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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1396.PDF
DEFENCE FLY-BY-WIRE Eurofighter FCS software to counteract Mach pitch-up Eurofighter's flight control system (FCS) software has been modified to counter tran sonic pitch-up automatically and reduce pilot workload. All aircraft pitch up as they pass through Mach 1 because the centre of pressure - the point through which lift acts - shifts rearwards, creating a nose-up moment. In some air craft this is countered by pumping fuel aft to maintain the relative distance between the centres of pressure and gravity, but this would poten tially reduce the manoeuvrability of a fighter. While the phenomenon is well known, it can require unwelcome additional pilot inputs during combat manoeuvring or accelerating for battle positioning. BAE Systems Eurofighter head Ross Bradley says FCS software to be delivered at the end of this year will include the ability to maintain the air craft's attitude as it passes through Ml. The load will also include an automated low- speed recovery capability. The latter will allow the aircraft to take over control if the speed becomes too low, perhaps during dogfighting. Bradley says: "Controlling the transonic pitch-up through the FCS underlines the ability to manage a particular point [of the flight envelope]." Carefree handling has been a major driving point in Eurofighter flight control law design and implementation and is "a key element of low ering pilot workload", he adds. Bradley says that delivery of the transonic pitch-up and low-speed recovery capabili ties were originally planned for late next year. Eurofighter will probably enter service in September Flight Inter national, 23-29 April). FIGHTER DEVELOPMENT VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW Sukhoi wins LFI contract Government will fund but investment needed from industry and potential participants Sukhoi has won the Russian LFI lightweight frontline fighter pro gramme. The decision is a further blow to RSK MiG, which recently lost the Russian air force's advanc ed trainer competition to Yakovlev. llya Klebanov, the minister for industry, science and technologies, says Sukhoi is to complete an ini tial LFI proposal and prepare the development schedule by year-end. Sukhoi has also been asked to DEVELOPMENT India mulls plan to build deep penetration strike aircraft include RSK MiG and Yakovlev in the programme. The latter was involved in the initial stages of the LFI competition as a subcontractor in the programme. LFI funding has been included in Russian president Vladimir Putin's "Weapons Programme for 2001-10" initiative. Details remain shrouded in secrecy, however. It is estimated that SI.5 billion will be allocated India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is considering the devel opment of a deep penetration strike aircraft following development of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The so-called Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA) would replace the Indian air force's Dassault Mirage 2000 and Sepecat Jaguar strike aircraft above). Dr Kota Harinarayana, ADA project director, says the MCA would be a stealthy design capable of carrying 1,000kg (2,200lb) laser-guided weapons. It would be single-seat and powered by two Indian-developed Kaveri engines. He adds that the MCA would use a shared computing architecture, with the intention of replacing the LCA's 25 computers with three able to perform more tasks. Harinarayana says the ADA and the air force are discussing the basic requirements for such an aircraft. ADA'S plans may be scuppered, however, by Russian attempts to sign India up as a development partner for the Sukhoi LFI. for research and development - with development of avionics, sys tems and weapons, and creation of a production line pushing the esti mates to $5 billion. Some Russian industry sources, however, put the potential cost at $6-9 billion. Sukhoi general director Mikhail Pogosyan says investment from industry and potential foreign part ners is also needed. It is widely acknowledged that the industry could provide $1-1.5 billion over the next 10 years from sales of in- production combat aircraft. Various schemes to make indus try invest in the LFI have been con sidered, including introduction of a tax on fighter sales and the forma tion of a company to manage the project that would be open to com mercial investment. China and India are listed as potential participants. The issue was discussed last month during a visit by Russian officials to Russia. Although some in the Russian aerospace industry describe the LFI project as a "serious challenge", Pogosyan says: "We can create the aircraft by 2010-12. Fifth-genera tion programmes were initiated in the Soviet Union in 1983 and since then we have worked out the required technologies. We tried them on the S-37 Berkut, which made over 150 flights." Russian industry believes pro duction of 500-600 aircraft will be sufficient to achieve profitability, based on a $35-40 million unit fly away cost. However, the industry's optimism is not shared by the Russian military. MODIFICATION Airod stretches first C-130H Hercules Airod has completed its first fuse lage stretch of a Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules for the Malaysian air force, with technical assistance from the US manufacturer. Following delivery of the aircraft on 23 April, the Malaysian mainte nance and modification specialist has been certificated by Lockheed Martin as an authorised C-130 stretch-modification centre. The Malaysian government has signed a contract for a second aircraft to be lengthened, and holds options for two more. The stretch involves adding a 2.5m (lOOin) fuselage plug forward of the wing plus a 2m aft exten sion, raising the cargo hold volume by around 33%. Maximum gross weight is increased by 1,700kg (3,7701b). Kuala Lumpur-based company Airod is already an authorised C-130 service, tanker modification and landing-gear repair and over haul centre. 18 7-13 MAY 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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