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Thursday 25 April 2013

Aero HC-2 (Heli Baby)

A two-seat light general-purpose utility helicopter known as the Aero HC-2 Heli Baby was designed by engineer Jaroslav Slechta. This aircraft was produced by Aero Vodochody (a Czechoslovakian company) in the 1950's. It used a three-bladed rotor system for main rotor and a two-bladed rotor system for tail rotor. Heli Baby has windows made of Plexiglas and a fully metal frame and cockpit. It was the first Czechoslovakian-designed helicopter to be produced.

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In 1951, the Heli Baby's prototype began to be construct and then later in 1954 the testing of the prototype was commenced. Heli Baby took it maiden flight on December 3, 1954. This helicopter was introduced to the public in 1955 at the Brno Industries Fair.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Engine: One Praga DH four-cylinder, air-cooled, horizontally-opposed, 62 kW (83 hp) or one Avia M 110H four-cylinder air-cooled piston engine rated at 78.3 kW (105 hp)
aero-hc-2-heli-babyMaximum speed: 78 mph
Range: 93 miles
Service ceiling: 9,941 ft.
Length: 34 ft. 5 in.
Height: 7 ft. 7 in.
Gross weight: 1,290 lbs.
Cruise speed: 62 mph
Main rotor diameter: 28 ft. 10 in.
Capacity: One passenger or 220 lbs. payload
Crew: One

The production of Aero HC-2 was scheduled to begin in 1957. However, due to the engine problems, the production had been delayed. HC-2 had been used by the Czechoslovakian Air Force as well as the Czechoslovak People's Army.

Aero HC-2 Heli Baby is capable of carrying a pilot and 220 pounds of cargo while using 4.85 gallons of fuel in one hour for 62 miles. It was one of the world's lightest two-seated helicopters in 1959 which is initially powered by an 83 hp (62 kW) Praga DH engine. The more powerful 105 hp (78 kW) Avia M 110H engine which was designed specifically for use in helicopters, replaced the old engine after approximately six years.

hc-2

Heli Baby can be used for training, transport, and various other duties in military and civil serviceIn addition to its two seats, the helicopter has space behind it to carry cargo, and it had a tricycle undercarriage. Three wheels were used to support the helicopter on the ground.

Monday 22 April 2013

Lockheed AH-56 (Cheyenne)

An attack helicopter developed for the United States Army by Lockheed which is known as Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne rose from the Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program in order to field the service's first dedicated attack helicopter.

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Cheyenne was designed by Lockheed to use a four-blade rigid-rotor system. Lockheed configured the aircraft as a compound helicopter. This aircraft also featured a tail-mounted thrusting propeller, low-mounted wings, and a single General Electric T64 turboshaft engine. In order to provide armed escort for the Army's transport helicopters, such as the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, the Cheyenne was to have a high-speed dash capability.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Armament: Guns: 1) One nose turret with either an M129 40 mm (1.57 in) grenade launcher or an XM196 7.62x51 mm machine gun 2) One belly turret with an XM140 30 mm (1.18 in) cannon | Hard-points: Six | Missiles : BGM-71 TOW missiles | Rockets : 2.75 in (70 mm) FFA rockets
Engine: One General Electric T64-GE-16 turboshaft, 3,925 shp (2,930 kW)
Rotor systems: 4 blades on main rotor, 4 blades on tail rotor, 3 blades on pusher propeller
100_0165Maximum speed: 244 mph
Range: 1,225 miles
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft.
Length: 54 ft. 8 in.
Height: 13 ft. 8.5 in.
Weight: 18,300 lbs. loaded
Cruise speed: 255 mph
Rotor diameter: 51 ft. 3 in.
Fuel capacity: Internal: 7,320 L of JP-5 fuel | External: Two 1,136 L tanks
Crew: Two (one pilot, one copilot/gunner [front seat])

The Army awarded Lockheed a contract for ten AH-56 prototypes in 1966 and a production contract, based on flight testing progress later in January 1968. The AH-56's first flight took place on 21 September 1967. On 19 May 1969, the production contract of Cheyenne was being canceled due to a fatal crash and technical problems affecting performance. Due to the problems too, Cheyenne development had been put behind schedule. However, the development of the Cheyenne continued with the hope that the helicopter would eventually enter service.

ah-56-plan

The Army canceled the Cheyenne program on 9 August 1972 due to the controversy with the United States Air Force over the Cheyenne's role in combat as well as the political climate regarding military acquisition programs. These were the reasons that had caused the Army to correct the service's attack helicopter requirements in favor of a twin-engined conventional helicopter which was viewed as less technical and more survivable. On 17 August 1972, the Army announced a new program for an Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) which led to the development of the AH-64 Apache.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Lockheed S-3 (Viking)

The Lockheed S-3 also known as "Viking" that was used by the U.S. Navy in order to identify and track enemy submarines is a four-seat twin-engine jet aircraft. The Viking also supplied electronic warfare and surface surveillance capabilities to the carrier battle group.

lockheed_s3_viking

Avionics
  • AN/APS-116 sea search radar, maximum range 173 miles
    • Upgraded on S-3B to AN/APS-137 Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR)
  • OR-89 forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera with 3x zoom
  • AN/ARS-2 sonobuoy receiver with 13 blade antennas on the airframe for precise buoy location (Sonobuoy Reference System)
  • AN/ASQ-81 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD)
  • AN/ASN-92 Inertial navigation system (INS) with doppler radar navigation and TACAN
  • Up to 60 sonobuoys (59 tactical, 1 Search and Rescue)

lockheed-s-3-vikingSPECIFICATIONS:
Armament: Hard-points:  Up to 4,900 lbs. on four internal and two external hardpoints (underwing hardpoints can also be fitted with unguided rocket pods or 1,136 L fuel tanks.) | Missiles : 1) One AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile 2) Two AGM-84D Harpoon missiles 3) Two AGM-65E/F Maverick missiles | Bombs : 1) Two B57 nuclear bombs 2) Six CBU-100 cluster bombs 3) Two 2000 lb (908 kg) Mark 84 bombs  4) Two 1000 lb (454 kg) Mark 83 bombs  5) Ten 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs | Torpedo : 1) Two Mark 50 torpedoes 2) Four Mark 46 torpedoes | Others : Six mines or depth charges
Engine: Two General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans, 9,275 lbf (41.26 kN) each
Maximum speed: At sea level: 493 mph | At 20,000 ft.: 514 mph (Mach 0.79)
Range: 3,182 miles
Service ceiling: 40,900 ft.
Span:  Unfolded: 68 ft. 8 in. | Folded: 29 ft. 6 in.
Length: 53 ft. 4 in.
Height: 22 ft. 9 in.
Weight: 38,192 lbs. loaded
Speed: Cruise: 405 mph | Stall: 112 mph
Thrust/weight: 0.353
Fuel capacity: Internal: 7,320 L of JP-5 fuel | External: Two 1,136 L tanks
Crew: Four (Pilot, two Naval Flight Officers, Sensor Operator/TFO)

lockheed-s-3a-viking-cutaway

The Lockheed S-3 is a subsonic, carrier-based, all-weather, multi-mission aircraft with long range. This aircraft carried automated weapon systems, and was capable of doing extended missions with in-flight refueling. Due to the engines’ low-pitched sound, the Viking was nicknamed as the "Hoover", which is after the vacuum cleaner brand.

The Lockheed S-3 Viking retirement from the front-line fleet service aboard aircraft carriers was in January 2009 by the US Navy along with its missions being assumed by other platforms (P-3C Orion, SH-60 Seahawk, and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet).

Lockheed C-5 (Galaxy)

"Galaxy" or also known as the Lockheed C-5 which was built by Lockheed is a large military transport aircraft. Lockheed C-5 provides a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo for the United States Air Force (USAF). There are many similarities between the C-5 Galaxy and its smaller predecessor, the C-141 Starlifter, and the later C-17 Globemaster.

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The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest military aircraft in the world. It had a complex development because significant cost overruns were experienced and Lockheed suffered from the significant financial difficultiesFractures in the wings of many C-5 aircraft were discovered shortly after it entered for service. Due to this problem, the C-5 fleet were limited in capability until corrective work was carried out. An upgraded version of C-5 is known as the C-5M Super Galaxy. It is built with new engines and modernized avionics. C-5M was designed to extend its service life beyond 2040.

SPECIFICATIONS:
  • Engine :  Four General Electric TF39-GE-1C
  • Range : 2,760 miles (4,440 km) with a 263,200 lb (119,400 kg) payload
  • Service ceiling : 35,700 ft. at 615,000 lbs. gross weight
  • Span : 222 ft. 9 in.
  • Length :  247 ft. 1 in.
  • Height : 65 ft. 1 in.
  • Weight : 769,000 lbs. loaded
  • Crew : Typical: Seven (aircraft commander, pilot, two flight engineers, three loadmasters) | Minimum: Four (pilot, copilot, two flight engineers)
  • Thrust/weight : 0.22

lockheed_c5b_josephkwagner

The C-5 Galaxy has been operated since 1969 by USAF. During that time, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy has been used to support US military operations in all major contingencies which include Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan; as well as in support of allies, such as Israel during the Yom Kippur War and NATO operations in the Gulf War. Not to mentioned that it has also been used to distribute humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and support the US Space Shuttle program run by NASA.

Lockheed F-104 (Starfighter)

The high-performance single-engine supersonic interceptor aircraft, Lockheed F-104 or also known as "Starfighter" was basically developed by Lockheed for the United States Air Force (USAF). Starfighter is one of the Century Series aircrafts.

Harry Curzon's F104 Starfighter

This aircraft served with Air National Guard units until it was phased out in 1975 after serving the USAF from 1958 until 1969. A small mixed fleet of F-104 types were flew by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in supersonic flight tests and spaceflight programs until their retirement from the programs in 1994.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Armament: Guns: One 20 mm (0.787 in) T171 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon, 725 rounds Hard-points:  Seven with a capacity of 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) | Missiles : Four AIM-9 Sidewinder | Others : Bombs, rockets, or other stores
f104_1_3vEngine: One General Electric J79-GE-11A afterburning turbojet | Dry thrust: 10,000 lbf (48 kN) | Thrust with afterburner: 15,600 lbf (69 kN) Maximum speed: 1,328 mph
Range: 1,630 miles
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft.
Span: 21 ft. 9 in.
Length: 54 ft. 8 in.
Height: 13 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 20,640 lbs. loaded Crew: One

The F-104S all-weather interceptor equipped with radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow missiles which was designed for the Italian Air Force by Aeritalia, was the ultimate production version of the basic fighter model F-104.  The CL-1200 Lancer, an advanced F-104 with a high-mounted wing, however, did not proceed past the mock-up stage.

3View-Color-Lockheed-F-104

A NATO competition for a new fighter-bomber, was won by the F-104G model which was the product after a set of modifications had been done to the original F-104 model. The F-104 Starfighter served with the air forces of over a dozen nations. With its retirement  in May 2004 by the Italian Air Force, the operational service of the Starfighter ended after its introduction in 1958 by the USAF.

Saturday 20 April 2013

Grumman F-14 Tomcat

F-14_Tomcat_DF-SD-06-03497_zps3ac75fdeThe Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft developed for the United States Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program following the collapse of the F-111B project. The F-14 Tomcat followed a history of “Cats” in the military. The F-4F Wildcat and the F-6F Hellcat fought in the skies before the Tomcat. In the late 1960’s, the US Navy dropped it’s TFX program and decided to focus on an aircraft dedicated to fleet defense. Grumman had already begun developing the F-14 Tomcat and was definitely heading for a “Cat” design. Admiral Tom Conolly, Deputy Chief, Naval Operations for Air was the one responsible for this project.

F-14-vf-84_zpscb11d86eThe F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War. The final prototype of the F-14 took off on May 24th, 1971, with its variable-geometry wings for speed and greater stability. In full forward-sweep position, the wings provided the lift needed for slow-speed flight, especially needed during carrier landings. In swept-back positions, the wings blend into the aircraft, giving the F-14 Tomcat a dart-like silhouette for high-speed, super-sonic flight (using Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A Turbofans).

tomcat_zps87fb3cedThe F-14 served as US Navy’s primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platformThe fuselage and wings allow it to climb faster than the F-4, while the twin-tail arrangement offers better stability. However, the Pratt and Whitney TF30 engines were hard to maintain, and lacked the power needed to utilize the heavy aircraft. The engines were also prone to severe failures where a fan blade would break off, and then fly through the rest of the engine, destroying it entirely. In 1981, the Navy began to replace the Pratt and Whitney TF30 engines with newer TF30-P-414A’s. These newer models have steel cages around the first three fan blade compartments. This prevented broken fan blades from destroying the entire engine during a failure.

Avionics
  • Hughes AN/APG-71 radar
  • AN/ASN-130 INS, IRST, TCS
  • Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) upgrade

f-14sizeSPECIFICATIONS:
General characteristics
  • Power plant :   2 × General Electric F110-GE-400 afterburning turbofans Dry thrust: 13,810 lbf (61.4 kN) each Thrust with afterburner: 27,800 lbf (123.7 kN) each
  • Crew : 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
  • Length :  62 ft 9 in (19.1 m)
  • Wingspan : Spread : 64 ft (19.55 m) Swept : 38 ft (11.58 m)
  • Height : 16 ft (4.88 m)
  • Wing area : 565 ft² (54.5 m²)
  • Empty weight : 43,735 lb (19,838 kg)
  • Loaded weight : 61,000 lb (27,700 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight : 74,350 lb (33,720 kg)
  • Aerofoil : NACA 64A209.65 mod root, 64A208.91 mod tip
  • Maximum fuel capacity : 16,200 lb internal; 20,000 lb with 2x 267 gallon external tanks
Performance
  • Max speed :  Mach 2.34 (1,544 mph, 2,485 km/h) at high altitude
  • Ferry range : 1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km)
  • Service ceiling : 50,000+ ft (15,200 m)
  • Rate of climb : >45,000 ft/min (229 m/s)
  • Wing loading : 113.4 lb/ft² (553.9 kg/m²)
  • Thrust/weight : 0.92
  • Combat radius :  500 nmi (575 mi, 926 km)
Armament
  • Guns : 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barreled gatling cannon, with 675 rounds
  • Hard-points : 10 total: 6× under-fuselage, 2× under nacelles and 2× on wing gloves with a capacity of 14,500 lb (6,600 kg) of ordnance and fuel tanks | Air-to-air missiles : 1) AIM-54 Phoenix 2) AIM-7 Sparrow 3) AIM-9 Sidewinder | Loading configurations: 12× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-54 (Rarely used due to weight stress on airframe) 2) 2× AIM-9 + 2× AIM-54 + 3× AIM-7 (Most common load during Cold War era) 3) 2× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54 + 2× AIM-7 4) 2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-7 5) 4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54 6) 4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-7 | Bombs  : 1JDAM precision-guided munition (PGMs) 2) Paveway series of laser-guided bombs 3) Mk 80 series of unguided iron bombs 4) Mk 20 Rockeye II | Others : 1Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) 2) LANTIRN targeting pod 3) 2× 267 US gal (1,010 l; 222 imp gal) drop tanks for extended range/loitering time

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Lockheed F-117 (Nighthawk)

F-117_NightHawk_64

Lockheed F-117 which is previously operated by United States Air Force (USAF) is a stealth ground-attack aircraft with single-seat and twin-engine.  This aircraft took its first flight in 1981 on June 18 and achieved the initial operating capability status in October 1983. The Nighthawk was accepted and revealed to the world in November 1988.

Lockheed F-117 also known as "Nighthawk" is a product of Lockheed's Skunk Works and a development of the Have Blue technology demonstrator. Lockheed F-117 became the first operational aircraft originally designed around stealth technology.

SPECIFICATIONS: 
Armament: Two internal weapons bays with one hardpoint each| Bombs: 1) GBU-10 Paveway II laser-guided bomb with 2000lb Mk84 blast/fragmentation or BLU-109 or BLU-116 Penetrator warhead 2) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb with 500lb Mk82 blast/fragmentation warhead 3) GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bomb with 2000lb Mk84 blast-fragmentation or BLU-109 or BLU-116 Penetrator warhead 4) GBU-31 JDAM INS/GPS guided munition with 2000lb Mk84 blast-fragmentation or BLU-109 Penetrator warhead 5) B61 nuclear bomb
Engines: Two General Electric F404-F1D2 turbofans
Maximum speed: 617 mph
Range: 1,069 miles
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft.
Span: 43 ft. 4 in.
Length: 66 ft. 11 in.
Height: 12 ft. 9.5 in.
Weight: 52,500 lbs. loaded
Crew: One

The Air Force's first stealth fighter, Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, retired on 22 April 2008 after 25 years of storied service. The retirement is mainly due to the fielding of the F-22 Raptor and the threatening introduction of the F-35 Lightning II.

F-117_NightHawk

The retirement is a normal thing since the technology that once made it a unique weapon system has now been caught up and not to mentioned that newer fighter aircraft are now uniting in the fleet. However, since the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was the first of its kind, the fact that anyone who has spent time around it is quick to be pointed out.

Monday 8 April 2013

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog)

a10_thunderbolt_ii

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970's. The A-10 Thunderbolt II was designed exclusively to fulfill the Close-Air Support (CAS) for ground forces by attacking tanks and other armored vehicles. This aircraft was designed with a hull that incorporates over 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of armor with survivability as a priority with protective measures which enable the aircraft to continue flying even when severe damaged has been made.

A-10thunderbolt

The A-10 is a practical, simple design. The dual General Electric turbofans are quite simple to maintain and relatively cheap to replace. It can also operate on tarmac runways, asphalt roads or dirt airstrips with the same amount of ease. In addition to armor, the Warthog carries specialized electronic equipment, and was design to execute evasive maneuversDue to many A-10's continuing to serve in the late 2000's, despite their expected retirement being long overdue, it was decided to upgrade the existing A-10A and OA-10A models to the new A-10C variant. Although a YA-10B version was proposed, it never escaped prototype stage and wasn't adopted by the USAF. The A-10's being upgraded to C standard will be the first "Warthogs" to receive advanced equipment.

A-10thunderbolt2

Avionics
  • AN/AAS-35(V) Pave Penny laser tracker pod (mounted beneath right side of cockpit) for use with Paveway LGBs
  • Head-up display (HUD) for improved technical flying and air-to-ground support. 

fairchild-republic-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-2SPECIFICATIONS: 
General characteristics
  • Crew : 1
  • Length :  53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
  • Wingspan :  57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
  • Height : 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
  • Wing area :  506 ft² (47.0 m²)
  • Empty weight :  24,959 lb (11,321 kg)
  • Loaded weight :  30,384 lb (13,782 kg) | On CAS mission : 47,094 lb (21,361 kg) On anti-armor mission : 42,071 lb (19,083 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight :  50,000 lb (23,000 kg)
  • Aerofoil :  NACA 6716 root, NACA 6713 tip
  • Power plant :  2 × General Electric TF34-GE-100A turbofans, 9,065 lbf (40.32 kN) each
Performance
  • Max speed :  381 knots (439 mph, 706 km/h) at sea level, clean
  • Range :  2,580 mi (4,150 km) with 50 knot (55 mph, 90 km/h) headwinds, 20 minutes reserve
  • Speed : Never exceed : 450 knots (518 mph,833 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) with 18 Mk 82 bombs | Cruise : 300 knots (340 mph, 560 km/h) | Stall : 120 knots (138 mph, 220 km/h)
  • Service ceiling :  45,000 ft (13,700 m)
  • Rate of climb :  6,000 ft/min (30 m/s)
  • Wing loading :  99 lb/ft² (482 kg/m²)
  • Thrust/weight : 0.36
  • Combat radius : On CAS mission : 288 miles (460 km) at 1.88 hour single-engine loiter at 5,000 ft (1,500 m), 10 min combat On anti-armor mission : 290 mi (467 km), 40 nm (45 mi, 75 km)) sea-level penetration and exit, 30 min combat
Armament
  • Guns :  1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GAU-8/A Avenger gatling cannon with 1,174 rounds
  • Hard-points : 11 (eight under-wing and 3× under-fuselage pylon stations) with a capacity of 16,000 lb (7,260 kg) | Missiles : 1) Six AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles 2) Two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense | Bombs (any one): 1Mark 80 series of unguided iron bombs 2) Mk 77 incendiary bombs 3) BLU-1, BLU-27/B Rockeye II, Mk20, BL-755 and CBU-52/58/71/87/89/97 cluster bombs 4) Paveway series of Laser-guided bombs 5) Joint Direct Attack Munition (A-10C) 6) Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (A-10C) | Rockets : 1Four LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× / 7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, respectively) 2) Four LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19× CRV7 70 mm rockets)LRASM 3) Six LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4× 127 mm (5.0 in) Zuni rockets)RASM | Others (any one) : 1SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys and chaff dispenser pod 2) AN/ALQ-131 or AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods 3) Lockheed Martin Sniper XR or LITENING targeting pods (A-10C) 4) Two 600 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for increased range/loitering time

Lockheed P-80 (Shooting Star)





P-80 SHOOTING STAR

Lockheed P-80 or also known as the "Shooting Star" , was built and designed by Lockheed in 1943. This aircraft which was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) is an aircraft designed with straight wings. Shooting Star was delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process and the production models were flying by the end of World War II though it was not ready for service.

p80
SPECIFICATIONS:
Armament: Guns: Six 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (300 rpg) | Rockets: Eight unguided rockets | Bombs: Two 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs 
Engines: One Allison J33-A-35 centrifugal compressor turbojet, 5,400 lbf (24.0 kN)
Maximum speed: 600 mph 
Range: 1,200 miles 
Service ceiling: 46,000 ft. 
Span: 38 ft. 9 in. 
Length: 34 ft. 5 in. 
Height: 11 ft. 3 in. 
Weight: 16,856 lbs. loaded 
Crew: One

Complimented by the smooth lines and sleek appearance, the P-80 perhaps was the most elegant of the first generation jets. Beginning with the conical nose assembly and leads out to the simplistic-looking engine exhaust port had give a streamlined affair to the fuselage. The Shooting Star made use of an internalized system with easy maintenance access which was accomplished via a two-piece fuselage that could be separated near the engine while the other early jet-powered aircraft used to fit their engines on external nacelles under the wings.

764px-Sr71_1While the P-80 sports with only a single engine, two semi-elliptical intake openings were fitted to either side of the fuselage just ahead of the cockpit. This results in the production of the generally "wide" appearance of the aircraft when viewed from a high or underside angle. The intakes were organized in a fashion so as not to disrupt the air flow in the slightest and reached perfectly into the wing roots. Channels carved into the forward fuselage sides supported air into the intake ducts.

The laminar-flow wings that took on an elliptical shape all their own with both the leading and trailing edges narrowed into a curved wingtip to which the wingtip fuel tanks were allocated for improved range. The wings affords good forward and side vision since they were straight, low-mounted monoplane assemblies fitted just aft of the cockpit. The addition of a two-piece bubble canopy provided the pilot with unparalleled 360-degree views out of his cockpit. Only the light framing along the forward portion of the windscreen and the large-area wings to the pilot's side will obstruct the pilot's vision.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Super Lynx 300

superlynx300

The Super Lynx 300 ASW/ASuW is the latest generation of the leading multi-role, multi-mission maritime and utility aircraft from AgustaWestland. The Lynx was the world's first fully aerobatics helicopter. It is designed with a side by side cockpit for the pilot and observer. It features a large sliding crew on each side giving access to the cabin which can be used to accommodate up to 9 equipped troops dependent on seating configuration, or alternatively radio equipment when used in the command post role or surplus fuel for long journeys.

superlynx300 (1)

It's twin Rolls-Royce Gem turbo-shaft engines power a four-blade semi-rigid main rotor system. The Super Lynx 300 is an evolution of the highly successful Lynx helicopter. This purpose-built military aircraft with fully marinised airframe is designed with small ships operations in mind and benefits from a low centre of gravity, blade and tail fold together with excellent cross and tail wind operations envelopes. With it's fully Night Vision Google (NVG) compatible cockpit, integrated avionics suite and wide selection of optional equipment, the aircraft delivers a night/day, all-weather capability for Tactical (Anti-Submarine, Anti-surface), Search and Rescue (SAR) or utility support missions.

agustawestland_aw300_super_lynx_2007-40946
Equipment                               
  • Manual Folding Main Rotor Blades
  • Folding Tail
  • Harpoon deck securing system
  • Four bag emergency flotation system
  • 360° Multi Mode Surveillance Radar
  • Electro-optical Surveillance System (day TV, FLIR, Laser Range finding & designating)
  • Active Dipping Sonar
  • Defensive Aids Suite
  • Electronic Support Measures System
  • Data Link
  • Rescue hoist (Fixed)
  • Waterproof Cabin Floor
  • 4 Man Troop Seat
  • Two Man Bench Seat Fuel Tank
  • 1360kg capacity external cargo hook
  • Search Light
Avionics
  • Four Integrated Display Units for flight and mission data display
  • Two electronic power system instrument displays
  • Two Standby Flight Instruments
  • Aircraft Management System with Dual Redundant Control Display Navigation Units
  • Data Transfer Module
  • Mil-Std-1553B data bus control
  • Central Warning Panel
  • Comprehensive Communication Suite (V/UHF, HF)
  • Twin Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS)
  • Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System
  • Intercommunication system with ship Telebrief capability
  • Cockpit Voice /Flight Data Recorder
Armament
  • Anti-ship Missile
  • Torpedo
  • Depth Charges
  • Pintle Mounted 12.7/7.62mm Machine Guns
  • Rockets
Technical Data: 
Rotors turning: Overall length: 50 ft.| Overall height: 12 ft. 
Hovering: IGE (ISA+20): 8741 ft.| OGE (ISA+20): 6229 ft.
Engines: Two LHTEC CTS800-4N
Max take off: 11,750 lbs. (int. loads)
Rotor diameter: 42 ft.
Cruise speed: 153 mph
Max range: 350 miles (sea level, no reserve, max stand fuel)
Max endurance: 2 hours 59 minutes (sea level, no reserve, max stand fuel)
Take off power: 1014 kW
Passengers: Up to six
Crew: Two or three