Global Task Force Overlord Knowledge Base

Aerobraking & Flared Profile

The F-16C Viper utilizes a lightweight landing gear system. Pilots are expected to execute a gentle aerodynamic flare over the threshold, touch down on the main gear in the first 25% of the runway, and maintain a 13° nose-high aerobraking attitude.

Supported Airframes

F-16C_50 — DCS F-16C Block 50 Viper

Profile Highlights & Specifics

1. Flared Landing Touchdown Engine (`flared_landing: true`)

Aerodynamic Flare: The Viper requires a smooth round-out and flare to cushion wheel contact sink rate below -800 ft/min.
Touchdown Zone Awareness: Floating in ground effect is permitted near the threshold, but touching down long or deep (> 25% of runway) with a very flat sink rate (shallower than -50 ft/min) triggers the FLT float penalty (-0.2 pts).

2. High-Speed Approach Profile (145.0 kts)

Evaluated against a nominal final approach target of 145.0 knots (±15 kt window, 130–160 kt acceptable range).

3. Bank Angle Limits (Up to 75.0°)

Pattern turns and overhead breaks permit bank angles up to 75.0° (well above the 60° civil limit, tailored for Air Force tactical recoveries).

Key Parameters & Tolerances

Parameter	Value	Description
Pattern Altitude Range	`1,000 – 2,500 ft`	Standard Air Force overhead pattern floor
Downwind Spacing	`0.7 – 2.0 NM`	Optimal Viper downwind lateral displacement
Max Bank Angle	`75.0°`	High-performance tactical break bank limit
Max Turn G	`3.5 G`	Pattern turn load factor ceiling
Final Glidepath Angle	`3.0°`	Standard 3.0° glideslope
Target Approach Speed	`145.0 kt`	Evaluated against 145 ± 15 kt
Hard Touchdown Limit	`-800 ft/min`	Lightweight gear structural threshold
Float Touchdown Limit	`> -50 ft/min`	Penalized when landing deep/long past TDZ
Touchdown Zone Target	`3.0% – 25.0%`	First quarter of runway length
Touchdown Lineup Tolerance	`15.0 m`	Lateral centerline offset limit

Complete Configuration (`F-16C_50.json`)

{
  "aircraft_type": "F-16C_50",
  "display_name": "F-16C Viper",
  "flared_landing": true,
  "pattern_alt_ft": 2500.0,
  "pattern_alt_min_ft": 1000.0,
  "pattern_alt_max_ft": 2500.0,
  "downwind_alt_tol_ft": 300.0,
  "downwind_spacing_min_nm": 0.7,
  "downwind_spacing_max_nm": 2.0,
  "max_turn_bank_deg": 75.0,
  "max_turn_g": 3.5,
  "final_glidepath_deg": 3.0,
  "final_glidepath_tol_ft": 80.0,
  "threshold_crossing_height_ft": 50.0,
  "final_lineup_mean_tol_m": 15.0,
  "final_lineup_rms_tol_m": 30.0,
  "final_speed_target_kts": 145.0,
  "final_speed_max_std_kts": 15.0,
  "touchdown_centerline_tol_m": 15.0,
  "sink_rate_hard_fpm": -800.0,
  "sink_rate_float_fpm": -50.0,
  "tdz_min_pct": 3.0,
  "tdz_target_max_pct": 25.0,
  "tdz_long_max_pct": 40.0,
  "score_weights": {
    "downwind_max_pts": 1.0,
    "turn_max_pts": 1.0,
    "final_max_pts": 1.5,
    "touchdown_max_pts": 1.5
  }
}