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Prospective strike aircraft A-12
Initially, 1980. Air Force Soviet Union and the United States launched work to create the fifth-generation combat aircraft. Not going to lag behind the U.S. Navy, have also begun to search for ways to upgrade the fleet of distant aircraft. The fleet has begun to explore the concept of perspective based fighter-bomber VFMX , intended to replace in 1990. Assault A-BE, multipurpose fighter F / A -18, as well as fighter-interceptor, F -14, which provides air defense aircraft carriers. However, the successful development of improved versions "Tomcat" - aircraftF -14 D - reduced the urgency to develop a new fighter and the efforts of specialists in the Navy focused on the research of attack aircraft that were designated as ATA ( Advanced Tactical Aircraft ). Beginning to crystallize the concept of relatively inexpensive subsonic aircraft with a high combat survivability and low unmasking signs designed for the application of deep strikes on targets in the enemy rear. As the power plant was decided to use two neforsirovannyh engine, created on the basis of turbofan General Electric F 404, a well-established on the main deck fighter the U.S. Navy F / A -18. We studied different aerodynamic layout of the new attack aircraft, in particular, the plane with a sliding wing (ie, variable geometry wing, turns around a central pivot on the fuselage), a number of aircraft on a "tailless" (with vertical fins or without it), the plane normal aerodynamic scheme with forward-swept wing, as well as a kind of "stelsizirovanny" fighter F / A -18. By Research Program of ATA were involved two groups of aircraft manufacturing firms, are seen as potential competitors for an order for a full-scale development and construction of aircraft.The first group includes firms Grumman, and Northrop Vout, and the second - McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics. From the Navy program was headed by Rear Admiral Strousel. December 24, 1987 the U.S. Navy made its choice, opting for the draft submitted by firms McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics. They received a contract to build aircraft ATA requirements the U.S. Navy in the new car was estimated at 450 - 500 units, and the total cost of the program was not to exceed $ 35 billion financing conditions were pretty tough. The amount of funds for R & D was limited to the target value of 4.38 billion dollars and the maximum value of 4.78 billion dollars, thus, subject to contract, firms, developers had to take 40% of the cost overruns, if the actual cost will be more targeted and below the limit, and 100%, if it exceeded the limit value. The plane was made on a "tailless". In terms it was a triangle. This form reduces radar visibility, because reduced the number of peaks of radar radiation to three (which corresponded to the three sides of a triangle). Another feature of the aircraft was a complete absence of vertical tail, which is also dictated by the requirements of stealth. A-12 was to become the first U.S. Navy aircraft, a glider which is made almost entirely of carbon fiber. Originally intended to equip the aircraft advanced radar Norden System AN / APQ -173 (previously developed for aircraft A -6 F ), but subsequently the contract was transferred to the firm Westinghouse to offer a more modern station. In early 1988 MoD has decided to purchase a total of 858 ground attack planes, which were due for service fleet (to replace the A-6E), Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force (replaced by the fighter-bomber F -111). In early 1990 the aircraft received the designation A-12 and the name "Evendzher" 2 ("Avenger" 2; during the Second World War, the name "Evendzher" worn deck torpedo bomber - bomber of the U.S. Navy). Its first flight was scheduled for October 1991 and the beginning of mass production - in 1994 Despite the initial desire of the fleet to get a relatively inexpensive aircraft, the cost of work has grown steadily, and the terms of the program was delayed. The developers clearly could not cope with the creation of an aircraft under a fixed price. By the end of 1990, it became clear that the cost of detailed design will exceed the estimated nearly one billion dollars, and the overall cost of the A-12 will jump to an astronomical size - $ 60 million The cost of a ground attack (depending on version, taking into account all costs Programme) will be at least 85 - $ 90 million began a tedious bargaining with the customer to mitigate the conditions of the contract. Grew and unsolved technical problems. In particular, in mid-1990 had difficulties in the manufacture of airframe structures of KM, the quest began for a new type of carbon fiber. All this has led to an increase in mass of the airframe, which also exceeded a fixed amount established by the customer (aircraft take-off weight should not exceed 29,500 kg, which was dictated by the need to raise one samoletopodemnikom simultaneously two ground attack aircraft carrier). All this affected the plans for procurement of aircraft A-12. The total number of ordered cars dropped from 858 to 620 (the Marines withdrew totally from their acquisition), and the maximum production rate decreased from 48 to 36 aircraft per year. While building the first prototype attack aircraft continued, the term of his first flight was postponed, first at the end of 1991, and then the 1992 "Sound of Thunder" 7 January 1991, when the U.S. Navy announced the cancellation of the program A-12. The reason for the termination of funding have been named technical difficulties associated with the mass of the glider, a lag of 18 months from the schedule built experimental aircraft, and a sharp increase in the cost of the program (to the end of 1990, total expenditure on R & D is estimated at 7.5 billion dollars). A-12 attack aircraft was made on a "flying wing" with a sweep on the leading edge of 48 degrees, and straight trailing edge. In the airframe design is widely used composite materials. Vertical tail was missing. The central part of the airframe had a greater height, it housed cabin crew, armament, power plant and bulk fuel. More subtle console seamlessly interfaced with the central part, were made collapsible, allowing to halve the size of the aircraft parked. The configuration of the aircraft in the plan was dictated by considerations of reducing the radar visibility (reduce the number of peaks in the radar reflection). In addition, the triangular shape enables large internal volume to accommodate fuel and weapons. Intakes of engines were located below the front edge of the wing and had a curved canals, shielding compressor blades of turbojet direct radar exposure. On the surface of the airframe were virtually absent any cracks, walls, protruding parts, which reduces the EPR. To control the rate and parry of wind gusts when flying at low altitude were two sections split flaps located on both sides of the axis of folding wings and spoilers, placed directly behind the shields. The center of the trailing edge there was another control surface that serves to balance the aircraft. Armchair pilot and navigator / operator of the scheme were located tandem under a single lamp, providing improved visibility. Adopted a set of measures aimed at improving the combat survivability of attack aircraft.Estimated to developers, combat vulnerability of A-12 was 12 times less than that of A-BE, is five times lower than that of F / A -18 E , and roughly corresponded to the level of attack aircraft A-10A. A-12 aircraft was supposed to equip two General Electric turbofan F 412 - GE -400 (2 x 6,700 kg), is a further development of motor F 404, is installed on the plane F / A -18. The engine has a larger diameter fan with high air flow. Applied the new two-stage low-pressure turbine, which is a further development of the turbine engine F 110. The fan has a higher resistance to ingress of birds, ice and other obstructions. The compressor housing is made of steel, and the tunnel wall fan - a composite material.Turbofan digital control system. Weight of the engine F 412 - GE -400 1100 kg, bypass ratio 6. Avionics Assault A-12 was not as perfect as avionics aircraft F -22 and helicopter Comanche. It reflects the level of technology achieved by mid-1980. In particular, the on-board systems are less widely used in a single unit. The basis of the avionics were onboard computer company IBMand fiber-optic data bus. All components were designed using the technique of high-speed integrated circuits and have considerable potential for upgrading and expansion. The aircraft was equipped with a multifunctional pulse-Doppler radar Ki-range WestinghouseAN / APQ -183 (development stations AN / APQ and -66 AN / APQ -164, installed on the fighter F -16 and B-1B bomber). There was an additional device illumination purpose, working in a range of X . Feature of the station was to use two antennas with phased array placed in socks wing. The station was used for detection of sea, land and air targets. She had a synthetic aperture mode, aperture synthesis invesnogo, follow the terrain and land-circumvention obstacles. In the "air-to-air radar characteristics of the aircraft A-12 did not yield the corresponding characteristics of the station fighter F / A -18 C (there was a possibility of simultaneous tracking of multiple targets, as well as tracking low-flying targets against the background of the earth). The station had a processor PMSP , consisting of five high-speed modules (each weighing 1.2 kg and a speed of 125 million floating point operations per second). The total CPU speed - 625 million operations per second. On board there was a thermal imaging navigation and attack system forward looking company Westinghouse, which consisted of two subsystems: a fixed thermal sensor with a wide field of view, an employee for piloting in the dark and searching purposes (information on this will show on the HUD pilot), and mobile sensor narrow field of view, designed for the identification of small targets, track them, and also to detect air targets (in stealth mode, flying off with the radar). Two round windows of optical thermal imaging system was located directly under the nose of the aircraft. On the dashboard of the pilot to place three multifunction display: a central color LCD display tactical situation format 8x8 inch firm Allied Signal with the withdrawal of digital maps as well as two side multifunction monochrome LCD display size of 6x6 inches Company Kaiser. Over the dashboard indicator is set on the windshield (HUD) with a field of view 30 x 23 deg. Navigator-operator had three monochrome screens (6x6 inches) placed in a row at the top of the dashboard, and a color LCD indicator of the tactical situation the company Allied Signal format of 8x8 inches, set at the bottom of the dashboard. ANN was performed using ring laser gyroscopes and match with the satellite navigation system.The composition of avionics include satellite communications system. All weapons attack aircraft A-12 was supposed to place in gruzootseke, located in the central part of the airframe, as well as at sites outside of suspension (in a scenario of fighting, not requiring to overcome a powerful air defense system when the requirements for the level secrecy may be somewhat weakened). On the inside of the suspension plane was supposed to carry up to 3000 - 3500 kg of weapons on the outside to the 1800 - 3600 kg. The aircraft was able to use anti-SD "Harpoon" missiles air-air " AIM -9 "Sidewinder", AIM -7 "Sparrow" and AIM -120 AMRAAM , KAB and svobodnopadayuschie (including nuclear) bombs.
Source: VE Il'in Hornet F -18 "
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Promising carrier attack aircraft A-12 was developed in parallel with the ATF as part of the ATA (Perspective tactical aircraft). Main purpose - replacing the A-6, the shock features were roughly between the F-14 and F/A-18 . In September 1984, was formed by management of the program, and in December 1987 of the candidates participated in the contest were selected firm McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics . The following year began the preliminary design (11 months). In accordance with the program planned to complete construction of the first machine in 1990 and in 1991 to make the first flight, and the following first flight from the deck. In the 95-96 years preparing to attack the armed forces. Originally planned to buy 620 attack aircraft for the Navy and 239 units for the Marine Corps, Air Force are going to buy another 400. But by the early nineties, the situation has changed in the world, and the unit price of 96.2 million dollars was too expensive toy, so the A-12 was sacrificed in a "sacred cow" of U.S. Air Force -F-22 . Topic closed on Jan. 7, 1991. Engines F412-GE-400 were only a deep modernization of the well-established in the F-18 F-404 .
tactical and technical characteristics.
wingspan of 16.5 m scale folded 7.7 m wing area 120 sq. m maximum weight of 31000 kg Load weight 11,340 kg Engines F412-GE-400 2 * 6580 kg Maximum speed 1100 km / h the range of 840-980 km at Max.capacity sweep of the wing 48 degrees
AIRCRAFT BUILDING QUICK INFO 217-226. STATUS OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Promising carrier TACTICAL AIRCRAFT ATA ( REVIEW ) 1990
"Aviat. Week and Space Technol.", 1986, 124,. № 25, 91-92 "Flight Int.", 1986,! 130, № 4034, 8 "Air et Cosmos", '1988, № 1213, 1925 "Aviat. Week and Space Technol.", 1987, 127, № 17, '20 "Aerospace Daily", 1988, 145, № 11, 77 "Flight Int.", 1988, 133, "" 4 and 8, 3 '-' Jane's Def. ", Weekly, 1989, 11, '" 18, '801 "Jane's Def." Weekly, 1989, 1911, № 20, 942 "Aviat. Week and Space Technol.", 1989,! L31, 1, 20, 19 " Flight Int . ", 1989, 136, № 4192, 21
The U.S. Navy considered several programs to replace the deck bomber A-6. Key among them: improving A-6E, the creation of a new aircraft ATA ( Advanced Tactical Aircraft ) without the use of technology Stealth aircraft and the development of unobtrusive ATA. One of them involves not only the replacement of aircraft A-6E aircraft ATA, but use the latter as all-weather fighter-bomber that is optimized for the shock of operations and ability to perform tasks of a fighter.Such aircraft ATA would have a smaller capacity than self molet F - 14 and greater capacity than the aircraft F - 18. In September 1984, Command Naval Air Weapons Systems has established the Office to guide the development of aircraft ATA. The request for proposals for the program airplane ATA stated that can be purchased in 1300 this type of aircraft. In the competitive research program aircraft ATA attended two groups of U.S. firms: 1) the company Vought , Grumman and Northrop ; 2) McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics .; Establish a program to develop an aircraft similar to the ATA organization program to develop aircraft ATF and it provided for the contractor to select the main results of flight tests of experimental aircraft. In December 1987 the firm McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics as a result of winning the contest received a Navy contract to develop advanced tactical aircraft for the Navy ATA. It is assumed that its construction will be applied technology Stealth . Delivery of the first aircraft ATA is expected in mid 1990. The U.S. Navy plans to procure 450 aircraft ATA $ 25 billion dollars when purchasing such a large number of aircraft ATA program cost will be $ 45 billion U.S. Air Force may decide on the design and procurement of the ATA version of the aircraft ground based. In 1988, the firm McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics received a contract worth 7.9 million dollars for preliminary design for the 11 months variants of this aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. Specialists of the U.S. Navy aircraft program characterize the ATA as a high priority. ATA airline should be two-seater, twin-engined. It is planned to equip it with one of the options turbofan General Electric F 404 increased traction onboard complex containing subsystem avionics (BIEO) and electronic warfare (EW). Aviation Research Centre for the Navy is conducting research of technical innovations aimed at providing: comprehensive information to the pilot about the situation, reducing the approach speed of aircraft on landing, high maneuverability of aircraft at subsonic and transonic speeds, increase aircraft survivability through the use of reservation systems, the use of new lighter and durable materials. Most of these innovations may be used on an airplane ATA. Center specialists Navy believe that the next twenty years, the Navy attack aircraft will be operated from aircraft carriers with a large deck. Therefore, they expect that the method of takeoff and landing aircraft developed by the ATA will be the same as that of the modern deck aircraft. With the chain of survival increase ATA aircraft in addition to the by-wire control system specialists provide used as a backup hydraulic system due to its resistance to electromagnetic influences. Hydraulic system will be developed with increased fluid pressure (pressure 56 MPa).Were tested with the hydraulic system pressure to a training aircraft T-2. Center of the U.S. Navy conducts research on the possibility of using aircraft ATA electrical DC voltage 270 V, which has a smaller mass than the existing electrical system. The new electrical system will be excluded transformers and other subsystems. This electrical system also has greater resistance to electromagnetic influences and effects of lightning and laser weapons. The design of the aircraft ATA proportion of composite materials by weight must be greater than in the aircraft structure of GDP V - 22 Osprey (he had 45% one and 75% in another data source). Studies are under way A thrust engines. Center specialists Navy consider that the planes 1990 will have an improved optoelectronic system, the automatic identification of ships and aircraft, has a high degree of association of sensors and avionics. Detailed information about requirements for prospective aircraft ATA printing are not given.However, experts believe that airline ATA must have low visibility, long range, and his combat load should be placed in the inner compartments, the aircraft must possess the ability to implement the breakthrough zone of enemy air defense. In January 1988, the Navy issued by the firm General Dynamics and McDon Nell Douglas a contract with a planned cost of 4.38 billion. for the joint development of aircraft ATA received the Navy officially designated the A-12. Limit the estimated value of the contract, taking into account the payment of compensation could reach 4.77 billion dollars. Ie 9% more than planned.Experts believe that a slight excess of the estimated marginal cost of the planned contract indicates that the proposed for use on aircraft A-12 technical innovations, including improvements in technology Stealth , are at a stage of development, which allows the firm estimates the cost of the program the ATA. To maintain the high level of competition in creating A-12 after completion of his development firm General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas would have to annually participate in the contest for the right to obtain a contract for a year to serial production of the aircraft. U.S. Navy aims to identify two companies or two groups of firms for production 30 of the most important subsystems of the aircraft ATA. According to published in 1987, a hypothetical scheme of the aircraft A-12 specialists have determined that the airline ATA is subsonic, with a V -shaped tail and canards over the fuselage layout engine air intakes, root influxes wing with a smooth conjugation of the fuselage. To reduce the radar visibility aircraft A-12 weapons "including rocket AIM - 120 ( AMRAAM ), should be located in the inner compartment. The surface of the fuselage is formed by a large number of flat faces with radar absorbing materials. The plane, apparently, will not be used external fuel tanks. In developing the ATA aircraft shall be ensured commonality of its avionics and aircraft next generation of other kinds of U.S. forces. ATA airline planned to establish a comprehensive system of communications navigation and identification ICNIA , the navigation system of infrared FLIR , auxiliary power unit, air data system and a box of drive units that is installed on the airframe. The Air Force and U.S. Navy came to an agreement on mutual participation in the programs of aircraft ATF and ATA, which will greatly expand the possibility of including a draft of both planes of many elements in common avionics, design and advanced technical solutions. In the case of the basic principles of the agreement will create two types of aircraft that will replace, at least four types are currently on the exploitation of tactical aircraft in the Air Force and U.S. Navy. Principles of aircraft programs ATF and ATA in the Air Force and Navy are different.However, the Air Force and Navy plan to adopt a forward-looking planes ATF and ATA in 1995-1996. Of particular importance in the performance of both programs is given to the development of avionics, since, in accordance with the plans, the number of elements in common avionics aircraft ATF and ATA should be about 90%. In August 1986, two groups of firm TRW and Westinghouse ; Saunders and General Electricsigned contracts valued at 96.8 million for the development of an integrated electronic warfare system INEWS to be installed on airplanes of ATA and the ATF . In accordance with the schedule of system development INEWS stage of the demonstration and assessment will last 31 months, and the stage of full development - 60 months. Full-scale development will lead a group of firms that won a stage of demonstration and evaluation system iNEWS . For serial production systems INEWS will select one of the participating companies stage of its full development. In May 1989, the company Honeywell has been named as chief subkontraktanta to develop or co-production of two major subsystems for an aircraft, the A-12 AAA ( Advanced Aircraft Attack ): digital control system and a set of inertial sensors USA ( Integrated Inerfial Sensor Assembly ).; In establish management systems firm Honeywell will use the experience gained in developing similar systems for aircraft SR - 71 and X - 29. Develop a set of IISA firmHoneywell will conduct jointly with the firm Litton . Structurally complex IISA should be a fail-safe architecture, and it will use the technique of ring laser gyroscopes. Firm Norden Systems is developing for aircraft A-12 radar, which will use a modular processorPMSP ( Parrallel 4 Modular Signal Processor ) with parallel processing of data.Processor PMSP - next-generation processor, capable of processing data at a rate roughly equal to the speed of data processing supercomputers. The overall performance of the processor PMSP 625 million transactions. When you create a processor technique was used VLSI circuits (VLSI). Structurally, it consists of five modules weighing 1.2 kg, each of which can carry out per second 125 million floating point operations. Each processor module is capable of handling data on any of the provided algorithms (such as data processing of synthetic aperture radar, tracking a moving object or system flyby obstacles) that provides fast switching of the radar. Processor intended to be used for signal processing in real time from many types of sensors (optoelectronic, infrared, etc.). Expected to be completed production prototype A-12 at the end of 1990. First flight is scheduled for early 1991 is possible at this time, developers and customers of the aircraft A-12 will lower the level of secrecy of its program. A-12 aircraft was given the name Avenger 2, which is worn deck dive bomber during the Second World War. Representatives of the Navy and the U.S. industry give the project the A-12 aircraft valued and emphasized that when you create it failed to achieve results that are close to required. In autumn 1989 on the modeling stand firm General Dynamics has undergone an arrangement of a double cabin A-12 tantsemnym Seating. A-12 aircraft to be equipped with indicators that are five years ahead of the indicators aircraft F /A - 18, made using the best modern CRT shadow mask. Before the pilot's seat will be installed on a windshield display (HUD) with a 30x field of view 23 ° with a scanning imaging system of sensors. On the dashboard will be located central indicator of the tactical situation with the dimensions 20h20sm and two side multifunction display size 15x15 cm left indicator is used to display data infrared sighting and a search engine, and the right - of radar data. On the dashboard of the rear cockpit of the tactical situation indicator set three indicators dimensions of 15 x15 cm central one is used to display information about the threatening missile defense and the approximation of guided missiles of the enemy, the right information from the infrared sensors and navigation system with automatic indicator of impact data, the left - radar data. Monochrome multifunction displays in the construction of which there are liquid crystal shutters to play in direct sunlight-readable color images. Indicators of the tactical situation is colored, LCD, flat panel. Representatives of the U.S. Navy said that the program an ATA aircraft for two years ahead of the fighter program ATF . ATA continues to program planes is classified top secret program the U.S. Navy. Customers and developers aircraft A-12 believes that the program aircraft ATA is one of the largest programs to create aircraft with low levels of unmasking signs. In this case, the visibility of small aircraft is regarded as the most important property of the number of promising properties of aircraft, providing increase their survival. In this regard, the U.S. Navy presented the developers with high requirements to reduce the visibility of the aircraft A-12 while striving to achieve high range and magnitude of the combat load. V.E. Zamoroka
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update 06.06.2009
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