Lakeroadster's Twin Vipers

[lakeroadster]

A couple decades ago we were at an RC airplane event and a guy had 5 really small F-16's that were built tethered together such that as it was flying it appeared they were flying in formation.

That was so cool it's been stuck in my head all that time.

This morning I did a simulation of a rocket that is a pair of F-16's, attached via their ventral fins.

One of the F-16's carries the 29mm motor, the other F-16 carries the parachute. When the motor ejection charge fires, the motor ejects from the rocket and has a lanyard affixed to it that pulls the parachute out.

Both are BT-55 based.

 

[grapetang]

This would look great in your USAF Thunderbirds 5 & 6 theme!!!

 

[Hobie1dog]

you're mind is always reeling in ideas

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

How do you think that will fly? My smooth brain thinks it may arch over fairly quickly, but that’s with no experience doing it. I like your idea though, I wrenched on vipers for 12 years.

 

[BABAR]

A couple decades ago we were at an RC airplane event and a guy had 5 really small F-16's that were built tethered together such that as it was flying it appeared they were flying in formation.

That was so cool it's been stuck in my head all that time.

This morning I did a simulation of a rocket that is a pair of F-16's, attached via their ventral fins.

One of the F-16's carries the 29mm motor, the other F-16 carries the parachute. When the motor ejection charge fires, the motor ejects from the rocket and has a lanyard affixed to it that pulls the parachute out.

Both are BT-55 based.

View attachment 543554View attachment 543555
View attachment 543569

One characteristic feature of the F16 was the ventral scoop-like air intake.

If you add and “meld” that between the two you may have a location to place a MIDLINE motor and room for two chutes in fuselage bodies.

The static display F16 at USAFA had a big “plug” in the intake, I think to keep critters from taking up housekeeping.

 

[lakeroadster]

This would look great in your USAF Thunderbirds 5 & 6 theme!!!

Agreed... but... been there... done that.

 

[lakeroadster]

One characteristic feature of the F16 was the ventral scoop-like air intake.

If you add and “meld” that between the two you may have a location to place a MIDLINE motor and room for two chutes in fuselage bodies.

The static display F16 at USAFA had a big “plug” in the intake, I think to keep critters from taking up housekeeping.

Yeah, but that's a tricky thing to replicate. You'd have to make an elliptical cross-sectional nose cone, then add that air intake.

 

[jqavins]

Gee, here I thought "twin viper" meant two of these:

 

[Daddyisabar]

Gee, here I thought "twin viper" meant two of these:
View attachment 544303

I thought it was going to be the symbol Caduceus, where the God Mercury broke up a snake fight with his rod. Is there a doctor in the house?

 

[lakeroadster]

Gee, here I thought "twin viper" meant two of these:
View attachment 544303

The folks that actually fly F-16's refer to them as "Vipers"...

It's a pretty good book with a lot of 1st hand information you can only get from the guy in the cockpit, check it out.

​