Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by chiph 4328 days ago
The USAF was concerned at one point that should an F-16 burn on a runway, it would release carbon-fiber strands which would float around the base and short out electrical equipment (communications gear, phone switch, power generation, etc).

Seems like the concern was correct, but misplaced. We had a plane catch fire on a taxiway and burn, and no electrical mayhem resulted. Perhaps we should have worn our gas masks -- but we didn't know at the time.
2 comments
drzaiusapelord 4328 days ago
Sounds like that they were aware of 'Soft Bomb' technology and were worried that an accidental soft bomb could go off via the F-16's fiber/composite materials burning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLU-114/B_%22Soft-Bomb%22

Interesting, that a plane from 1988 had warnings and concerns for a bomb that wouldn't be used until 1999. I wonder when the US first had one ready to go. What year was your experience?

link
chiph 4328 days ago
1983-85 at Hahn. We were the first base in USAFE to get the F-16 (A & B models).

Now it's a civilian airport where RyanAir tricks people into thinking they're flying into Frankfurt -- an additional 90-minute bus ride away (there's a reason why the airfare is so cheap!)

link
JabavuAdams 4328 days ago
I'd be more worried about the tank of hydrazine in an F-16.
link