[NOT REALISTIC] AIM-7 Sparrows?

Will this particular block version get AIM-7's for stations 3 and 7? Variety being the spice of life and all. I just don't recall if certain block 50's didn't use them.

As you can see (https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=241132), No.

Thanks, forgot to check that list.

So some of us are hoping that it's possible to mod them in. As whilst the USAF/ANG Block 50 does not use the AIM-7, other Viper blocks & operators certainly did and simulating other conflicts can be fun.

So some of us are hoping that it's possible to mod them in. As whilst the USAF/ANG Block 50 does not use the AIM-7, other Viper blocks & operators certainly did and simulating other conflicts can be fun.

+1

I’d like to use it in an 80s Cold War setting, ie before Aim120s were introduced. Right now that means only sidewinders.

Adding it to the armaments is trivial, I already accomplished that. However, getting the avionics to work is currently beyond my understanding. I know the three lua files that control the AA missiles but I'm not sure how to add AIM-7 specific code, or if it's even possible to only do so via the LUA files. If anyone has any ideas in that regard feel free to share.

+1

I’d like to use it in an 80s Cold War setting, ie before Aim120s were introduced. Right now that means only sidewinders.

Which would have been realistic if not annoying for F-16 pilots back then. The vast majority of F-16s aren't equipped to fire the sparrow IRL thus prior to the inclusion of the AMRAAM most F-16s were sidewinder only.

Which would have been realistic if not annoying for F-16 pilots back then. The vast majority of F-16s aren't equipped to fire the sparrow IRL thus prior to the inclusion of the AMRAAM most F-16s were sidewinder only.

Which if you factor in the Pk of a sidewinder from that era (all-aspect AIM-9L or M) vs an AIM-7 (such as seen in the Gulf war) you probably aren’t missing a lot, particularly fulfilling a light day fighter role.

+1

I’d like to use it in an 80s Cold War setting, ie before Aim120s were introduced. Right now that means only sidewinders.

Realistically you would use Sidewinders only in such a scenario, as that was what the vast majority of Vipers carried in those days. Only a a special Air Defense Variant (ADF) of the Viper, produced exclusively for the Air National Guard, was Sparrow capable in US service and there weren't many around of them. The actual USAF never had Sparrows on the Viper. The F-16 was originally designed as a cheap light weight dog fighter, similar to the F-5 Tiger II, that could be build in huge quantities to increase the numbers of fighter jets in addition to the expensive but highly capable F-15 air superior fighter.

Chaps, thanks for that. Hadn’t realised that it was common to use only sidewinders.

Problem solved.

These forums can be awesome at times.

Realistically you would use Sidewinders only in such a scenario, as that was what the vast majority of Vipers carried in those days. Only a a special Air Defense Variant (ADF) of the Viper, produced exclusively for the Air National Guard, was Sparrow capable in US service and there weren't many around of them. The actual USAF never had Sparrows on the Viper. The F-16 was originally designed as a cheap light weight dog fighter, similar to the F-5 Tiger II, that could be build in huge quantities to increase the numbers of fighter jets in addition to the expensive but highly capable F-15 air superior fighter.

lets be honest this is not the case by the time of the F16C. ITs a full on mulirole fighter that took advantage of further improved avionics technologies, and cockpit design philosophies ( glass cockpit) . Even prior to the the F16A was no longer a pure lightweight fighter, as it already had fighter bomber capabilites, and already built a reputation for that role before defintive mulitrole F16C came about , following the path of the Hornet which paved the way and set the standard for such new cockpit design.

Reality is what an aircraft is originally designed for doesn't always translate to being used for purely just that role ( or at all) when the final product emerges into operational service. The F16A was supposed to be a day only fighter but that was nothing more than a dream of the fighter mafia forced down USAF throats. That dream of which in thier eyes was already perverted when General Dynamics made changes at behest of the USAF to their actual needs which was to include more than 2 IR missiles, a on board multi mode radar , and A/G ordinance carry capability. Further evolution to the F16C ultimately was much closer representation of what the USAF probably would have wanted from the get go if not for the FM influence.

With regards to BVR radar guided missiles, this is where USAF was simply short sighted in betting all their chips in the Aim120 Program and not even willing to include Aim7 as an interim solution,where iit wouldn't have been much effort to add such capability as an option even if it were never to be utilized as BVR fighter. At a time when the Navy had the F14, they didnt shy away from allowing the capability for FOX 2 missiles on their Hornet, a multirole fighter, that too was used far more for A/G than A2A. IT too was the Cheaper alternative for the Navy relative to the tomcats #'s they could never afford. At least they were progressive enough to let that platform shine instead of withholding its true potential.

the F16C was advertised as adding BVR capability for the AMRAAM missile system from the get go. Yes it successful missile family today, but was vastly delayed as it would have been expected to put in the service within the 1980s, not the 90s.

Of course the F-16 is a true multirole fighter for quite some time now, capable to fullfil a huge variety of tasks. I just said that this wasn't the case in the 80s as it was just a lightweight dogfighter at that time, whatever the reasons (politics, technology, fighter mafia, ...) for this have been.