Aviation World

2010-10-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Key Data:

Crew

Dimensions:

Length

16.78m

Rotor Diameter

17m

Main Cabin

2.5m x 2.45m x 1.2m

Weights:

Take-Off Weight

Normal - 11,100kg
Maximum - 11,500kg

Combat Load

Normal - 900kg
Maximum - 1,480kg

Maximum Payload on Sling

2,500kg

Empty Weight

8,500kg

Engines:

Powerplant

2 x Isotov TV3-117VMA turboshaft, 2,200hp each

Performance:

Flight Range

480km

Ferry Range

1,050km

Speed

Maximum - 324km/h
Cruising - 280km/h

Hovering Ceiling

2,200m

Service Ceiling

4,599m

Design

The design of the Mi-24 is based on a conventional pod and boom, with a five-blade main rotor and three-blade tail rotor. It has retractable tricycle nose-wheel landing gear.

The two crew (pilot and weapons operator) are accommodated in tandem armoured cockpits with individual canopies and flat, bulletproof glass windscreens. The main cabin can accommodate eight troops or four stretchers.

Avionics

The Mi-24D is equipped with the KPS-53A electro-optical sighting pod. The most recent Mi-24V and P variants have a digital PNK-24 avionics suite and multifunction LCD cockpit displays, and Geofizika ONV1 night-vision goggles, along with NVG-compatible cockpit lighting. They are fitted with the Urals Optical and Mechanical Plant GOES-342 TV/FLIR sighting system and a laser rangefinder. Countermeasures include infrared jammer, radar warner and flare dispensers.

Weapons

The helicopter has six suspension weapon units on the wingtips. The Mi24D (Mi-25) and the Mi-24V (Mi-35) are equipped with a YakB four-barrelled, 12.7mm, built-in, flexibly mounted machine gun, which has a firing rate of 4,000-4,500 rounds a minute and a muzzle velocity of 860m/s. The Mi-24P is fitted with a 30mm, built-in, fixed gun mount; the Mi-24VP with a 23mm, built-in, flexibly mounted gun.

The Mi-24P and Mi-24V have four underwing pylons for up to 12 anti-tank missiles. The Mi-24V (Mi-35) is armed with the Shturm anti-tank guided missile system. Shturm (Nato designation AT-6 Spiral) is a short-range missile with semi-automatic radio command guidance. The 5.4kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead is capable of penetrating up to 650mm of armour. Maximum range is 5km.

Engines

The helicopter is powered by two Isotov TV3-117VMA turboshaft engines, developing 2,200shp each. The air intakes are fitted with deflectors and separators to prevent dust particle ingestion when taking off from unprepared sites. An auxiliary power unit is fitted.

The internal fuel capacity is 1,500kg, with an additional 1,000kg in an auxiliary tank in the cabin or 1,200kg on four external tanks. The fuel tank has self-sealing covers and porous fuel tank filler for increased survivability, and the exhaust is fitted with infrared suppression systems.

2008-06-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

History: The Curtiss Helldiver, despite a reputation for being difficult to handle at low speeds, was responsible for the destruction of more Japanese targets than any other aircraft. The Curtiss SB2C single-engine dive-bomber joined the fleet late in 1943, joining the Douglas Dauntless as the primary attack/bombing planes for the US Navy. The two-man Helldiver had a top speed of 295 mph and good range, making it an essential tool in the far reaches of the Pacific war.

With underwing and bomb attachments, the Helldiver could carry 1,000 pounds of bombs or an internal torpedo; later improvements included an up-rated Wright Cyclone engine and rocket hard-points. It carried two fixed forward 20mm cannon and machine guns in the rear cockpit.

Only 26 of the 7,000 Helldivers built found their way to the other services; the plane was so valuable in the Pacific theater that the Navy absorbed nearly every plane. Postwar, the Helldiver found further use with the French, Italian, Greek and Portuguese Navies and the Royal Thai Air Force. Only one airworthy Helldiver remains -- with the Commemorative Air Force in Texas -- but at least one more is under restoration to airworthy status.

Nicknames: Son-of-a-Bitch Second Class.

Specifications (SB2C-4):
Engine: One 1,900-hp Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone 14 radial piston engine
Weight: Empty 10,547 lbs., Max Takeoff 16,616 lbs.
Wing Span: 49ft. 9in.
Length: 36ft. 8in.
Height: 13ft. 2in.
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 295 mph
Cruising Speed: 158 mph
Ceiling: 29,100 ft.
Range: 1,165 miles
Armament:
Two 20-mm wing-mounted cannon and two 7.62-mm (0.3-inch) machine guns in rear cockpit;
Up to 2,000 pounds of bombs on underwing racks and in fuselage bay.

Number Built: ~7,000

Number Still Airworthy: One

2008-05-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

AH-64A Apache Helicopter

In service since 1986, the Apache AH-64A helicopter was primarily designed as a tank-killer. It was envisioned that fleets of Apache helicopters would be able to counter the Soviet Union's 4 to 1 numeric superiority in tanks on the plains of Europe. In the anti-armor role, the Apache can carry 16 laser-guided AGM-114 missiles. Hovering amongst the trees or behind terrain, the Apache can pop up and engage targets then retreat behind cover. In the close support role the Apache's rocket pods and 30mm cannon can bring devastating firepower to bear against a ride range of enemy units.

An Apache battalion is made up of 18 AH-64As and 13 OH-58DKiowas. The Kiowas scout ahead and find targets for the Apaches. The smaller and more agile Kiowa is more likely to remain undetected. When it finds a target it can 'paint' it with its mast-mounted laser. The Apache can remain hidden behind terrain and still engage the target with

AH-64A APACHE FEATURES

cockpits surrounded by Boron armor
crash-resistant airframe, energy absorbing crew seats and landing gear
airframe and rotors are able to withstand hits up to 23mm caliber hits
4-bladed main rotors made from steel, GRP and composites
infra-red dampers on engine outlets reduce the helicopter's heat signature
advanced avionics sensors allow the apache to fly and fight in all weathers, day or night
redundant fly-by-wire flight systems

COMBAT HISTORY

the Apache AH-64A saw combat for the first time in 1989 during the US invasion of Panama
in the opening salvos of Desert Storm, a flight of Apaches, led by MH-53J Pavelows, destroyed Iraqi radar installations
over 500 Iraqi tanks were destroyed by AH-64As in Desert Storm
Apache squadrons provided close air support to coalition ground forces in Afghanistan, 2001 and on
AH-64As engaged Iraqi forces during the US-led invasion in 2003

AH-64A Apache Specifications

Crew	2 - With Pilot seated above and behind Weapons Systems Officer
Engines	Two T700-GE-701Cs
Dimensions	L - 17.73m W - 5.227m H - 4.64m
Weights	11,800 lbs (empty) 15,075 lbs (standard loudout)
Max Speed	150 kt (279 kph)
Range	400 km - internal fuel 1,900 km - internal and external fuel
Armament	M230 30mm Cannon (typical loudout of 1200 rounds) Hydra 70mm FFAR Folding Fin Aerial Rockets (in pods of 19) AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles (up to 16) Stinger AIM-92 air-to-air missiles
Avionics	TADS (AN/ASQ-170) PNVS (AN/AAQ-11) Honeywell Integrated Helmet And Display Sighting System (IHADSS) AN/APR-39A(V) radar warning receiver AN/ALQ-144 infra-red countermeasures AN/AVR-2 laser warning receiver AN/ALQ-136(V) radar jammer

2008-05-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

The F-35 family tree branches into three distinct variants. The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A will replace F-16s and A-10s in the US Air Force. It will complement the F/A-22 Raptor air-dominance fighter as a nine-G-rated aircraft with an internal 25 mm gun mounted on the left intake shoulder and a combat radius of more than 600 nautical miles (NM). This model- and all F-35 variants- will have two internal weapons bays, each capable of carrying a 2,000-pound precision-guided munition and a radar-guided AIM-120 air-to-air missile.

The F-35A for the U.S. Air Force matches or exceeds F-16 performance levels and goes several steps beyond with stealth, increased range on internal fuel, and advanced avionics. Operational effectiveness, supportability, and survivability are greatly enhanced as a result. Like the F-16, the F-35A has an internal gun and a refueling receptacle on top of the fuselage behind the canopy. Unlike the U.S. Air Force F-16, the aircraft is stealthy, enabling first-look, first-shot capability. It also has an internal laser designator and infrared sensors. Maneuverability characteristics are similar to those of the F-16, with comparable instantaneous and sustained 'High-G" performance. The F-35A's range and payload are greatly improved as well. The aircraft meets or exceeds all of the known service guidelines for flight performance.

Conflicts in recent years have clearly demonstrated the desirability of longer combat radius (or longer time on station). The F-35 will dramatically increase its user's ability to support combat operations at longer ranges due to its tremendous internal fuel capacity and single-engine design. For example, the CTOL F-35A carries more than 18,000 pounds of internal fuel- more than two-and-one-half times the internal fuel capacity of the legacy multirole fighters it will replace. Likewise, the advantage in range more than doubles. The F-35 is not limited to internal fuel only; it can carry 600-gallon external drop tanks for ferry flights or for missions that do not require a stealthy signature.

The Air Force JSF variant poses the smallest relative engineering challenge. The aircraft has no hover criteria to satisfy. And the characteristics and handling qualities associated with carrier operations like catapult launches, control authority at approach speeds and beefed up structure to handle arrested landingsdo not come into play. On the other hand, the Air Force airplane will be measured against the high standards set by the F-16. As the biggest customer for the JSF, the service will not accept a multirole fighter replacement that doesn't significantly improve on the original. With the largest planned purchase, the USAF aircraft is also the program's affordability driver.

Lockheed Martin's design for the Air Force variant matches or exceeds F-16 performance levels and goes several steps beyond with more stealth, increased range on internal fuel, and advanced avionics. Operational effectiveness, supportability and survivability are greatly enhanced as a result.

Like the F-16, the Air Force JSF variant has an internal gun and a refueling receptacle on top of the fuselage behind the canopy. Unlike the USAF F-16, the aircraft carries an extensive array of electronic countermeasures internally. It also has an internal laser designator and infrared sensors. Information from the JSF's sensors is fused, or sorted out, before being sent to the helmet-mounted or head-down displays. The airplane also has an advanced electronically scanned array radar. Maneuverability characteristics are on a level with the F-16, with comparable instantaneous and sustained high-g performance. The JSF's range and payload are improved as well. The aircraft meets or exceeds all of the known service guidelines for flight performance.

From October 2000 through August 2001, the JSF X-35 demonstrator aircraft established a number of flight-test standards. X-35A CTOL- most flights (27), most flight hours (27.4), most pilots checked out (six), fewest canceled flights (two), and highest flight rate (six-and-one-third flights/week) in the first 30 days of new-aircraft testing.

The first F-35 concept demonstrator aircraft left the runway at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California at 0906 PST on 24 October 2000. The F-35A landed shortly thereafter at Edwards Air Force Base, California and began a rigorous flight test program.

On 7 November 2000, the F-35A took on fuel from a KC-135 tanker for the first time, enabling the aircraft to complete its longest flight to date: 2 hours and 50 minutes. The F-35A successfully completed its flight-test program on 22 November 2000, logging 27 flights in 30 days and achieving the first JSF supersonic flight on 21 November 2000, before it was returned to Palmdale in order to be converted to the STOVL F-35B.

As of 2004 requirements called for 1,763 aircraft, making the F-35A the most-produced variant. The Air Force was tentatively scheduled to receive its first F-35 in 2008, but initial operational capability (IOC) for the service is set for 2011.

As of early 2005 there was uncertainty about the number and mix of variants the services plan to purchase will also affect JSF's acquisition plans. While the Air Force had announced its intention to acquire the short takeoff and vertical landing variant, it had yet to announce when or how many it expects to buy or how this purchase will affect the quantity of the conventional takeoff and landing variant it plans to buy. In December 2004, Air Combat Command officials indicated that the Air Force was considering buying about 250 short takeoff and landing JSFs and about 1,300 conventional takeoff and landing JSFs. However, these numbers were not official.

There were reports in early 2006 that the Air Force had an internal plan to ultimately reduce the number of joint strike fighters from 1,763 to somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200.

2008-05-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

F-15 Eagle

Type	Air superiority fighter
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas/Boeing IDS
Maiden flight	27 July 1972
Introduction	9 January 1976
Status	Active
Primary users	United States Air Force Israeli Air Force Japan Air Self-Defense Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Unit cost	F-15A/B: US$27.9 million (1998) F-15C/D: US$29.9 million (1998)
Variants	F-15E Strike Eagle F-15 S/MTD

2008-05-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

MiG-29

Type	Multirole fighter
National origin	Soviet Union Russia
Manufacturer	Mikoyan
Maiden flight	6 October 1977
Introduced	August 1983
Primary users	Russian Air Force Ukrainian Air Force Indian Air Force Soviet Air Force
Produced	1982-present
Variants	Mikoyan MiG-29M Mikoyan MiG-3