Watch this crash of an SU-24 at what I think is an Iranian air show, and you will believe, as Stephen Trimble notes, that the performance of their ejection seats in impressive (crash at about 1m30s):
Category: technology
Ceramic Composites Starting to Find Way Into Engines
Production verification ceramic matrix composite vane
Well, we now have another reason to support a 2nd engine for the JSF, it appears that the GE/Rolls-Royce F-136 alternate engine will be the first production engine to use ceramic composites. (paid subscription required)
Right now, they are looking at using it on stationary parts of the engine, “vanes, shrouds, combustor liners,” though there is investigations of using it on rotating parts too.
There is both a significant weight savings (Nickel is heavy), and a reduction and/or elimination of the need for cooling air.
STOVL JSF Range Same as AV8B Harrier
Bill Sweetman looks up the current numbers for the JSF and the Harrier, and finds the following:
But the bottom line is this: with 2,500 pounds of weapons, plus the gun pod, the AV-8B has a hi-lo-hi operational radius of 508 nm. The F-35B’s design radius, with no gun, two 1,000-pound bombs and two AMRAAMs, is 450 nm: the most recent numbers (from 2007) show it exceeding that and just about equalling the AV-8B’s range.
Huh. Obviously, there are differences, a supersonic dash speed, some level of stealth, and a superior avionics suite, but it’s a less than impressive performance for an aircraft that will enter service about 30 years after the Harrier II.
Shooting Behind You
MBDA just demonstrated an over-the-shoulder shot with their ASRAAM IIR AAAM, using its using the lock-after launch mode.
It’s a neat trick, and one of the arguments that the ASRAAM people have used, suggesting that its relative lack of maneuverability off the rail is more than made up for by its superior end-game kinematics, but one wonders how the launch aircraft would get targeting data in a real combat situation, unless, of course, it has the small stinger mounted radar of the Su-27 series.
Thick flying wing for UAVs faces windtunnel tests
Interesting new aerodynamic concept here, a very thick wing with slots in it to improve lift to drag ratio.
I have no clue if it will work, though there is rather a lot of analysis that indicates that it might, but given the non-aerodynamic advantages of a thicker wing in terms of structure and volume, it is an intriguing concept.
It appears that this could be tied with some sort of bleed air technologies to work as control systems too.
US Air Force Sacrificing ECM Capabilities to Push F-22 & F-35
The Air Force has yet canceled the stand-off jammer EB-52.
If you look at electronic warfare assets for the USAF, they have been starved for some time, and the USAF’s argument is that AESA radars can fill the gap on their stealth platforms.
To my mind, what is going on here is that the Air Force is systematically defunding projects that might constitute a threat to the F-22, F-35, B-2, and NGB.
If you possess sufficient EW capabilities to negate the newer integrated air defense systems, then you don’t need stealth, so those EW capabilities have to be killed, even if they, as in the case of the EB-52, make stealth more effective and more survivable.
Well, That Makes 3 F-22 Shootdowns in Excercises
Stephen Trimble had a walkaround at Electronic Warfare Appreciation Day at Andrews AFB, and he noticed noticed this EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare aircraft.
Look at the bottom picture: the pilot bagged an F-22 in exercises at Nellis.
This does raise an interesting question, how does an aircraft largely dedicated to electronic warfare bag what is supposed to be the hottest jet out there.
I think that it comes down to the fact that the F-22 had to get close to burn through the jamming, and once it did, its size, the aircraft is roughly as large as an F-14 Tomcat, made rather more visible to the Mark 1 eyeball than the F/A-18.
This raises an interesting question as to the effectiveness of the aircraft in a heavily jammed environment: will this require the Raptor to get close enough to its target that it is then in a visual conflict, where it will be more visible than its opposition.
Hrm….
French Develop New Penetrator
No, I don’t mean Gérard Depardieu.
MBDA has developed a 1000 kg class deep penetrating bomb (paid subscription required) that is expected to be fitted to their Rafale.
The drill like nose on the weapon allows a thin walled casing to be around the explosive, which might increase the total explosive content, and would very likely make it extremely robust.
IDF Namer AIFV Performed Well in Gaza
The Namer is based on a Merkava 4 chassis, and it replaces the preferred personnel carrier for high intensity conflict in the IDF up to this point, which is based on captured T-55 hulls.
It appears that its heavy armor, sensor suite, and remote controlled weapons systems served it well in the conflict.
IIRC, it’s the heaviest AFV in the world.
European Aerospace Aggressively Pursuing Indian LCA Program
With its indigenous Kaveri engine repeatedly delayed, India is looking to foreign engines to power light combat aircraft (LCA), the Tejas, and Eurojet is pitching its EJ200 as a competitor to the GE F414, and they are promising some, “special sauce”, thrust vectoring.
Unspoken in this bid to power the diminutive delta is the concerns that the Indian government has regarding ITAR restrictions which could hamstring sales to other nations.
This is also what is driving India’s interest in procuring an AESA radar from EADS for an upgraded version of the fighter.
India Reveals Manned Capsule Concept at Aero India
So, it looks like India is looking to join the man-in-space club, unveiling a 3 person capsule.
I’m not sure why, but I get the sense that there is a lot of Russian/Soviet lineage in the design.
I’m not sure why it gives me that sense, but it does.
AESA And Typhoon
It looks like Eurofighter is considering adding an AESA radar to the Typhoon that has mechanical scanning.
The neat trick here is that instead of simply strapping an AESA radar to the pitch and yaw actuators, they mount the radar at an angle, and then rotate the array to get a wider field of view.
About a year and a half ago, I posted about the Russians looking at something similar, though their idea used the existing actuators of a plane array radar.
I don’t believe that in either case the actuators would respond as quickly as those on a more conventional radar, because the AESA is heavier than a slotted plate array antenna, but the electronic response of the AESA within a narrower band is literally hundreds of times faster than that.
Both would achieve the same thing, a very large field of view, though I think that Eurofighter’s concept looks like it is much more amenable to reduction of head on radar cross section.
Mechanically, this is a lot simpler to do, though you need slip rings for both power and signal, and a rather complex fitting for cooling, as all current AESAs need liquid cooling.
An End to Pilots?
The Airforce will graduate its first class of unrated pilots to operate the MQ-1 Predator drone this summer.: (paid subscription required)
The first group of nonrated U.S. Air Force pilots who are being trained to fly MQ-1 Predator missions is expected to graduate by the end of the summer.
The Air Force selected 10 active-duty nonpilot (unrated) captains to be the first of two groups to receive unmanned aircraft system (UAS) training. Once qualified, they will be a beta test group for Air Force leadership to see how nonrated pilots perform at the controls of UASs. The Army has proceeded with UAS flight operations using nonrated pilots, while the Air Force has come under fire for slow training of its UAS pilots, maintainers and sensor operators.
It makes sense.
Modern UAVs are sufficiently automated that the role of the operator is far closer to that of a gunner than it is a pilot.
It’s interesting how it’s going. My guess is that the USAF fought this every step of the way, just like they fought UAVs when they first came out.
The white scarf must cut off blood to the brain.
High Speed Helos Looks to Boost Speed in Tests
Piasecki helicopter is looking to demonstrat higher speeds in its vectored-thrust ducted propeller (VTDP) X-49 Speedhawk demonstrator. (paid subscription required)
They are currently installing a 3rd engine to power the propulsor, and expand the envelope to 193 kts (223 mph).
In the meantime, Sikorsky is looking toward taking its X-2 advancing blade helicopter to about 250 kts (288 mph). It’s already powered up the propulsor on the ground, and they look to open the envelope slowly, as this is a privately funded project.
Interestingly enough, it appears that they may exceed 250 kts in test at some point, as the manager of advanced programs notes, “We are comfortable getting to a 250-kt. cruise. The dash speed will be higher.”
I can see one or both of these technologies as a replacement for the A-10, which is a fine aircraft, but the US Air Force has wanted it dead for 30 years, and they only grudgingly address the close air support needs of ground troops.
India Working on Stealthy Successor to LCA
The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is looking at a twin engined two seat stealthy aircraft as a follow on to the LCA.
Considering the glacial pace of these programs in India, I’ll probably be a grandparent by the time this is reaches squadron service.
Additionally, it really does not look to have a particularly low RCS.
Color me skeptical.
Retrofitting Stealth to Existing Airframes
Bill Sweetman was at Aero India, and he noticed that the Zhuk-M1E proposed for Mig-29 upgrades has been treated with a bit of radar absorbent material (top picture).
This won’t make a plane invisible, but it will significantly reduce the RCS of an aircraft in the front aspect, so the rule of thumb, about 5m2 is likely no longer operative, particularly when juxtaposed with RAM coatings on the inlets, fan, or the installation of radar blocker screens, as was done with the F/A-18 E/F, though the environment in an engine inlet is rather more severe than that found under a radome.
You can see a similar application on the Have Glass II F-16s (bottom, the RAM is white).
Additionally, the move to AESA radars might provide some additional reductions.
This probably doesn’t reduce detection much, but it probably does increase the effectiveness of jamming relative, particularly with the necessarily (physics is a bitch) high frequency radars on air-to-air missile seekers.
Also, you may want to check out this PowerPoint (19.3M) for some perspectives.
Sony Releases New Stupid Piece of S@&* that Doesn’t F#$%ing Work
It’s The Onion, it’s very profane, it’s funny as hell.
Sony Releases New Stupid Piece of S@&* that Doesn’t F#$%ing Work
Blended Wing Transports
Well, NASA is big on them to improve efficiency, and the Boeing’s sub scale demonstrator, the X-48B continues apace, with the development team looking at stall characteristics, and the Europeans are conducting validation studies on a BWB with 1000 passengers. (paid subscription required for all links)
It will require rather a lot of validation and test in both structures and control surfaces.
In any case, here is some picture pr0n:
Podded Engines
More advanced serpentine duct arrangement.
Structural Test Item
X-48 B
Sikorsky X2 Powers up Propulsor
As you can clearly see, after a few months of testing with the aircraft powering just the coaxial rotors, they are not ramping up power to the tail propulsor.
The plan is to put drag-reducing fairings on the rotor, and then slowly transition to higher speeds, which would put more and more power toward the tail thruster, with the retreating blade stall being handled by offloading the blade as it moves aft.
They want to hit about 250kts by year’s end.
Video pr0n below:
Cutting the Cord: The Lines Cross
US spending on cell phones has now exceeded spending on residential land lines.
One wonders how much of this is increased cell phone uptake, and how much is consolidation and profiteering by the wireless providers.