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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 2921.PDF
1848 RIGHT International, IB November 1978 will the Luftwaffe buy American? "I hope personally that we can agree on a European aircraft," says Schnell. "We have only two choices: to co operate in Europe or to buy Ameri can." Why is German industry taking American partners in its TKF studies? "Because we need a transatlantic dialogue about the modern technolo gies," says a senior Luftwaffe general. "We haven't given industry orders to co-operate with anybody," says the Defence Secretary. "They are co operating with Dassault and British Aerospace as well as with McDonnell Douglas and Northrop." What exactly is the threat which has led to the primary air-to-air mis sion? A senior officer explains that there is no requirement to hit high flying Mach 3 aircraft, "but every thing else." TKF will have "look-up and shoot-up as well as look-down and shoot-down missiles, to gain air superiority from above 50,000ft down to the battlefield and its flanks." It must also cover offensive air-to-air and escort. Does the Luftwaffe insist on two engines? "We know how much high specific excess power can cost," says a senior general. The Defence Secre tary adds: "We are looking to the RB.199, perhaps with some changes, but at other engines as well." Can Luftwaffe requirements be adapted to meet those of the RAF? "We are not able to harmonise the require ments yet," is how one senior officer replies. Why not F-16s? Replies a senior officer: "We do not think that the F-16 will meet the technology stan dards of the 1990s. We are free to study American aircraft. In fact we are forced to do so if our analysis is to be valid." Could the Defence Secretary rule out buying American? "It is obviously difficult to give a fixed answer to such a question. We are giving priority to a European solu tion." But it seems from talks with industry that the Luftwaffe remains as interested in the F-18 Hornet as it was in the Cobra. The head of Europe's biggest aero space programme, Panavia managing director Dr Peter Fichtmtiller, says: "The position is clear. The MBB, BAe and Aeritalia partnership will con tinue. What is required is the cus tomer. The three industries are look ing at ways to meet the air forces' requirements. The best starting point is collaboration in Panavia and in Turbo-Union." Martin Steinberger, head of the Turbo-Union RB.199 programme for Motoren- und Turbinen-Union (MTU), says that the gap between 403 and TKF is "much less than were the gaps between the British, Germans and Italians before MRCA (Tornado) was fixed together." Panavia hones for a TKF decision next year. This, says Fichtmuller, would be ideal timing for industry. Fichtmuller thinks that if Vtol can be divorced from AST403 a Jaguar Another rather different artist's impression of a single-R6l99 air-to-air fighter to meet the TKF90 requirement replacement could be compatible with what the Luftwaffe wants. He adds: "If you want air-to-ground per formance, you can do worse than start off with an air-to-air require ment." Panavia believes that there is no competitor for Tornado. One Panavia executive says: "The F-lll is the nearest, but it is ageing. The USAF is looking for a replacement in its. En hanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) com petition, in which Tornado is in cluded" (see November 2 issue). Ficht- miiller believes that the Panavia team will continue—"to the benefit of our suppliers. The big developments will be in systems, weapons and propul sion." Can Panavia see how to get the French in? A senior official replies: "The French have different require ments and a different attitude. I see myself not as a German but as a European. If the British and Ger mans can keep together, I can't see any other base for a long-term Euro pean combat-aircraft industry, and I assume the same for the RB.199 engine." Fichtmuller sees no problem in accepting the French in Panavia. "The organisation might have to be re shuffled, but if it is possible in Airbus Industrie and in Euromissile it is possible in Panavia." The Mirage 2000 is not in the way: "It comes into service in 1983, while TKF/403 is end- of-decade." Messerschmitt - Bolkow - B 1 o h m (MBB) wants TKF within Panavia, but meanwhile it is pursuing what military aircraft division director Oskar Friedrich describes as "a res ponse to the Luftwaffe's unwritten requirement." Co-operation with McDonnell Douglas, he explains, is not industrially or politically signi ficant. "We all want to keep all our options open. It will be a lighter, cheaper complement to the Tornado." A senior MBB engineer says TKF will almost certainly have two engines, obviously RB.199s, and a digital avionics system to provide "super- manoeuvrability" as well as all- weather air-to-air (primary) and air- to-ground (secondary) ability. Com posite primary structure is almost certain. MBB is working with BAe on a composite taileron for Tornado, for flight testing in two years' time. Dornier and MBB have been given equal TKF funds: about DM25 mil lion (£6 million). "Everybody is play ing all the cards," says Claudius Dornier Jr. "We think we can help the Luftwaffe to know what it wants. We do not want to make a new Tor nado." Will TKF have a swing wing? "Definitely not." A single engine? "We offer the choice." Dornier is not convinced that the twin is cheaper in peacetime. "If you look at the Starfighter loss record you will find that very few would have been saved by a second engine." In one Dornier engineer's view TKF will be "more like Mach 1-6 than the completely unnecessary expense of Mach 2 • 2 for the small percentage of occasions such speed will be needed." Claudius Dornier sees no role for Panavia in TKF. "It is too expensive an organisation." He claims that plan ning paperwork for Alpha Jet was no thicker than an inch, and programme cost not more than £25 million a side. Says Dornier managing director Dr Bernard Schmidt: "It makes no dif ference to us if we are prime or sub contractors, as on the Alpha Jet. That was largely our original design." According to a Dornier official the Luftwaffe is on its own with its un compromising view of TKF as an air-
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