[Guest]

@soldano:

I think it is more realistic too.-

Do you have actual F-16 seat time?

[Dee-Jay]

@soldano:

, and I think it is more realistic too.-

You think wrong. IRL it makes absoluetly no sounds, no vibrations, and deceleration is only trully felt when airbrakes are open in dense air layer (low level) and/or at high speed.

[Fox3TwoShip]

@Dee-Jay:

You think wrong. IRL it makes absoluetly no sounds, no vibrations, and deceleration is only trully felt when airbrakes are open in dense air layer (low level) and/or at high speed.

Correct.

[Dee-Jay]

@Fox3TwoShip:

Correct.

I should have let you answer buddy … I’ve never actually flew on F-16 (I would dream about it! ;)) but on MF1 , Jaguar , M2000 and Ajet it is the case … In Jaguar and MF1 vibrations was more noticeable. Really noticable on C-160 when opened more than 60° …

[Dee-Jay]

… By the way, it is the same story about afterburner’s “kick in the pants”.

[Fox3TwoShip]

@Dee-Jay:

I should have let you answer buddy … I’ve never actually flew on F-16 (I would dream about it! ;)) but on MF1 , Jaguar , M2000 and Ajet it is the case … In Jaguar and MF1 vibrations was more noticeable. Really noticable on C-160 when opened more than 60° …

Nope you nailed it perfectly. (Young) Guys have actually left the speed brakes open for decent amounts of time in the Viper because you just don’t notice it. Hence the habit of constantly pushing forward on the SB switch on the throttle.

[Dee-Jay]

@Fox3TwoShip:

(Young) Guys have actually left the speed brakes open for decent amounts of time in the Viper because you just don’t notice it.

Made the same mistake on Ajet (no stable “close” position on the throttle, just an unstable “open” and “close” with a central stable “neutral” postion, but … with a more visible light on the landing gear/flaps panel … ooops ;))

[Guest]

@Fox3TwoShip:

Hence the habit of constantly pushing forward on the SB switch on the throttle.

Good to know it’s not just me but also the real pilots as well!

A few questions guys… when going AB and breaking the sound barrier…
1. Is there a “crack” sound when you break the sound barrier?
2. Is it true that the cockpit “goes quiet” afterwards?
3. Is the BMS implementation correct? IME, it doesn’t go as quiet as I expect it to be, if at all…

Thanks!

[Dee-Jay]

1 - No
2 & 3 - I do not know in an F-16. (?)

Fox?

Edit: https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/content.php?145-Pump-Up-the-Volume

> Sample 5 - The last one is an AB supersonic run passing the mach at 19 seconds then 1.3 mach at 58 seconds and 1.4 at 1:14. Notice how the wind rush sound gets louder as mach increases.

[Fox3TwoShip]

@Dee-Jay:

1 - No
2 & 3 - I do not know in an F-16. (?)

Fox?

Edit: https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/content.php?145-Pump-Up-the-Volume

You hear the wind rush increase as airspeed increases. But you never notice anything special about breaking the Mach. And after doing it once or twice, it just becomes another day of flying the Viper!

[Guest]

Well, that wasn’t what I expected…. I thought if you’re flying faster than the speed of sound, you’re basically not hearing anything as you leave the soundwaves behind you…

Thanks for the answers guys!