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F-16 has negative stability at subsonic conditions. How is this achieved? To me it looks like a very streamligned, very normally shaped aircraft.

Is the Center of Mass actually behind the Center of Lift? If so, how? I looked up dry engine weight as a fraction of total empty weight, and got 16%. For dry engine weight as a fraction of normal loaded weight, I got 12%.

All the weapons and ammo seem to be ahead of the body or in the middle of the wings or body. So the only thing left is fuel but I cannot imagine how you could fit a large amount of fuel very far aft in that small jet.

Is there some other way it achieves negative stability? How does the F-16 do it?

DrZ214
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    You cannot tell where CG is from just looking at it. Engine is in the back. It weighs a bit. – Charles Bretana Jan 27 '21 at 15:33
  • The wings are shifted forward relative to a stable design. A few inches are enough already. – Peter Kämpf Jan 28 '21 at 11:04
  • @PeterKämpf It sort of does, but it depends on the terminology "negative stability" and "relaxed stability". I see those two terms used interchangeably but ive always thought the first has C_g behind C_L, whereas the latter means C_g and C_L coincide (or extremely close). Correct me if im wrong. – DrZ214 Jan 28 '21 at 14:11
  • Nothing to correct. The difference is indeed how much the cg has been moved back. But the principle is the same and the difference in cg location is small. – Peter Kämpf Jan 28 '21 at 17:04

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