PRECISION GLASS MOLDING & SLUMPING
Take advantage of one of the most advanced and unique glass molding facilities
in the U.S. We can mold, slump and shape standard flat borosilicate (Pyrex™),
soda lime float glass, fused quartz and other exotic sheet glasses into
precision curved shapes.
E-mail your project description and drawing to us today for a quick quote or
call our sales representative to discuss your requirements:
The quality of our molded glass blanks is on par with traditional ground and
polished parts. In comparison to ground and polished parts, glass molding
offers: faster production rates, better surface quality for coating, larger
sized molding capabilities and significantly lower manufacturing costs.
We offer the following types of glass molding:
* Glass press molding
* Glass gravity & vacuum assist slumping
* High pressure molding
* Spin molding
Our automated glass press systems are for very high-volume, low-cost
manufacturing of precision glass and borosilicate products.
Applications of our molded glass products:
* Sight windows
* View ports
* Flow sight indicators
* High vacuum and Ultrahigh-Vacuum (UHV) systems
* Glass Reflectors
* Large & massive glass optics
* Lighting
* LEDs
* UV & light curing systems
* Heater windows
* Glass fireplace & furnace shields
* Art & architectural glass
* Household appliances
* Gaming equipement
E-mail your project description and drawing to us today for a quick quote or
call our sales representative to discuss your requirements:
Del Mar Photonics, Inc.
4119 Twilight Ridge
San Diego, CA 92130
tel: (858) 876-3133
fax: (858) 630-2376
Skype: delmarphotonics
sales@dmphotonics.com
The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, the first of the US Air Force
multi-role fighter aircraft, is the world's most prolific fighter with more than
2,000 in service with the USAF and 2,000 operational with 23 other countries.
The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world's first aircraft able to withstand
higher G forces than the pilots. The Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979.
The last of 2,231 F-16 fighters for the US Air Force was delivered in March
2005.
"The F-16 Fighting Falcon is the world's most prolific fighter."
Recent orders include Bahrain (ten delivered), Greece (60 Block 52 all
delivered), Israel (50), Egypt (24 Block 40), New Zealand (28), United Arab
Emirates (80 Block 60, first delivered 2005), Singapore (20), South Korea (20
Block 52 all delivered), Oman (12, first delivered August 2005), Chile (10 Block
50, first delivery 2006) and Poland (48 Block 52, first delivery 2006).
Israel, with the world's largest F-16 fleet outside the USAF, has ordered 110
F-16I aircraft, of which the first was delivered in December 2003. These
aircraft have Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines, Elbit avionics, Elisra
electronic warfare systems and Rafael weapons and sensors, including Litening II
laser target designator pods. Italy has leased 34 aircraft until the first
tranche of Eurofighter deliveries are completed. Hungary will acquire 24 ex-USAF
fighters.
In December 2005, Greece ordered a further 30 Block 52+ fighters (20 F-16C
single seat and 10 F-16D two-seat) to be delivered from 2009.
In June 2005, Pakistan requested the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 36 F-16C/D
block 50/52 aircraft. In June 2006, the Pentagon notified Congress of its
intention to agree the sale and Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract for 12
F-16C and 6 F-16D block 52 aircraft in December 2006. The aircraft will be armed
with AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles and the Sniper targeting pod. The planned
order of the second 18 aircraft has been cancelled.
In September 2006, Turkey requested the sale of an additional 30 advanced block
50 F-16 aircraft. The order was signed in May 2007. The aircraft will be
delivered in 2011 and 2012.
In June 2007, Taiwan requested 66 F-16C/D aircraft but the US government has
indicated that approval is unlikely to be granted before 2008.
In December 2007, Morocco requested the sale of 24 F-16C/D block 50/52 aircraft.
The order was placed in June 2008.
F-16 COMMON CONFIGURATION IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME (CCIP)
650 USAF Block 40/50 F-16s are being upgraded under the Common Configuration
Implementation Program (CCIP). The first phase of the program (first aircraft
completed in January 2002) provides core computer and colour cockpit
modifications.
The second, which began in September 2002, involves fitting the advanced
AN/APX-113 interrogator/transponder and Lockheed Martin Sniper XR advanced FLIR
targeting pod.
The third, which started in July 2003, adds Link 16 datalink, the Boeing Joint
Helmet-Mounted Cueing System and an electronic horizontal situation indicator.
Operational testing of the M3 upgraded fighters was completed in September 2004.
Deliveries are planned to complete in 2010.
"Israel has the largest F-16 fleet outside the USAF."
A216 Block 40/50 F-16 aircraft of the Turkish Air Force are to be upgraded with
elements of the CCIP, under an agreement reached in April 2005. Lockheed Martin
was awarded the contract to supply the modernisation kits in December 2006. The
upgrade is scheduled for completion in 2016.
The export version of the Sniper XR pod, the PANTERA, has been ordered by the
Royal Norwegian Air Force. The first was delivered in November 2003.
BLOCK 60 UPGRADE
The Block 60 F-16E/F, which is being developed for the United Arab Emirates,
features extra payload and range, in part due to the new F110-132 engine being
developed by General Electric, which produces 145kN of thrust.
New avionics for the Block 60 includes a higher-speed mission computer, a new
display processor, 3 large colour LCD displays, advanced data transfer unit with
a fibre-optic data transfer network Precision targeting is achieved by the
Northrop Grumman integrated navigation FLIR and targeting FLIR system using
mid-wave infrared arrays and Northrop Grumman's APG-80 agile beam active
electronically scanned (AESA) radar.
Northrop Grumman is providing the Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite. First
flight of the Block 60 aircraft took place in December 2003. Deliveries of 80
block 60 aircraft to the UAE began in May 2005 and are scheduled to conclude by
2008.
COCKPIT
Advanced equipment being fitted on the current build of the F-16 includes
Honeywell colour flat-panel liquid crystal multifunction displays, digital
terrain system, modular mission computer, colour video camera to record the
pilot's view of the Head-Up Display (HUD), a colour triple-deck video recorder
and an enhanced programmable display generator.
Under the USAF Project Sure Strike, the F-16 is being equipped with an Improved
Data Modem (IDM), which automatically provides target data to the HUD using data
transmitted by a ground observer.
"USAF F-16 aircraft are scheduled to receive the Boeing Joint Helmet-Mounted
Cueing System (JHMCS)."
A follow-on program, Project Gold Strike, integrates an upgraded IDM for the
transmission of images to and from a range of sources, including ground units
and unmanned aircraft. The system can transmit images from the LANTIRN targeting
pod and display video imagery to the cockpit.
USAF F-16 aircraft are scheduled to receive the Boeing Joint Helmet-Mounted
Cueing System (JHMCS), currently in full-rate production. Deliveries of
production systems begin in 2004, although the system has been deployed
operationally during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
WEAPONS
The aircraft has nine hardpoints for weapons payloads: one at each wing tip,
three under each wing and one centreline under the fuselage. The ordnance is
launched from Raytheon LAU-88 launchers, MAU-12 and Orgen bomb ejector racks.
The port wing is fitted with a 20mm General Electric M61A1 multi-barrel cannon
and the gunsight is interfaced to the cockpit HUD.
Air-to-air missiles which have been carried on the F-16 include the Lockheed
Martin/Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder, Raytheon AMRAAM, Raytheon Sparrow, MBDA
(formerly Matra BAe Dynamics) Skyflash and ASRAAM, and the MBDA R550 Magic 2. In
April 2004, the F-16 first fired the new-generation AIM-9X Sidewinder, which is
in full-rate production for the USAF.
Air-to-surface missiles carried on the F-16 include Maverick, HARM and Shrike
missiles, manufactured by Raytheon, and anti-ship missiles include Boeing
Harpoon and Kongsberg Penguin. Flight tests with the Lockheed Martin Joint
Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) are being conducted from the F-16.
The first guided launch of the new Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) was
successfully carried out from an F-16. The F-16 was the first USAF aircraft to
be fitted with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in April 2000.
The F-16 can be fitted with Lockheed Martin Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD),
which provides precision guidance for CBU-87, -89, and 97 cluster munitions. The
system corrects for launch transients, ballistic errors, and winds aloft.
The F-16 will be the first aircraft to use the USAF's new weapon rack, the Edo
Corporation BRU-57. The BRU-57 is a vertical ejection rack which doubles the
aircraft's capacity for precision-guided weapons like JDAM and WCMD.
TARGETING
The F-16 carries the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN infrared navigation and targeting
system. This is used in conjunction with a BAE Systems holographic display.
Block 50/52 aircraft are equipped with the HARM Targeting System, AN/ASQ-213
from Raytheon.
"Air-to-surface missiles carried on the F-16 Fighting Falcon include Maverick,
HARM and Shrike missiles."
US Air National Guard F-16 aircraft are fitted with Northrop Grumman Litening
II/Litening ER targeting pods.
In August 2001, Lockheed Martin was selected to provide the Sniper XR as the new
Advanced Targeting Pod for USAF F-16 and F-15E aircraft. Sniper XR (Extended
Range) incorporates a high-resolution mid-wave FLIR, dual-mode laser, CCD TV,
laser spot tracker and laser marker combined with advanced image processing
algorithms. Deliveries began in March 2003.
F-16 fighters for Oman will be equipped with BAE Systems Advanced Airborne
Reconnaissance System. Those for Poland will be equipped with the Goodrich
DB-110 reconnaissance pod.
COUNTERMEASURES
Current Block 50 F-16 aircraft for the USA are equipped with the Lockheed Martin
superheterodyne AN/ALR-56M Radar Warning Receiver. The F-16 is also compatible
with a range of jammers and electronic countermeasures equipment, including
Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-131, Raytheon AN/ALQ-184, Elisra SPS 3000 and Elta
EL/L-8240, and the Northrop Grumman ALQ-165 self-protection suite.
Lockheed Martin ALE-40 and ALE-47 chaff and infrared flare dispenser systems are
installed in an internal flush mount. ALE-40 is pilot-controlled but the ALE-47
installed in Block 50 can be operated in fully-, semi-automatic or manual mode.
F-16s for the Greek Air Force are being fitted with the Raytheon Advanced
Self-Protection Integrated Suite (ASPIS) II which includes Northrop Grumman
ALR-93(V) threat warning system, Raytheon ALQ-187 jammer and BAE Systems ALE-47
chaff / flare dispenser.
F-16s for Chile and Pakistan are fitted with the ITT AN/ALQ-211 (V) 4 electronic
warfare suite.
RADAR
The Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68 radar provides 25 separate air-to-air and
air-to-ground modes, including long-range, all-aspect detection and tracking,
simultaneous multiple-target tracking, and high-resolution ground mapping. The
planar antenna array is installed in the nose of the aircraft.
An upgraded version of the radar, AN/APG-68(V)9, has begun flight testing. The
upgrade features: 30% increase in detection range, 5X increase in processing
speed, 10X increase in memory, as well as significant improvements in all modes,
jam resistance and false alarm rate.
"The F-16 Fighting Falcon carries the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN infrared
navigation and targeting system."
NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
The F-16 was the first operational US aircraft to receive a Global Positioning
System (GPS). The aircraft has an inertial navigation system, either a Northrop
Grumman (Litton) LN-39, LN-93 ring laser gyroscope or Honeywell H-423.
Other navigation equipment includes a BAE SYSTEMS Terprom digital terrain
navigation system, Gould AN/APN-232 radar altimeter, Rockwell Collins AN/ARN-118
tactical air navigation system (Tacan) and Rockwell Collins AN/ARN-108
instrument landing system.
The communications systems include the Raytheon UHF AN/ARC-164 receiver /
transmitter and Rockwell Collins VHF AM/FM AN/ARC-186 together with AN/APX101
Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and encryption / secure communications
systems. The AN/APX-101 is being upgraded with BAE Systems AN/APX-113.
ENGINE
The aircraft is powered by a single engine: the General Electric F110-GE-129 or
Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229. The fuel supply is equipped with an inert gas
anti-fire system. An inflight refuelling probe is installed in the top of the
fuselage.
Lockheed Martin has completed developmental flight testing on new Conformal Fuel
Tanks (CFT) for the F-16, which will significantly add to the aircraft's mission
radius. First flight of the F-16 equipped with the new tanks was in March 2003.
Greece is the launch customer for the CFT.
