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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0158.PDF
FLIGHT, 26 January 1950 A Survey of Present-day Practice in Design, Armament and Equipment, and some Prospects for the Immediate Future THE primary function of a fighter being destruc-tion of the enemy in the air, it is with this commit-ment in mind, that design practice will be studied under the present head, though the ready adaptability of current types for the secondary duties of ground-attack and reconnaissance will later be exemplified. That, where known, the characteristics of opposing air- craft, and the circumstances under which these will be engaged, must be governing factors in the design of a fighter, is axiomatic. The unpleasant surprises sprung by the Fw 190 and " Zero " fighters and the very-high-altitude Ju 86P bombers during the late war are sufficient illustra- tion of the dangers of deficient, or ineffectually exploited intelligence, and the present preponderance of "all-round " fighters over specialized, single-purpose designs is due in part to the inadequacy of information on the air equip- ment of a potential foe. Peace-time considerations of finance and man-power can likewise influence design prac- tice, though in the main (and certainly this is true of Great Britain) the fighter arm is the last to suffer under the economy axe. It is well to remember, moreover, that the potency of an air force may stem largely from its opera- tional flexibility. The bulk of fighter aircraft in service to-day are single- seaters, manifesting varying degrees of compromise between the cardinal requirements of speed, climb, ceiling, manoeuvrability, acceleration, fire power and endurance, and designed initially for operation by day. They are typified by the piston-engined Fury, Spitfire, Mustang and La-n, and the jet-propelled Vampire, Meteor, Shooting Star, Thunderjet, Sabre, Mig-9 and Yak-15. For defence against aircraft operating by night, or taking advantage of bad weather in the target area, heavier two-seater piston- engined machines of lower performance (Mosquito, Twin- Mustang, Black Widow) are commonly employed, but their interim replacement by two-seat adaptations of single- seaters (D.H.i 13 and Lockheed F-94) is imminent. Jet-propelled, radar-equipped, two-seaters, designed specifically for night and all-weather fighting, are already in production. The menace of the atomic bomber, exploit- ing new navigational and blind-bombing techniques, now necessitates the merging of qualities inherent in these two- seaters with those of lighter single-seaters, in order to secure a fighter capable of intercepting and destroying a high- flying jet bomber in the worst flying weather and at any hour. A paragon of the type envisaged has yet to appear; meantime, single-seaters in general are inadequately equipped for round-the-clock operation, while two-seaters— especially those which are sufficiently provided with radar and other aids—are somewhat inferior in performance. Experimental all-weather, radar-equipped single-seaters are under construction, and should these be satisfactorily developed, they will obviously be preferred to the massive two-seaters of 25,000-35,000 1b gross weight. The demand for a specialized single-seater built, like the Republic XF-91, as an insurance against the fastest and highest-flying enemy aircraft operating by day, seems likely to persist; Russia, indeed, in her " target-defence " Me 263 development, has an intercepter even more restricted in application than the Republic. The requirement for a long- range fighter might be met by a variant of the " paragon " already mentioned, and with appropriate equipment this design should further be suitable for the short/medium- range bomber-escort, ground-attack, and, possibly, intruder roles. It must be recognized, however, that, having regard to the present high specific fuel consumption of the turbojet at ground level, a specialized intruder might be more advan- tageously powered by turboprop units, or even with piston engines- Real danger of confusion lies in the somewhat academic attempts which have been made to classify existing fighters. Their own manufacturers not infrequently apply misleading terminology and a type described as a " strike " fighter to- day may be dubbed "long-range intercepter" to-morrow. But although, as already observed, the general run of present-day fighters are not, in the strict sense of the term, Above : Meteors at exercise. Below : Air drill by Shooting Stars.
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