I guess that I'd qualify as a Viper expert, the F-16 variety that is. I think that comparisons like these are neat, like the Corvette vs. Blue Angel F-18 they did earlier in the year at El Centro, California. However, I take exception to the Viper vs. Viper race, especially since I know my plane and it's capabilities.
Let me first say that the F-16 Viper comes in many flavors just as the Dodge does. There are two main engine manufacturers for the F-16: Pratt & Whitney and General Electric. It is a long-proven fact that the GE motors have a lot more thrust than their Pratt counterparts, and are also more reliable. In the USA, most of the Pratt & Whitney-engined planes have been removed from frontline combat duty and sent to the training bases like Luke AFB. In the hands of a student, the Pratt is better suited and is less of a problem if the motor quits (ie, parachuting over friendly vs. hostile territory.)
So, when they picked Luke AFB for the "race," they really were stacking the deck in the favor of the Dodge. Add a hot afternoon in Phoenix, and you can see where I'm going with this. If you think that a hot day affects a car's performance, try calculating a jet's takeoff roll in 100-degree heat. With the "wimpy" Pratt motor, I'll bet that most everyone watching the race knew the outcome before they even began the race.
It takes a Pratt & Whitney motor up to 5 seconds to get into afterburner after the throttle is moved into that position. In that time, the Dodge is screaming down the runway while the Pratt-equipped F-16 is barely getting going. This wouldn't matter, though, if they had pitted the Dodge against a more lethal F-16 Viper.
Now, put both Vipers at sea level on a cold winter morning, and give the F-16 a GE 110 or 119 motor with the large intake. The F-16 will blow the Dodge away, and it won't even be close. Half mile, hell.....the F-16 will have been airborne in less than 1000 feet after brake release!
Sorry......I just had to come to the defense of my other "car."
Chuck
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'91 Black/Ivory NSX
'89 Gray/Gray F-16C
