F-4D,

John Redman got it right with a caveat

The lights are selectable to either be steady or to flash, and the fuse and wing lights are independenatly (sp?) selectable for bright or dim...if set to flash they flash together or they are steady together. Anytime the jet is in motion (in the air or on the ground) the lights are set to flash (individual squadrons will have slightly different standards here, but this is what the majority say). The one big exception is on the tanker. Obviously you don't want to blind the boomer, so you set dim steady on the fuse/wing lights and kill the strobe. The other time you'll see the lights on the fuse/wings set to flash on the ground is when guys are ready for T/O (again, it'll be squadron specific). In this case the strobe on the tail is off, but the fuse/wing will be set to flash and that's how you indicate to your flight lead that you're ready. It'll typically start with the highest number guy (i.e.#4) and work it's way up the line until everyone is flashing. At that point, as a FL, you call ready for T/O to tower, you arm the seat, turn on the strobe, the landing light, and the pitot heat and away you go.

Anytime the wings/fuse are set to flash, most guys will set the tail strobe (bright white at the top of the tail) is set to flash as well. That light is capable of flashing once, twice, three times, four times or a couple different patterns. Most squadrons will say everyone is on single flash until Fencing in (prepping the jet for combat upon entering the airspace) and then #1 will either set a single flash, or one of the patterns that flashes a lot so guys can find him. #2 flashes twice, #3 three times, etc. That way if you see a guy, you count his flashes and can figure out who he is. The lights on either side of the fuse at the base of the vertical are called the Pan Am lights, and are on a rheostat. They shine up on the tail so you can read the tailflash and are, as JR said, a formation light (US F-16s don't have the green glow strips like a Hornet or Phantom).

The bullet as John called it, or the pitot tube as BV calls it that extends forward on the vertical (it looks just like a pitot tube but is actually a light that casts down on the back of the jet for refueling) is only on with the AR door open (totally not worth replicating on a model).

Hopefully this helps.

Dave