Official USAF website published the above photo with the following caption (High-resoultion image at http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060315-F-2383G-013.JPG) :
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — An F-16 from the 416th Flight Test Squadron tests a replacement pylon designed to carry towed decoys for the Taiwan air force. The Taiwan High Angle of Attack program was rolled into Edwards’ Operational Readiness Exercise, Feb. 27 through March 3, to prove the squadron’s capability to “test surge” in support of real-world Global War on Terror requirements. (Air Force photo by Tom Reynolds)
It is not easy to see the “pylon” in this photo. So I digitally enhanced it and below is the enhanced view of the left wing. Many thanks to Bryan C for the pointer!
I’m more interest at the chute(I think it’s the housing for the drag chute) at the rear of the aircraft. Was that put there to simulate the effects of ROCAF F-16 A/B Block 20 that got drag chute, or there for the high angle of attack testing that might need the drag chute to ensure the plane will recover during a spin? Or was it something else?
That’s a spin-recovery chute.
Yeah, I figure as much. It’s the same as the one on F-22, but the image of spin recovery chute in my mine always come from an epsiode of Airwolf…….