Prototype F-16 Cockpit Ladder Chosen of 138 Designs

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) recently announced the winning design of this year’s Spark Tank competition. Out of 138 total entries, a prototype for an F-16 Fighting Falcon cockpit ladder came out on top.

The selected design was created by Major Nick Atkins, project lead for the 31st Fighter Wing. His innovation is a collapsible ladder that can be fitted inside the map case of an F-16 fighter jet. The current ladder used to get pilots in and out of the fighter’s cockpit must be transported and prepositioned, then removed after boarding.

Atkins’ simple fix saves time, money, and space. It remedies “a logistical problem by enabling resilient basing requirements and equipping our F-16s with enhanced readiness to deploy and fight,” he said.

The annual Spark Tank competition began in 2018. It invites minds from across the DAF to share creative ideas to a leadership panel in hopes to be awarded sponsorship. Its mission is to give airmen the opportunity to “share their best ideas that build upon senior leader priorities to restore readiness, increase the lethality of the force, and drive innovation to secure our future,” explained Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.

This year’s six finalists presented their innovations to a panel of judges at the Pentagon on October 30. Aside from the winner, the other top proposals were an integrated Flyways Defender AI platform, an app called LoadPlan+ to streamline mission preparation, an autonomous flightline resupply vehicle, new medic training and supplies for field blood transfusions, and an intuitive cloud-based tool titled CyberAssess.

The judge panel featured Under Secretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife, Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Mike Guetlein, and other top Air Force and Space Force leadership.

“What a tough set of decisions and just a remarkable opportunity today to be able to engage with our innovators in the Department of the Air Force,” stated Dalton. “So inspirational. Please keep innovating, please keep leading yourselves and encouraging others to lead innovation.”

FMI: www.af.mil