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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0584.PDF
1 DEFENCE Thrust-vectoring rivals are ground-tested BAe wins RAPs ASRAAM competition 1992, he says. The most prom ising flight-test op portunity is the US Air Force's propul sion, aerodynam ics, control inte gration research (PACIR) pro gramme, a request for proposals for which is due on 15 May. Under PACIR an existing aircraft, probably an F-15 or F-16, would be fitted with pitch/ yaw nozzles. NASA Pratt & Whitney's thrust-vectoring F100-229 is also considering fitting the nozzles to its F-15 highly integrated digital engine control testbed. Bursey says P&Ws nozzle can be fitted to any aircraft powered by the company's F100 engine, which includes the F-14, F-15 and F-16, he says. GE's AVEN is designed for the FllO engine, which powers the F-14 and F-16, but can be adapted to the F-15, says Mishler. There has been some preliminary design work on an axisymmetric-vectoring nozzle for the F404 engine pow ering the F18, he says. D F' BY GRAHAM WARWICK 7N ATLANTA General Electric and Pratt & Whitney have ground- tested their pitch/yaw thrust- vectoring engine nozzles suc cessfully, and say the devices are ready for flight testing. While GE is aiming to fly its nozzle on a General Dynamics F-16, possi bly in Israel later this year, P&W is talking to NASA about flying its nozzle on a McDonnell Douglas F-15. GE's axisymmetric vectoring engine nozzle (AVEN) has com pleted 50h ground-testing on an F110-100 at thrusts up to 125kN (28,0001b) and further ground runs are planned before the engine is removed from the test stand, says programme man ager Rodger Mishler. Thrust has been vectored up to 20°, in all directions, at rates above 45°/s. P&W's pitch/yaw nozzle achieved all its similar test ob jectives in 28h ground testing on an F100-229, including lOh in afterburner at thrusts exceeding 134kN, says programme man ager Roger Bursey. Endurance testing will continue beyond lOOh, after which the nozzle will be disassembled and inspected. Bursey says P&W then plans to install the nozzle on its IPE- 94 test engine, a growth version of the F100-229, producing up wards of 160kN. GE has no plans to put AVEN together with its 160kN thrust-class FllOX demonstrator engine, which Mishler says is possible, but may be first to fly its nozzle — although "...there is still no firm programme" to flight-test the AVEN on an Israeli F-16 later in The Royal Air Force's Staff Requirement (Air) 1234 for an advanced short-range air-to- air missile (ASRAAM) has been won by British Aerospace Dy namics (BAeD) — beating rival bids by GEC Marconi, teamed with Matra, and by Boden- seewerk Geratettechnik. UK defence secretary Tom King announced the deal on 3 March, saying that £570 million would be allocated to the development and production of an initial batch of ASRAAMs — believed to be around 1,500. Selection of the ASRAAM win ner, had not been expected for some weeks. The latest deal brings defence-equipment orders announced by the Government to more than £1.6 billion in three weeks Flight International, 26 February-3 March). BAeD will be the principal contractor on ASRAAM, which, says managing director David Laybourn, "...will provide the UK with a major opportunity for significant export sales". Sub contractors are Hughes Aircraft for the seeker head, MBB on the warhead and sensors, Thorn EMI for fuzing, BAe's Royal Ord nance subsidiary for the rocket motor and Lucas Aerospace fot the actuators. In-service date is expected to be 1997. ASRAAM has had a chequered past, having been under devel opment throughout the 1980s, led first by BGT and then BAe. Canada and Norway were also involved in a four-nation pro gramme, part of a wider joint missile development plan, in volving the US Government, de veloping the advanced medium- range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) and the European- developed ASRAAM. The UK is now the only nation committed to ASRAAM. ASRAAM is 2.9m long, has a diameter of 1.66m and weighs 87kg. The weapon is fully com patible with Sidewinder and AMRAAM launchers. The infra red seeker uses a 128 x 128 staring array to give a smear-free image of the target for snap shooting. The weapon can lock on before launch on targets at up to 90° off boresight; this can be extended further with a hel met-mounted sight. GEC's bid was a derivative of the French medium-range MICA, called MICASRAAM. The missile was funded as a private venture, and GEC Marconi says that the two companies must now decide if they can continue funding. One option is to seek funding from export customers who have shown interest. • Germany fires AMRAAM AGerman Air Force McDon nell Douglas F-4F Phantom has completed the first success ful launch from a non-US oper ated aircraft of an advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM). The firing was part of year long testing of the F-4K Im proved Combat Efficiency upgrade programme, during which the German air force, MBB and Telefunken Syste- mtechnik are evaluating integra tion of the missile with the aircraft systems and the Hughes APG-65 radar. • US Army issues CorpsSAM RFP The US Army has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the Corps surface- to-air missile (CorpsSAM) programme to replace the Raytheon Hawk air-defence system after the year 2000. The Army plans to award multiple six-month concept- definition contracts after mid- 1992. The RFP calls for contractors to study one of three options: an off-the-shelf system to be used "as is" or modified; a new missile sys tem; and a "leapfrog" system using innovative technology. CorpsSAM is intended as a replacement for the Hawk, providing defence against air craft, tactical ballistic mis siles, anti-radiation weapons and unmanned air vehicles at medium to high altitudes. The missile system is re quired to be more mobile than Hawk. An upgraded Hawk is a likely candidate. The Army issued RFPs to more than 100 contractors, indicating the importance of the Hawk replacement pro gramme to industry. The Hawk is in service with the US Army and Marine Corps and in 20 other countries. • u FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11 - 17 March, 1992
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