KEFD Ellington Field Houston, TX
April 15, 2016
(This page best view in PC or Mac )
A friend of mine told me there were four F-16Cs in town for 3 days flying multiple sorties per day. Three of them were from the 138FW, 125FS (nickname: Tulsa Vipers) based in Tulsa, OK and the other was one the 138FW “borrowed” from the 180FW, 112FS (nickname: Stingers) based out of Toledo, OH. By the time I arrived (around 4pm) it looked like they had just finished their last sortie as the aircraft looked “buttoned up”. However, I was not disappointed. I had heard a while back that Tulsa was beginning to paint their Vipers in the Have Glass II paint scheme and to my surprise two of them were there. That alone was exciting never having seen one painted in this scheme. I just hope the next time I see one in that scheme it will be in the air.
The information below on Have Glass II is quoted from this web-site:
http://wiki.scramble.nl/index.php/Lockheed_Martin_F-16_Fighting_Falcon
“Have Glass II includes the Pacer Mud radar signature reduction and the Pacer Gem infrared signature reduction. Pacer Mud applies RAM coating to the forward and side facing areas of the F-16. These materials comprise ferromagnetic particles, embedded in a high-dielectric-constant polymer base. The dielectric material slows down the wave and the ferromagnetic particles absorb the energy. These coatings are also designed in a way that the small reflection from the front face of the absorber is cancelled by a residual reflection from the structure beneath it. Pacer Mud processed aircraft can be recognized by their metallic like and shiny paintwork.”
Article and Pictures by Bill Havel
Some of other Tulsa and Ohio vipers from the past drill weekend
