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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 0015.PDF
DEFENCE Boeing and the US Navy identify F/A-18E/F wing-drop solutions GRAHAM WARWICK/WASHINGTON DC BOEING AND THE US Navy are testing three solutions to the wing-drop problem encoun tered during flight testing of the F/A-18E/F. The Navy is now "extremely confident" that an expensive wing redesign will not be required, says a US Department of Defense official. Wing drops of up to 30° occur during manoeuvres at high subson ic Mach numbers, making it difficult for the pilot to track a tar get during an air-to-air gun engagement. Airflow over the fair ings covering the F/A-18E/F's wing-fold hinges is believed to be the cause of the asymmetric stall which results in the wing drop. Three "solution sets" have been demonstrated which overcome die problem, and flight testing contin ues in an effort to optimise the cure and determine its impact on per formance, the official says. The first solution involves fit ting stall strips on die wing upper surface inboard of the hinge fair ing. The spanwise strips are about 450mm long and "several" are mounted one behind the other on each side of the wing, beginning close to the leading edge. The second solution involves a wing-fold fence which runs chord- wise across the wing upper-surface just inboard of the hinge fairing. The fence is designed to keep the airflow over die outer section of die wing away from that over the mid- span area, where the stall occurs. The third solution involves a "porous" hinge fairing. Slots in the fairing allow air to flow in both directions dirough the wing fold and effectively make die fairing "aerodynamically invisible". This cure was developed after flights with die hinge fairings removed showed no wing drop. Flight tests are continuing to determine which solution has the least impact on weight, drag, mis sion radius and radar cross-section. The porous fairing looks the most promising, but the Navy "...has not declared victory yet", the official says. Some modifications improve aircraft controllability, die official says, notably the 450mm inboard extension of die wing lead ing-edge "snags" which is part of all three solution sets. By mid-December, testing was "about 90% complete" and had been accomplished widiout delay ing the F/A-18E/F development flight-test programme, die official says. A solution set is expected to be selected in early January. • France takes first Mirage 2000-5Fs THE FRENCH air force has taken deliver)'of the first of 37 Dassault Mirage 2000-5Fs. Entry into operation is set for January 2000, with Dijon-based EC-2/2 Cote <TOr squadron. The aircraft are being converted from earlier French Air Force Mirage 2000Cs. The upgrade includes the fitting of the new Thomson-CSF RDY multi-mode radar, with a range estimated at 130km (70nm) in air-to-air mode. The -5Fcarries four Matra/BAe Dynamics Mica medium-range air-to-air missiles in the Ventral stations, along with a pair of wingtip- mounted short-range Magic 2s and up to three under- wing fuel tanks, providing an 80% increase in range, or around dou ble the unrefuelled combat mis sion time. The 2000-5, which had its first flight in 1991, has already been sold to Taiwan and Qatar, and a slightly modified version, the 2000-9, was recently selected by the United Arab Emirates. • Maintaining the C-17 line could be worth billions of dollars to Boeing Boeing set for $6 billion C-17 award BOEING COULD earn up to $6 billion over the next eight years by sustaining the 120 C-17 Globemaster III military trans ports which the US Air Force intends to buy. The USAF has awarded Boeing an initial maintenance and support contract, worth $161 million in the first year, with an option for two more years taking die value of the work to $800 million. Five addi tional years of work could follow. The programme combines interim contractor support, depot- level support, and engine-logistics support, which involves Pratt & Whitney and United Airlines. The USAF expects to imple ment cost-performance measures such as power-by-die-hour for the C-17 during fiscal year 2001. • US makers can offer helicopters to Turkey THE CLINTON Admini stration is to allow US heli copter makers to bid for a contract potentially wordi $3 billion to sup ply attack helicopters to Turkey. Approving the bids, US Secre tary of State Madeleine Albright says: "We seek to support this important NATO ally's efforts to meet its legitimate self-defence requirements and to fulfil its NATO commitments." Turkey requires 45 attack heli copters. Candidates include the Agusta AI29 Mangusta, Bell AH- 1W SuperCobra, Boeing AH-64 Apache, Eurocopter Tiger and the MilMi-28. US Congress could still vote to reject the sale should a US com pany win, because of concerns over Turkey's human-rights record. J Lockheed Martin to support USAF A-lOs LOCKHEED MARTIN has won a $488 million multi-year contract to provide the US Air Force with long-term contractor support for the Fairchild A-10 attack/observation aircraft. The company beat Northrop Grumman to the contract. The competition started before the planned merger of the two firms was disclosed. So-called "firewalls" were erected between the two sides to maintain the competition. Of the 713 A-10s produced by Fairchild Republic sincel975, 374 are still operational, with more in storage. They are not scheduled to be retired until at least 2028. The A-10 has been supported by Nor throp Grumman since 1987. 3 NEWS IN BRIEF • ICBM SUPPORT The US Air Force has picked TRW over Alliant Techsys- tems to maintain and support the USA's arsenal of Minute- man m intercontinental bal listic missiles (ICBMs) over the next 15 years under a pro gramme which could be worth as much as $3.4 billion. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 7 - 13 January 1998 13
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