Military Aircraft: Detailed Classification, Evolutionary Pattern, and Mission Profile

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and gives introductory comments on typical military aircraft classifi­cation; military aircraft role, statistics, and design considerations; and some rela­tively newer requirements (evolutionary patterns), and so forth. Figure 4.30 shows (a) Lockheed F104, Starfighter; (b) McDonnell F4, Phantom; (c) Grumman F14, Tomcat; (d) Northrop F117; and (e) Lockheed F22.

Figure 4.30. Chronology of fighter aircraft design evolution (USA)

4.9 Military Aircraft Mission

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and describes military aircraft multiroles, indicating that the same class

of military aircraft can have a wide variety of payload ranges. Figure 4.31 shows weapon configurations for (a) air interdiction, (b) close air support, (c) air defense, and (d) maritime attack.

Figure 4.31. Typical multirole missions

4.10 Military Aircraft Statistics (Sizing Parameters – Regression Analysis)

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and gives the statistics of military aircraft as discussed in the following subsections.

4.10.1 Military Aircraft Maximum Take-off Mass (MTOM) versus Payload

In this subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, Figure 4.32 shows typical statistics of military aircraft payload – range.

Figure 4.32. Military aircraft payload – range (no drop tank or refueling)

4.10.2 Military MTOM versus OEM

In this subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, Figure 4.33 gives the relation between MTOM and OEM, as well as the operational empty mass fraction (ratio of OEM to MTOM).

Figure 4.33. MTOM versus OEM

4.10.3 Military MTOM versus Fuel Load Mf

In this subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, Figure 4.34 gives the relationship between internal fuel load and fuel fraction versus MTOM.

Figure 4.34. MTOM versus fuel load

4.10.4 MTOM versus Wing Area (Military)

In this subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, Figure 3.35 shows wing area, SW, and wing-loading MTOM/SW versus MTOM.

Figure 4.35. MTOM versus wing area

4.10.5 MTOM versus Engine Thrust (Military)

In this subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, Figure 4.36 presents the rela­tionship between total Tsls and the two types of aircraft mass (e. g., MTOM and TTOM).

Figure 4.36. Aircraft weight versus total take-off thrust

4.10.6 Empennage Area versus Wing Area (Military)

This subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, gives a brief comment on military aircraft empennage area.

4.10.7 Aircraft Wetted Area versus Wing Area (Military)

This brief subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, is on military aircraft wetted and wing areas.

4.11 Military Aircraft Component Geometries

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and describes military aircraft component geometries (e. g., fuselage group, wing group, empennage group, and Nacelle group/intake).

4.12 Fuselage Group (Military)

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and describes military aircraft fuselage group.

4.13 Wing Group (Military)

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and describes the military aircraft wing group with Figure 4.37. Military trainer-aircraft wing group is illustrated in Figure 4.38.

Figure 4.37. Fighter aircraft configurations

One surface configuration: (Figure 4.37a – Mirage 2000 and SAAB Draken).

Two surface configuration: (Figure 4.37b – MIG 21 and Mirage F1).

(Figure 4.37c – Eurofighter and SAAB Viggen) (Figure 4.37d – F16 and F18)

Three surface configuration: (Figure 4.37e – SU 37 and SU 47).

Figure 4.38. Advanced jet trainer aircraft capable of close support combat

4.13.1 Generic Wing Planform Shapes

This extended subsection, at www. cambridge. org/Kundu, describes how military air­craft wing planforms can be presented in a unified manner and includes civil designs (i. e., from delta to rectangular shapes) as shown in Figure 4.39.

Figure 4.39. Wing planform shape

4.14 Empennage Group (Military)

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and describes various aspects of military aircraft empennage configurations and available options using several figures (listed above) and Figure 4.40 (YF12, F29 and B2).

Figure 4.40. Empennage options

4.15 Intake/Nacelle Group (Military)

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and gives a broad classification of military fighter aircraft engine-intake configuration, as given in Chart 4.3. Some older design engine positions are shown in Figure 4.41 (P38, B & V141, Heinkel 162, F107, Corsair, and a Tupolev design).

Chart 4.3. Types of empennage configurations

Figure 4.41. Options for engine positions of some older designs

4.16 Undercarriage Group

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and refers to Chapter 7.

4.17 Miscellaneous Comments

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and gives some pertinent comments on miscellaneous aspects of military aircraft design.

4.18 Summary of Military Aircraft Design Choices

This extended section of the book can be found on the Web at www. cambridge .org/Kundu and summarizes military aircraft design choices and various approaches to it.