On the F-16 aircraft there are nine wing weapon stations. A wing weapon station is an attachment point for an ordnance such as a bomb, missile, or rocket. Wing stations can also carry reconnaissance pods, cameras, fuel tanks, or storage containers. Station 1 is on the tip of the left wing. Station 2, 3, and 4 are all on the left wing. Stations 6, 7, 8, and 9 are on the right wing with Station 9 being the right wing tip. Station 5 is on centerline of the fuselage. The figure below shows the wing weapon stations.
So now that we know what a wing weapon station is, what is a Station 5 wiring harness? A Station 5 wiring harness is the wiring harness inside the F-16 fuselage that directly attaches to the pylon at Station 5. For Block 40 and earlier F-16’s the Station 5 is the largest wiring harness in the F-16. Typically its part number is H16DW2602. Besides attaching to the Station 5 pylon it also stretches across the fuselage and connects to the “attach areas” of both wings.
A H16DW2602 wiring harness is a huge, complicated wiring harness. It is also difficult to remove and replace since (a) it sits in the middle of the fuselage and (b) there is lots of equipment around it. So why is it replaced so often? The answer lies in the two connectors that go to the Station 5 pylon. The connectors get pulled so often that after a period of time they are damaged. Likewise, the wires that are terminated to these connectors are damaged too.
So there you have it; that is the reason the H16DW2602 F-16 wiring harness is replaced so often. If you want to purchase one, please let us know. It seems that InterConnect is always making one of these wiring harnesses as a replacement for a damaged one.
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