Modern Canard Tactical Airplanes

The canard disadvantages enumerated above either do not apply or are over­whelmed by other considerations in the case of tactical airplanes designed for superma­neuverability, or for controllable flight beyond the stall. The stability and control of tactical airplanes in the supermaneuverability regime are covered in Chapter 10, “Tactical Airplane Maneuverability.”

Control of the vortex system shed from the fighter nose is known to be critical for controllable flight beyond the stall. Forebody strakes have been found valuable for this purpose. Canards offer another means for shaping the forebody vortex system. They are used in some modern fighter designs, such as the Sukhoi Su-35, the Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Figure 17.3), the IAI Lavi, the Rockwell/MBB X-31A Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability (EFM), and the Eurofighter 2000.

CHAPTER 18