The US has a new wicked stealth fighter

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George Hill

Staff Alumnus
The Bird Of Prey:
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992946
New Stealth fighter...
99992946F2.JPG


Wow. That is too cool. I wonder if it has a gun on board.
 
G

George Hill

Staff Alumnus
There is a video. It's 50 megs to download. But it's worth it. This looks to be more of a technology testbed than any weapon. Low and slow kind of platform... perhaps a few of these with Mavericks and you have the new A-10 replacement? Okay, maybe not. But at the speed and altitude figures... what would use use it for? Bird-dog duty?
 
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Nightcrawler

New member
It's probably like you said, a technology demonstrator, like the X-29 (forward swept wings) and the X-31 (thrust vectoring paddles for wicket manuvering).
 
J

Jamie Young

New member
I wonder what kind of role that thing would play? Looks more like some of those "Drone" planes that Lockhead was playing around with.

Have they ever made a manned fighter with a "ram-jet engine?"
 
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DaleA

New member
manned (personned??) ram jet.

This month's Popular Science (Nov. 2002) has an article on supersonic ram jet engines. These are a little different than regular ram jet engines.

They mentioned that the first manned airplane to fly by ram jet alone was a modified F-80. Pop Sci says they had a report on it in the January 1949 issue of the magazine.

There was supposed to be a Republic XF-103 but it got canned.

(Pop Sci is ANOTHER mag that I wish would publish all their old issues on CD-ROM like MAD and National Geographic have done.)
 
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benEzra

New member
Story in Aviation Leak: <http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_military.jsp?view=story&id=news/mbop1021.xml>

The Bird of Prey was, as has been mentioned, an early '90s technology demonstrator. A lot of said technology was incorporated into Boeing's XF-32 prototype for the Joint Strike Fighter--check out the way the XF-32's nose rose to a point, just like the Bird of Prey). The XF-32 lost out to LockMart's XF-35, which had/has similar stealth capabilities but superior vertical takeoff ability in the STOVL version. Bird of Prey technology also lives on in Boeing's X-45A UCAV prototype.

BTW, the Air Force has some pretty hot hardware coming online. The F/A-22 (now in low-rate production?) has approximately the same radar cross section as the B-2 Spirit--reportedly less than that of a duck--since it was designed to be able to escort it into harm's way, and it can cruise at 1.5 Mach with full fuel and weapons load and the afterburner OFF. Even at military power and full loadout, it will reportedly out-accelerate even the uprated F-16's at full AB (F-22 performance in AB is classified, of course). There was a cool article on the F/A-22 in _Code One_ a few months ago. The F-35 has a slightly larger RCS (still roughly that of a duck), but in the Marine STOVL variant can take off vertically like a Harrier, and is supersonic.

The F/A-22 is equipped with an internal gun (see, firearms related, I'm on topic!), and I think the F-35 may carry an underslung gun pod (not sure on that one).

I can't WAIT until these puppies show up at airshows . . .
 
7

70-101

Moderator
On a similar avation note, Boeing has recieved the go ahead to build a fleet of huge cargo planes, for the U.S.Military. The new aircraft, will be designed to carry heavy military equipment over the oceans.The giant planes will be much larger than the Giant Russian Antanov,and once the plane reaches water will fly at approx. 40 ft over the ocean to achieve the maximum desired fuel economy,and will have a max altitude of approx 10,000ft. The aircraft will be powered by giant turbo prop engines. If the design proves successful,and I am sure it will be. Boeing may build commerical/passenger versions of this new aircraft.Can anyone say round trip to Europe for $ 150.00?
 
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T

TexasVet

New member
will fly at approx. 40 ft over the ocean to achieve the maximum desired fuel economy
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Surface Effect??? Cool, I heard years ago they had some small test planes using that effect, but hadn't heard anything coming out of it til now.
 
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Nightcrawler

New member
The Russians had massive wing-in-ground aircraft. This page has some good info on Russian WIG aircraft. Here's a picture of the "Caspian Sea Monster". This big ugly SOB actually flew.

caspian_20sea_20monster.jpg
 
G

George Hill

Staff Alumnus
Oh, I am sorry... my link was so 5 minutes ago...
:rolleyes:
Pardon me, but when shown an old P-38 I still think "Whoa! That thing is COOL!"

c-ration-peanut-butter-p-38-550.jpg

or
P-38.jpg


You decide...
 
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Nightcrawler

New member
Yeah, George, get with the program! :p

Hey! I have one of those! My dad had one on his keychain, so I bought one from a surplus store when I was like 14. Never seen one in the Army, but it does come in handy from time to time.
 
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Lord Grey Boots

New member
The History Channel had a program on that Russian Sea Monster.

Politics killed the program. It was too much for Brezhnev to understand.

35 years ago the Russian design bureau was planning something like what Boeing is working on now.

A western defence analyst explained it as "The Soviets had great concepts and theoretical folks, but it was real hard to get anything built".
 
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