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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 1331.PDF
embedded computers. "This aircraft is more computerised than any other system in the world," Eine believes. "One warning system will give input to other active systems—more than one active system. This is unique in this aircraft." Israel is developing a new weapon delivery computer for the Lavi because earlier computers were "too small [in capacity], too slow, and too heavy. We are talking about a physically smaller computer, much bigger in capacity and much faster." Although the operational requirement does not call for bombing accuracy greater than the F-16's, a better computer and more accurate inertial navigation will provide greater accuracy "even without asking for it". The Lavi cockpit has three head-down TV displays, one coloured, and IAI plans to incorporate a wide-angle diffractive-optics headup dis play. "We are in the middle of negotiating with Hughes on this system, and we have a proposal from Marconi that we are seriously considering", says Eine. A US consortium led by Astronautics is also competing. "Holographic dis play is more than nice to have, but it is not a must", says Eine, who would like a wide- angle Hud in the Lavi, "but not if it is too risky to develop or too expensive". The aircraft will have a quadruplex-redundant digital flight control system, to be developed by Lear Seigler in co-operation with Mabat in Israel. "Like the F-16, the Lavi will be a fly-by-wire, unstable aircraft", Eine confirms. There will be no mechanical flight controls, only limited analogue elec trical backup. Eine believes IAI is currently building the Kfir C7 both for Israel and for export that quadruplex provides good redundancy, and says that Lavi will be the first opera tional aircraft with fully digi tal flight control. All of the avionics will be developed in Israel, including the radar. Elta is responsible for the coherent, pulse- Doppler radar, which will be a development of the company's multimode EL/M-2021. Air- to-air modes will include look-down search and track- while-scan. Air-to-ground modes will include terrain- avoidance and high-resolution mapping. The radar will have a programmable signal processsor. Three of the five Lavi prototypes will be two- seaters. "One of the most important missions we see for the Lavi is advanced train ing", says Eine. The Israeli Air Force currently uses Skyhawks and F-4s for this task, but these will be phased out by 1995. The F-16 has a force-stick sidearm controller in place of the conventional joystick, and this is not opti mal for training, says Eine. As Lavi will be in service in large numbers "it is obvious that Lavi performance detailed The primary mission of Israel Aircraft Industries' Lavi combat aircraft is ground attack, both short- range close air support and medium-range interdic tion. Powered by a 20,2601b-thrust Pratt & Whitney PW1120, the Lavi will have a maximum take-off weight of 37,5001b, including an estimated 6,0001b of internal fuel and 16,0001b of weapons and external fuel. Maximum speed will be Mach 1 -85. Carrying eight 7501b bombs, the Lavi will have a combat radius of almost 250 n.m. Carrying two 2,0001b bombs, the Lavi will have an interdiction radius of at least the Kfir's 650 n.m. and a 600kt pene tration speed. With a 1 • 1:1 combat thrust-to-weight ratio and a 350ft2 wing, Lavi will be a 9g aircraft. Self-defence armament carried on all missions will include two heat-seeking missiles. this aircraft will be used as our advanced trainer". Of the aircraft 60 will be trainers. To reduce the time, risk, and cost involved in devel oping a new combat aircraft, Israel is subcontracting a size able part of Lavi development to overseas companies. Many of the aircraft systems will be developments of well-proven US equipment. "We do not have the American complex of not being invented here, and we will buy the F-18's system if it is better than the F-16's, even though one is a Navy aircraft and the other Air Force." These systems will require some development, "but it will always be cheaper than starting from scratch", Eine concludes. IAI will buy off-the-shelf the environmental control system, secondary power system, emergency power unit, electrical generation, etc. In most cases devel opment and initial production will take place in the USA, after which manufacture will move to Israel. "It is very important to have the pro duction, and the production knowhow, in Israel", says Eine, although he acknowl edges that there are areas of technology to which the manufacturer, or the US Government, will not allow Israel access. Despite this, Eine believes that the only area where Israel is dependent on the 4USA is the engine. The 20,2601b-thrust Pratt & Whit ney PW1120 is derived from the F100 which powers Israel's F-15s and F-16s, but for some parts of the engine "the technology is a secret to prevent it going outside of the USA and Pratt & Whitney". The engine will be built by Beth Shemesh Industries, apart from these sensitive DEFENCE parts, and Israel is already buying new technology to produce the compressor blades. Development of the PW1120 is being paid for by Pratt & Whitney, with Israel funding Lavi-specific modifi cations. The PW1120 is unique to Lavi, notes Eine, "although we hope that some other countries will buy the same engine". Development of the Lavi will cost $1,500 million, says Eine. A unit flyaway price of $11 million gives a pro duction-run total of more than $3,000 million, he adds. About one-third of the devel opment and production total will be spent in the USA. "This is huge business, and companies are willing to sell... They understand, and we know, that there is no real competition between us", Eine maintains, adding that "what is now well-kept tech nology will in five years be common technology... that is why, in the end, I hope that 100 per cent of the Lavi will be built in Israel". In final justification of the Lavi, Eine notes that Israeli experience in the Yom Kippur War was shared with the USA and incorporated in the F-15 and F-16 "and now we see those aircraft flying on the other side, the enemy side. This is a big dilemma. "On one hand we want to share our experience with the US forces, and this is easier, but we also want to share this experience with US industry because, in the end, we are flying their aeroplanes and we are benefiting from our experience. On the other hand, this technology is going to the other side." Eine himself negotiated the purchase of extended-range conformal fuel tanks for Israeli F-15s. "We were the first country to buy them, and the US Air Force followed. We paid for the development of these tanks, we set the requirements and did the tests." For a time the tanks were produced only in Israel. "But these tanks were sold to the Saudi Arabian Air Force—and the Saudis are our enemies, no doubt about that. So, though we hope it will not happen, Saudi F-15s could be fighting Israeli F-15s." With the Lavi, Israel can benefit from all of its unique combat experience and not have to share it with its Arab enemies. FLIGHT International, 30 July 1983 237
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