FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1983
1983 - 2162.PDF
DEFENCE Grumman offers F-14 & A-6 variants LONG ISLAND Grumman has proposed new variants of its F-14 Tomcat interceptor and all-weather attack A-6 Intruder to the US Navy, reports David Mason. The proposed F-14D could fly with either the General Electric F110 turbofan or the digitally controlled Pratt & Whitney F100. Both would offer significantly more thrust and reliability than the current TF30 powerplant. Grumman's Tomcat pro posal also includes the Jtids secure, countermeasures- resistant datalink, ALR-67 radar warning receiver, ASPJ internal jammer, and ASN-130 inertial navigation system. The new engine will pro duce additional unreheated thrust, enabling carrier take- offs in military (dry) power, leading to longer-range opera tions. The AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air mis sile will be available, but the basic weapon suite will remain the AIM-54C digital Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-9 Sidewinder, plus 20mm cannon. Grumman is seeking agree ment on the programme by next year, to incorporate the modifications during fiscal year 1988 production for delivery in 1989. The US Defence Secretary has set an $800 million limit on develop ment of the avionics, engines, and radar for the F-14D. The Tomcat first flew in 1970 and production is run ning at 30 a year, with 476 delivered so far to the US Navy. If accepted, the new F-14D programme would run beyond the year 2000. The proposed A-6F will also incorporate an engine change, with the EA-6B Prowler's Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408 competing with an unre heated version of the F-18's General Electric F404. The -408 version of Intruder's 9,3001b-thrust J52 turbojet would produce 11,2001b of dry thrust, while the lighter F404- GE-404 turbofan would pro duce 10,5001b. Whichever engine is chosen, an airframe- mounted accessory gearbox would be fitted to improve maintainability. Grumman's Intruder propo sal includes Litton's ASN-130 1460 inertial navigation system, although Honeywell's laser- gyro ASN-140 is under con sideration. Still to be decided is the choice of radar. One option is to improve the A-6E's Norden APQ-156, retaining the dual-antenna radar's simultaneous terrain- avoidance and target tracking capability while improving ground mapping resolution and adding inverse syn thetic-aperture processing for long-range ship identification. Other radar options in clude: from Hughes, the F-15's APG-63 and F-18's APG-65; and from Westing- house the F-16C's APG-68 and B-lB's dual-antenna APQ-164. The A-6F would also feature an updated cockpit with five multifunction head- down displays, AYK-14 Navy- standard mission computer, and 1553B multiplex avionics databus. The A-6F would carry two AIM-9 Sidewinders for self-protection. Competing for the Navy's attention is a two-seat all- weather attack version of the F-18 Hornet. Again, an R&D limit has been imposed, this time $500 million. More than 700 A-6s have been built since their intro duction in 1961. The latest A-6E is being fitted with the undernose Hughes Tram infrared/laser targeting turret. Grumman's Calverton pro duction facility has several Intruders in for refit, includ ing some in for their second rework. Traditionally a US Navy contractor, Grumman is com mitted to providing naval aircraft, notably in retrofit or developed form. More than 90 per cent of changes are in the area of system integration into existing basic airframe designs, along with engine changes and the introduction of new materials. At the same time the company is aiming to become a major US Air Force con tractor by taking advantage of radical changes in airframe design, notably through its work on the X-29 forward- swept-wing demonstrator. The first X-29 is now in Grumman's static test rig at Bethpage, while the wing and fuselage of the second demon strator are under construc tion. Number One X-29 will carry a full complement of flight-test instrumentation and will be used to explore the high-speed flight envelope. Number Two will be used for low-speed testing. Static testing, consisting of structural proof-load testing and strain-gauge calibration, will continue through Feb ruary. Ground-vibration and flight-control system testing follows in early April, before the aircraft moves to Calver ton for engine runs and low- speed taxi trials. Grumman is currently con tracted to make four flights from Calverton. Unless that programme is extended, the X-29 will be taken by road to New York Harbour then shipped by barge through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, for another closed- road journey to Edwards Air Force Base. The X-29, a full technical description of which will appear in Flight in January, is aimed at proving tech nology in three main areas—a forward swept wing, aero- elastic tailoring of composite materials, and relaxed stability using triplex digital fly-by-wire controls. Grumman maintains that the technology demonstrator can bring forward develop ment of the Advanced Tacti cal Fighter to meet the US Air Force's goal of 1993. If the usual approach is adopted, production of a prototype could not begin until 1986, Grumman argues. USAF plans fighter demonstrator WRIGHT-PATTERSON Critical features of a future US Air Force combat aircraft could be flight-tested in advance on a fighter tech nology demonstrator. Five US companies have received demonstrator pre-design in vestigation study contracts totalling $1-3 million. The 16-month contracts will enable Boeing, General Dyn amics, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop, and Rockwell to select those critical tech nologies which are currently available but which require flight demonstration. Areas of interest include multispeed aerodynamics and structures, weapon shaping, carriage, and separation, advanced gun integration, cockpit and avionics integra tion, and crew escape systems. Contracts call for the inte gration of these technologies into a demonstrator configur ation, and the development and costing of a ground-test and flight-test schedule. Aeronautical Systems Divi sion is careful to avoid infer ring any direct connection between the fighter tech nology demonstrator and the proposed Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF), currently the subject of concept definition investigations by seven com panies, including Grumman and Lockheed. Apparently, this is to avoid limiting the design of ATF, which from 1995 is to replace the F-15. Bell has completed captive flight trials of the Rockwell Hellfire laser-guided anti-tank missile on an AH-IJ Sea Cobra. Firing trials are scheduled for early next year in the US Marine Corps programme ISPpi5!i FLIGHT International, 3 December 1983
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
