F-16 Jet Engine Afterburner Explained

How do military aircraft like the F-16 achieve supersonic speeds? It’s all thanks to the afterburner.

An afterburner is made up of five rings on the back of the engine, each with hundreds of individual holes. The afterburner process injects additional fuel into the engine, which is sprayed at high pressure through these holes and then ignited, producing 23,000 to 29,000 pounds of thrust in an F-16.

To make sure this process doesn’t flood the engine, the afterburner rings ignite sequentially; this also means that even as an F-16 goes faster, it accelerates faster as well, unlike a car or even a commercial plane. This process is what allows it to reach a top speed of 1,319 mph or nearly twice the speed of sound.

There is a rigorous diagnostic and maintenance testing process for these engines. It takes place in a building called the Engine Test Cell Facility, commonly known as the “Hush House” for its noise-suppressing qualities. It allows engines to be fired with full afterburners into the exhaust detuner, which fills with cold air and discharges through a vertical stack.
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Видео F-16 Jet Engine Afterburner Explained канала The Military Show