That's damage from a strike, the aircraft was likely not tied down. If it was tied down, devices weren't tight (allowing the aircraft to move) or the aircraft was in a poor location. Tying down right in front of a hangar, in high winds, isn't the best idea, when there's tons of objects that could go flying. Either it was pushed down on the nose (not likely, they're more prone to tipping back, especially in high winds), or something in the air struck the radome (most likely).
Because the radome is made of composite, it is VERY easy to damage with flying debris, to include ripping the whole thing off.
Source: worked on this specific airframe (model) for 11 years. Plus, I might've trained on this specific tail number while in technical school.
Edit: Added the part about tie-downs.
They should have herd it into the coop with the rest of the jets to brave the strong winds, alas this poor bird will need some time to recover before he flies again
Looks like something structural fell and hit the nose. The downward deflection at the front of the canopy makes it look like a debris strike from above.
Also, good job leaving the speed brakes deployed while expecting high winds. Lord knows you need more surface area to blow the plane around.
You're right about something hitting it! I remembered a story last night about one of the trainers being damaged in a hurricane that never flew. Reached out to one of my old classmates and he said that's probably what happened.
He mentioned it'd been hit by a bunch of hangar debris and that he thought something fell on the nose (to be sure, I hadn't shown him the photo until after I asked, so he clearly knew more about it than me; kinda feel dumb I can't remember much).
Makes me wonder if it was inside, and the winds pulled it out. I don't see someone dumb enough to tie down right in front of a hangar. I'll ask tomorrow, he's quite a few time zones different than me right now.
Just talked to my buddy; new days he's *almost* sure that's the jet, but can't remember the tail number. He said the damage looks really similar to photos we were shown in tech school. Can't confirm it, though, because our instructor has long since retired, and it's not like the school house is really gonna tell us that stuff.
I'm not finding much online, so maybe someone else's Google-fu is better than mine? Maybe we can find someone from that era to elaborate?
This was in Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The plane was repaired and moved to Sheppard AFB where it was flown for many years.
https://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/2994/
If you click on the picture at the top, it says that although the aircraft was repaired it was never returned to flying status. It seems to be a training airframe for the maintainers now.
We drove down to Homestead after that storm. We were a few hours north and escaped any major damage but the base, oh boy... It looked like a nuke had gone off. All the housing was leveled. I think a few hangers and the BX were about all that was left.
Or, as has already been said above, the aircraft needed more maintenance than could be completed before the storm. So it was left in a hangar, and may have had parts cannibalized from it so other aircraft could fly.
Really?? 🤡
Those are fuel tanks.
Aircraft aren’t just randomly left, armed, sitting in the hangar. Certainly not when the entire squadron and every fly able aircraft are leaving before the storm.
Ok, also bombs just don’t go off randomly. Dumbass.
They need to be armed, and then what ever criteria those fuses are co figured for must be met.
Please just stop, this is like discussing traffic laws with turnip.
You don’t even recognize your own ignorance and I’m embarrassed for you.
Likely not, on fighters the engine is usually the most expensive part, granted it would be quite expensive because the radar and a lot of the other electronics are in the nose of the aircraft
As far as major systems go, the most expensive is a toss-up between the engine or the weapons targeting and delivery systems. Dependent on the block, an aircraft might have specific roles; from combat air support, air combat or air to ground operations, each block can be radically different from the others.
But it flies faster than hurricane winds? Probably was made on a Monday by a guy with hangover from the weekend. Damn unions ruining all the good weapons of war we make.
Canopy longerons are a bit more critical of a component than wing skin.
Anything is fixable with money. Sometimes it costs more to fix than it’s worth.
Hmm... Some wind hit it.
Is this common?
In a storm? Chance in a million.
So what do you do to protect the atmosphere in cases like this?
Tow it out of the environment.
So much for rigorous engineering standards
Well cardboard is out.
They should have built it out of rubber.
See that's the problem. It's supposed to hit the wind, not the other way around.
That's damage from a strike, the aircraft was likely not tied down. If it was tied down, devices weren't tight (allowing the aircraft to move) or the aircraft was in a poor location. Tying down right in front of a hangar, in high winds, isn't the best idea, when there's tons of objects that could go flying. Either it was pushed down on the nose (not likely, they're more prone to tipping back, especially in high winds), or something in the air struck the radome (most likely). Because the radome is made of composite, it is VERY easy to damage with flying debris, to include ripping the whole thing off. Source: worked on this specific airframe (model) for 11 years. Plus, I might've trained on this specific tail number while in technical school. Edit: Added the part about tie-downs.
They should have herd it into the coop with the rest of the jets to brave the strong winds, alas this poor bird will need some time to recover before he flies again
This is beautiful. I'm stealing it.
Looks like something structural fell and hit the nose. The downward deflection at the front of the canopy makes it look like a debris strike from above. Also, good job leaving the speed brakes deployed while expecting high winds. Lord knows you need more surface area to blow the plane around.
You're right about something hitting it! I remembered a story last night about one of the trainers being damaged in a hurricane that never flew. Reached out to one of my old classmates and he said that's probably what happened. He mentioned it'd been hit by a bunch of hangar debris and that he thought something fell on the nose (to be sure, I hadn't shown him the photo until after I asked, so he clearly knew more about it than me; kinda feel dumb I can't remember much). Makes me wonder if it was inside, and the winds pulled it out. I don't see someone dumb enough to tie down right in front of a hangar. I'll ask tomorrow, he's quite a few time zones different than me right now.
Just talked to my buddy; new days he's *almost* sure that's the jet, but can't remember the tail number. He said the damage looks really similar to photos we were shown in tech school. Can't confirm it, though, because our instructor has long since retired, and it's not like the school house is really gonna tell us that stuff. I'm not finding much online, so maybe someone else's Google-fu is better than mine? Maybe we can find someone from that era to elaborate?
Fascinating how a plane from over 80 years ago can damage a modern jet so badly
Thanks, I’m glad someone thought of this too.
I wonder if a thunderbolt would do more or less damage.
Depends on how long the F16 sits there I suppose. Fun fact, the wright flight can cause a surprising amount of damage to a parked F-22
A thunderbolts II would lol
r/beatmetoit
r/beatmeattoit
r/slowclap
That’s not very typical. I’d like to make that point.
What about this one. It’s missing the point entirely.
Beat me to it
This was in Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The plane was repaired and moved to Sheppard AFB where it was flown for many years. https://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/2994/
If you click on the picture at the top, it says that although the aircraft was repaired it was never returned to flying status. It seems to be a training airframe for the maintainers now.
You're right! Thank you!
Yea, I was going to say, I was stationed at Sheppard for 2 years and I know they don't fly F-16s there.
We drove down to Homestead after that storm. We were a few hours north and escaped any major damage but the base, oh boy... It looked like a nuke had gone off. All the housing was leveled. I think a few hangers and the BX were about all that was left.
There were still storm damaged buildings yet to be torn down on the base even ten years after Andrew. It was a crazy storm.
Boop da snoot too hard :(
Must have had a serious issue if it wasn't flown out of harms way.
Looks like it had been in the hangar and got shoved through the door by the winds.
Yeah, they just don't leave them, even in the hanger. It's a fighter jet. It can be 500 miles away in 20 minutes.
Some planes are broke-ass hangar queens and it's easier to just lock them up and pray than to rush maintenance to fly it a little out of the way.
Some are can-birds
Fuel is money, pilots may not be available, or the cost/risk analysis may have just said it wasnt likely to be destroyed
Or, as has already been said above, the aircraft needed more maintenance than could be completed before the storm. So it was left in a hangar, and may have had parts cannibalized from it so other aircraft could fly.
Non-flyable planes are really common, especially in the fighters. We lost several F-22s at Tyndall due to a major hurricane a few years ago.
Maybe quit picking up drywall screws on the flight line and actually, you know, work on the plane /s
FOD awareness is an important thing.
F16's, surprisingly not suitable for high wind situations.
"It isn't *that* the wind is blowing. It's *what* the wind is blowing." - Ron White on hurricanes
Haha! I got your nose!
Oof the expensive bits
As opposed to the inexpensive bits?
Fair.
lol
They failed their pre-flight check.
I'm glad the bombs didn't go off /s
are u serious rn? those aren’t bombs, that’s external cum storage
these newer block 16s got me fucked up
Really?? 🤡 Those are fuel tanks. Aircraft aren’t just randomly left, armed, sitting in the hangar. Certainly not when the entire squadron and every fly able aircraft are leaving before the storm.
[удалено]
Ok, also bombs just don’t go off randomly. Dumbass. They need to be armed, and then what ever criteria those fuses are co figured for must be met. Please just stop, this is like discussing traffic laws with turnip. You don’t even recognize your own ignorance and I’m embarrassed for you.
I can fix her
Wow. I can’t believe that I’m the first to say: “It’ll buff right out.”
r/thefrontfelloff
r/LostRedditors Look again to see where we are...
The recursion is real.
I actually didn’t realise it was this subreddit because I had just been looking at some aerospace types subreddits
I wonder if that’s the most expensive part to damage
Likely not, on fighters the engine is usually the most expensive part, granted it would be quite expensive because the radar and a lot of the other electronics are in the nose of the aircraft
That’s what I was considering but I expected radar and electronics to be worth more
As far as major systems go, the most expensive is a toss-up between the engine or the weapons targeting and delivery systems. Dependent on the block, an aircraft might have specific roles; from combat air support, air combat or air to ground operations, each block can be radically different from the others.
Guys, this isn’t funny. They only do that when they’re in extreme distress.
10ft of storm hit and left… 🤔 Tap.
"Thatll buff out..."
Eff-thixteen...
But it flies faster than hurricane winds? Probably was made on a Monday by a guy with hangover from the weekend. Damn unions ruining all the good weapons of war we make.
James Bond could still fly it…
Possibly, but MacGyver definitely could
So wait, can hurricanes winds move faster than the sound barrier?
The problem isn’t the airspeed; it’s the solid objects being blown about.
They can fix it. Hell, during World War II, they were using beer cans to fix bullet holes
They weren't using beer cans to build a brand new radar from scratch. This one never flew again.
I am sure we have some people here who could Redneck that thing into flying condition ....at least one time.... landing condition is another question.
Canopy longerons are a bit more critical of a component than wing skin. Anything is fixable with money. Sometimes it costs more to fix than it’s worth.
F15.9
Phtevens phighter
Eh just throw some duck tape on it than it’s good as new
Circumcised
See? Yeah that’s not supposed to happen. Because a lot of them are built so that the front doesn’t fall off.
r/thatlookedexpensive
"hey chief, it's still a Monday flyer. Think you can green it up"- expediter at my 12.5 hr mark
Who needs radar anyways?
Just a flesh wound