Truitt
11-09-2005, 03:50
JF-55 "Merlin Hawk"
"Raist the skies, a power from the past comes to rule the future. The skies shall be ours. We may not have the edge no more, but we have the soul and skill. With Mustangs we can destroy Raptors, and with Stukas we can destroy a nuclear missile en route."
Those were the words Former Presidente and Capiton (Now Chancellor) Fonzi Jewitt said when the news of the government's funding into the "Last Generation Multiple Mission Superiority Aircraft" had been entirely cut. Little did he know, what he laid out as a plan for the true "Last Generation" aircraft of atmospheric missions was put into action by a band of researchers and designers from the leading aircraft company Truitt and Hughes Corporation.
A Merlin Hawk, as the Former Presidente described, was a Phoenix that could not be killed, could not die, nor could be hurt. It could only be touched if it wished to, and were always superior to its surroundings. It could singly rule the world, but chose not to.
He said that is how Merlin got his name; that he befriended the only Merlin Hawk to be on the Earth, and somehow, the Merlin Hawk wished for him to end its life. Thus, Merlin was granted his name in remembrance of the omniscient creator.
The Merlin Hawk returns from the past, doing its same mission of superiority. The JF-55 Merlin Hawk, Last Generation Multiple Mission Superiority Aircraft.
Cockpit - Systems and Controls
The cockpit of the Merlin Hawk is possibly the most up-to-date and vital part of any centerpiece. It includes the Xerocraft, Internal Weaponry, and even a ditch emergency system.
Computer
The computer of the Merlin Hawk is new Pethium-Jones Compressor GHF-567-3 S.E.R.I.E.S. which has a classified amount of power. The computer itself takes the actions of the pilot and adds it to its memory and all other computers in the thousands more of Merlin Hawks. With this data, the Ditch Emergency System can operate and even avoid being shot down, along with the droned Merlin Hawk having to operate with less dependence of the operator.
It also views the vital signs of the pilot, and also displays any maneuvers that is hazardous to the pilot's health. It will also have the option for the on-board computer to correct the problem. This also includes, but is not limited to, maneuvers, armament malfunction, engine flame-out, over-ride, and structural damage.
Sensors throughout the entire aircraft monitor certain connections, of which are the mostly likely to be damaged or even scaled to strain. These include the gears at which the Arkwings retract, the Arkwings themselves, the empinage, and the landing gears. This information is displayed in the cockpit.
Along with the computer is the ability to be programmed to any mission, be it anti-missile, infantry support, air superiority, or naval assault, or anything else, it can be programmed. Also allowed, is the ability for the programming to be changed in the air by either the pilot or a systems manager at an airbase.
"Due points" programming is also possible, which has not been applied to military aircraft in this time and age, and "Due points" are important for long-range missions and flights.
Screens and Dials
Current air superiority aircraft's' cockpit view have simply put conventional (dial) or digital (screen) systems, or a hybrid of the two. A strict-conventional layout promises performance, even during EMP or power failure, put lacks detailed and sure-thing figures. All-digitals have given more space for other systems and less irritation for the pilot, but in case of EMP or power failure, the entire system shuts down. Hybrids were enacted to have the best of both worlds, having dials and screens.
However, hybrids usually take up more space than any of the two alone, and thus, more crowding, more maintenance, and more strain on the pilot. A solution? Put a line of dials in a parallel pattern that show altitude, speed, cabin pressure, pitot pressure, wing leveling, horizon, and etcetera, and have two digital screens showing this and much more, mostly arms and navigation information.
This is like any old hybrid, right? Wrong. The helmet holds a translucent black screen (to act also as a sun glass when flying towards the Sun) over the face which has become common in movies such as "Top Gun" and "Stealth." The entire screen shows information which in itself is translucent. At first, they will be "fuzzy," for lack of a better word, when concentrating on out-side items.
As time goes on, the pilot's eye will adjust to switch focuses very quickly, and in the Aouren 45 Day Wonder Flyer's Programme, pilots learn this skill in an average of 15 days. Although they are trained before hand, a "ground to pit jumper" could easily learn this skill in less than a month.
This helmet also holds a very important key feature. If someone has played air combat games, they will notice gun information, altitude, missile targeting, and where the cannons are facing and where their bullets will be once fired. This helmet was based after the same one for Ace Combat Five, The Unsung War, which has prove great and all the information needed in a top-end dogfight.
Motor skills - "Talon"
The "joy-stick" and "thrust gauge" is very different in the Merlin Hawk, as it allows for care-free action while allowing for total control and information without "finding that sweet-spot" or "notching too much."
The Joy-Stick is nicknamed the Talon, as it is shaped like one up-side-down. It has a selector knob, which can move between the labeled joints that are labeled S-GUN or MISSILE-#, of which the S- designation means either F- (Front) or R- (Rear). The -# designation stands for which pylon to be used (If the pylon is loaded, when selected, it will show the missile/bomb and its information). To prevent over-crowding, each internal bay has a separate selector system at the base of the Talon. The ever-popular "trigger" is what activates the selected option.
Also included is a voice recognition, which is designed to be used to change the screens, alter certain views and information being displayed, and etcetera to allow for hands-free changing of information with ease.
For things that cannot be targeted (IE. firring an AAM into a ground target) a swivel was placed at the joint-piece, above where the internal bay selectors are, which the pinkie finger can be trained to use this flawlessly. Battles have shown that when AGMs run out, the only option is no longer the guns, but also the other missiles.
Motor-skills - "Paradise City Stick"
The Thrust Gauge in modern and possibly in future designs has been, and will always, be a stick coming forth from the dashboard and to be pulled out (light thrust) or pushed in (heavy thrust). Depending on how far in/out it is, it depended on the airspeed. This is troublesome in the middle of dogfights and in top-notch situations when speed is needed perfectly in a short period of time. Thus, a new design.
The Paradise City Stick (PCS) as it has been called (and without an official name, it may stay as that) is a flawless way to adjust to a certain airspeed quickly. The PCS is a bar with two strips of metal connecting it into the lower dash of the left-hand side of the cockpit, at elbow length. The bar itself is where the left hand will always be unless the screens or dials must be adjusted (Because most basic adjustments can easily be made via the Talon or voice recognition).
Next to the bar is a flat panel. This lights up an LCD stretch-screen which will fill in dem yellow bars for as far the PCS is up on its mount (as it is adjustable). As the bar moves forward, the dem yellow appears to fill in the side. If the bar moves backwards from its "Idle" position, a dem orange bar will be filled in in its direction.
At the far end near the dashboard, easily seen at mostly any angle the pilot may be looking, is a small bit of information. In large numbers is a orange negative number or a positive yellow number. This shows the amount of the engine's capability is being used. Below it is the airspeed it brings (the computer rules out wind speed, maneuvers, turns, etcetera) and will constantly update. Two speed numbers are used, knots and mach, at all times. Knots on top, of course, as it is the most used.
Most Extreme Selections:
120 (Yellow) - Full Throttle
121 (Yellow) - Afterburner
45 (Orange) - 7,800lb Reverse Thrust
40 (Orange) - 2,340lb Reverse Thrust
Pulse Cannon Thrust Modification System
The PCS however is not only a thrust gauge, but also an acceleration tool. The Pulse Cannon has been a popular engine modification into thrust modification systems, at which, the PCS's bar can be swiveled by pushing the wrist forward or backward. By a certain push forward and then pressing the gray button next to the thumb, the Pulse Cannon can be activated with that desired thrust increase. As long as the button is held, the Pulse Cannon will continue to operate.
The Engine and Body Stability selection will appear automatically on the top screen showing most information that is displayed in the helmet. For the abilities of the pilots are strong, so is the engine and body, and thus, it can withstand up to 12-14 seconds of this without critical damage. Most pilots will only use it as temporary (about 4-6 seconds) boost to confuse incoming missiles while in a turn.
Pulse Cannon Extremes:
12 - 12,340lb of additive thrust on current output (Highest selectable above Mach speeds)
15 - 18,280l of additive thrust on current output (Unselectable above Mach speeds)
20 (Maximum) - 25,000lb additive thrust on current output (Unselectable above Mach speeds)
The Air Brake operates by pulling the Pulse Cannon backwards (pushing the wrist downwards) at any dimension or angle and pressing the button. The standard deceleration is 82 kts/s as standardized, but could be effected in certain conditions or any damage to systems.
Xerocraft
The Xerocraft is an ejection system which allows the entire cockpit to eject. It keeps on vital computers and some sensors, which are expensive. It has a one-way 12,300lb gel-based rocket engine that can go up to 120 knots and can fully maneuver in combat operations. It has a range of 185 nautical miles.
On-board is a small 12mm Vurlex Gun with a 1,450rpm. Although not as effective as many guns, it can still reek havoc. It also has the ability to hold two TALM-1A Solarflare AAMs (Smallest AAM to date), which most will not have these on-board as they bring back the performance of the Xerocraft and add about 200lb additive eight to the Merlin Hawk.
The Xerocraft, like the Merlin Hawk herself, has a floatation device on-board which can be deployed for either hard landings (where cushion is needed extremely) or for water landings.
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Canards and Frontal Armament
Canards
The canards are designed as the first which souly act with the ailerons, instead of act independently. Why? The only difference is additive wiring and more money towards this change, but what could it do? When in a high-end turn, the canards usually push the nose beyond the body's limits of turning, and thus, could damage the gearing systems in the wings which allow it to alternate positions.
As if that was not it, they can also allow a "nickel-point turn" which pushes the nose on an axis once the Pulse Cannon is activated and turns within 15ft of its desired position within 1.239 seconds. This allows for close-encounter maneuverability away from missiles and will confuse most non-satellite guided missiles.
Guns
Besides the canards being themselves (and angled for stealth purposes) two more cannons were loaded, 32mm, located right above the cockpit, over the usual side-pit mount most fighters take. It allows (the mounting base) a dis-figuration in the radar signature, and naturally to the lidar signature (instead of on-on-off-on, like most lidar avoidance angles, it allows on-off-on-off, ultimate stealth against it), allowing for a secret flight.
The tactical portion of these two guns are limited, as besides the disruption, it does nothing more but make it look more armed to the naked eye. However, unknowingly the public had said it was similar to most Fulcan (Front-Mount Cannon) Guns in service and the barrels can adjust to the pilot's wishing. What they did not know was they just gave the secret of the new helmet's targeting system.
The two barrels will look forward, as usual, inside its stealthy and stylish enclosure. When the time comes (when GUNS is selected on the Talon) the barrels will show from the frontal portions of the enclosure retracting almost instantly. As if it was not already overkill to have two 32mms, a small targeting arch appears on the pilot's helmet. Where ever that arch is, the barrels will shoot.
Example:
The pilot looks just in front of his shoulder to a fighter aircraft that is targeting his wing-mate. He is far too close for missile engagements, and cannot line up a shot right in front of him in time. What should he do? Look in the direction so the arch is covering the aircraft (or a certain portion if it is close enough) and fire. The two cannons fire, and thus, the aircraft is shot and probably beyond repair and will crash (as such a deadly shot is bound to be successful).
There are problems, and that is in such a scenario the right cannon cannot move all the way without breaking. So the left cannon is the only one which can do it. Vise versa if the direction was to the right. Why, then, have two cannons when you could easily do it with a swiveled single gun as past Truitti fighters have had?
One swiveled gun could of course target the wide variety of horizontal and vertical targets, as with these guns, and yes, were not limited. But the guns are much larger (apposed to 28mm standardized ones of the past) and pack a longer range (some 560 yards longer than the Vulcan on board the F-14D Advanced Tomcat) and punch (Some 45bir, which the Vulcan on board the F-14D Advanced Tomcat only has 28.5bir). Also, it allows for equal distortion of munition weight over the cockpit.
A total of 300 rounds is held for each gun, which is fed from a sectional drum located just above the frontal gears.
The "Arkwing"
The Arkwing has been the nickname of the system because it allows the wings to move independently and acts like an Archangel (A spelling mistake by the designers had the name Archwing changed to Arkwing) in the battlefield. When a wing is hit, it needs a different setting to act in the same manor as the untouched one, and thus, the independent adjustable (automatically done by computer) has a purpose which is the first ever to happen, and allows for perfect performance even when you have a smoke trail.
The wing itself also, unlike the previous aircraft, does not have internally stored missiles. It as made souly for caragability and stress-taking. Thus, allowing for more stresses and the ability to hold heavier munitions.
It is also front-controlled, and not rear-control. Why, as so many aircraft are having both? Front-controls are less-prone to break. If a rear-front combination existed, than if one broke, both would be "laggy," and thus performance would be taken away. Front-based controls are less likely to be damaged if hit and also are enclosed and have a "head-on approach" to the airstream, allowing for more reaction with less change in the flaps or other controls.
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The Engines
Merlin's Staff
The power-plants of the Merlin Hawk is a new change to the old-fashioned "One Engine, One Source, One Problem" philosophy to engines that the Truitti air forces have oftenly had. The Merlin Hawk has two Emeraldia JF-45-677G "Merlin's Staff" turbofans with afterburner, super-cruise and Pulse Cannon capabilities.
The power-plant has its internal parts made of a cesium-lithium metalliod nicknamed "Cesthium," which has an extremely high heat capacity and has one of the lowest melting points known to man. It is as light as titanium (give or take a few moles per molecule depending on what type of cesthium combination is seen) but is as durable as tungsten. It is also double-spooled and had a flame-out precaution system which is the first and only of its kind.
Each engine is capable of 25,000 pounds of thrust, maximizing to 49,870 pounds of thrust after initial placement figuration's. With after-burning each engine is capable of 27,680 pounds of thrust, and with Pulse Cannon activated to 20 (Maximum Capable Output) it can reach up to 40,500 pounds of thrust each. This, however, is not suggested unless needed (As said before, the common setting is around 9-12).
The initial range of each engine is 3,450nm, or with each other, 2,500nm. However, with the weight and armament put into coordination, it should be able to max out 1,340nm range without external fuel tanks.
Flame On
With engine fires, flame outs, and over spins becoming a popular turbofan epidemic, a series of precautions was made to prevent every one of them.
Engine fires can't be stopped from happening, but an air pollution solution was put into effect. The F-14C Super Tomcat had an engine which had one installed, and acted greatly. If an engine fire occurs, a infiltration system is implaced along the intakes' edges. It pollutes the incoming air with nitrogen-based particles series-ed in columns that smothers the fire with lack of oxygen. However, this is not in itself effective enough for a large fire (which could erupt from repetitive Pulse Cannon use) and thus a geurvant-based fire smothering foam was placed on-top of the engine in shafts and can be deployed over the engine. Since it is Eco-friendly it does not pollute the air, unlike the nitrogen-based particles that escape and are not demoliculize.
Flame outs occur all too after, and usually happen in maneuvers which air flow into the engines is lost. That is the reason the engines are placed on top of the fuselage, instead of below it, where in maneuvers air flow is directed to the fuselage's up-rift current (top portion, where air flow is oftenly accelerated due to air displacement). Next to this is a rivet-spinner system implaced on the rear spool which can activate the constant spinning by using gained electrical energy. This reenacts air suction and activates the frontal spool and makes the engine effective again.
Over-spins. Not common, but can happen. It is when the spinning is so violent it literally makes a fire around the engine, but not inside, just from friction and kinetic-forced radiational energy. It is more common in Scram jets and Air-spikes, but has happened in turbofans more times than needed. Because it oftenly will target the fuel tanks (near the engine) the entire aircraft would usually explode, and thus, no chance of saving or countering the problem. How to prevent this? Each engine is on a tooled mount which moves with the engine's own pattern of vibration, causing any kinetic-forced radiation outside of the aircraft's air flow area, and out of its way.
Engines Can Be Bombs, Too
With the tooled mounted system also installed, an engine with a fire or flame out that cannot be solved can be dropped, and even used as an impact bomb if positioned correctly. Because these engines add extra weight, they would slow the aircraft. Thus, dropping is the only option. Fuel can be redirected by the computer to the other operating engine once the other has been dropped.
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Exhaust and Control
Epinage - Horizontal and Vertical Stablizers
The Horizontal Stablizer is the wing in the rear of an aircraft going across, along the wings. The Merlin Hawk does not have these, as the exhusts can be used for this mission. he Vertical Stablizer is the vertical (or even diagnol) wings in the rear. The Merlin Hawk, although through massive stealth debate, has these. The two diagnol stablizers can control the yaw of the aircraft, and the yaw only. Because they are angled, it adds to the stealthy characteristics.
Exhust Pipes
The TyH-99 Cardinal tried a four-exhust approach with no alierons or other controls. It ultimately failed in the long run, and the designers knew this in the Merlin Hawk's development.
The two exhust pipes are ACTIVE, and allow for pitch and slight bank changes. Thier fast reaction and cordination with the alierons allow for less strain on both and better activity and reaction time. They are slitted radically and are wide but thin. They allow for good reaction time, but an other skill that is needed, and that is stealth against IR (Infrared) guided missiles.
The exiting hot air usually comes out in a circular shape, and takes longer to mix with the cooler outside air. When slitted, the hot air mixes much faster. An F-22's heat trail is about 12 feet long. A JF-55's heat trail is reportedly less than 9 feet long. It takes most IR-guided missiles at least a 11-foot long to even aquire a target, let alone lock on and engage.
Landing
Also added was a different landing gear system. Each fuselage (base) wheel has two wheels instead of the regular one. Adding up to four wheels in the middle.The frontal gear also has two wheels on the single axel. The reason? It adds more absorbancy from shock, more control on the ground, and distrubites weight much mroe without angling the gears which can add more strain to the shock resistance systems.
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Ordanance
The ordanance of the Merlin Hawk is sweet and simple, but slightly modified for various tatical reasons.
Internal Bays - Alpha
There are two internal bay systems. One is nicknamed "Alpha," which is a single-reel loading system simular to that of the B-2's. It is located mid-fuselage and is right inbetween the two internal fuel tanks.
It has the ability to hold eight loading systems, bombs or otherwise loaded. It has a long-rod missioned locking and loading system which can allow for various arms to be loaded on each one. Up to four 120lb conventional bombs can fit on just one loading system, and two AIM-7Cs can be loaded each. Miniture nuclear missiles can also be loaded, along with Daisy Clutters and other various multiple-type missiles and munitions.
Some common munitions to be loaded could be sonar bouys, anti-shippery missile, TALM-50C Vallassaa (Multiple Targetting Missile), conventional bombs, air-launched torpedoes, and sub-muniton dispencer bombs.
The reel is loaded before flight and has no additive feed to re-load it. Mostly for tatical aspects.
For air-to-air roles, up to six TALM-50C Vallassaas can be loaded on this reel.
Internal Bays - Beta
The most used internal bay will be the "Beta" system. It is simular to the Raptor's own launch system, and will be launched from the sides of the fuselage's frontal portion, right behind the cockpit. It has a feeding system which it can deploy up to two missiles each (for each side).
With the feeding system, up to six missiles can be stored (independantly) including the front two ready to launch. After one is firred, the clip is rotated and moves an other in place. Mostly AGMs and AAMs will be using these bays, as they are high-performance and act quite quickly, apposed to the reel "Alpha" which takes a while to turn to its select weapon (which can take up to eight seconds).
External Roles
The body was designed to have four external hardpoints. They are already on the aircraft, but look simular to long pimples with caps on them. The caps retract (by a spring-action mechanism) for missile loading and once firred, the string replaces the cap which adds back to the stealth abilities.
The total weight of each hardpoint is 12,300lb, designned mostly to hold heavier missiles such as minture air-launched ballistic missiles. It can however be used unstealthingly to have additional air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles. Or even bombs, as four 200lb conventional bombs can be placed on each one.
They are in the same alignement as the F-14A's external hardpoints.
Rear Armament
The rear armament has a single Rulcan 18mm cannon capable of 2,340rpm with a drum feed of 230 rounds. Its range is equal to the Super Hornet's forward gun, and is swiveled to automatically lock onto hostile targets or sources of radar tracking.
Stealth Characteristics - Armor and Avoidance
There is a lot of new revolutionary characteristics that the Merlin Hawk presents, and as time goes on, these will show as top-of-the-line and very strategic, giving the skies back to the Truittis again.
The Armor
The armor of the aircraft is made up of a still experimental carbon-carbon based titanium combonation which is capable of preventing most breaches from shells of 21mm or lower from "critical range." It also has, in the wings, a supportment Vandium rod to prevent failure in missile impacts.
The thickness is unknown, and still classified, but something did leak through from a conspiracy web site that shows it uses a Cerium-based coating which is extremely thin, but strong and holds a tight ionized bond together. It is developed to avoid radar and lidar detection. How?
Cerium itself, without the additive materials, is very moldable, like clay. The additive materials just metallisizes itself further. As it travels through the air, it creates a disturbance at a very fast rate. It looks simular to ripples in a pond. As the air flow hits it, it bends backwards as a ripple but then from its own ionic properties retracts, like an implodeing of molicules. When it returns, the contracting ends and the series repreats itself, thus creating an "On-Off-On-Off" series on radars (which is nearly impossible to track, let alone lock onto for engagement) and an "Off-Off-On-Off-On" series for lidar, which is enough to make the sensor belive it is twice as small while having a signature on both ranges of detection smaller than a Canadian Goose.
Cerium is Not Alone
Ontop of Cerium and Ironshard Radar-Avoidance Material (Commonly called RAM) covering the body, there are the properties of Gallium, which i pure form reflects all forms of light. It is a coating for the paint, which depending on heat of the paint, changes color. If hot, the color is bleach white, and if cool, the color is tar black. In day-time operations, white is harder to see than black, and vise versa for night time. Day is hotter than night, and thus, visual cloaking was possible.
Also ontop of this property of color change is the ability to confuse radar by having a "43-45 Degree Inclosure" in the front. When the aircraft is approaching within 12 degrees of the forward array of the radar sensor, it will show the aircraft much much closer, and thus, make a temporary false alarm. Up to 56 nautical miles could be the difference, which is massive in a battle field.
The troops and systems shall be alerted and attempt to track, if the aircraft can be picked up at all by radar and lidar, if anything. They will see no aircraft, and say it is something else, like a goose (which most radars will delete anyways, but we are assuming it sees everything). They just allow it to go over them, strike them, and leave before they know what hit them (because by the time it actually is above them, it appears to be past them).
Can't See, Can't Hear, Can't Act
Also onboard every Merlin Hawk is the Phoenix-Merlin Jamming System, internally stored, and has the ability to destroy entire frequencies from communication. It sends out a massive array of high-pitched and low-pitched sounds on all frequencies except for the "immunes," which are friendly frequencies. If in an instance the "immunes" is thought to be hacked, all aircraft can be changed via central control and the jamming system be modified with the change. All this changing can happen in less than thirty seconds, depending on how far away the aircraft are from a friendly base.
This allows, per aircraft, a 450 nautical mile protection radius of all radar frequencies, and can also jam most satellite signals also. When a human hears this, all they will hear is a moderate-pitched sound, simular to static but more steady. However, they will not be able to communicate with their allies in the sky because the jammer also blocks radios that are not set to the "immune" frequencies within the effective range.
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Varients with Brief Information on Each
JF-55A Merlin Hawk - Air Superiority Variant. Shown in this Infosheet. Simular to F-22 or F-15E
JF-55B Merlin Hawk - Tatical and Strategic Attack, F-117 and B-1B Role.
JF-55C Merlin Hawk - Close Air Support to Ground, Has More Cannons in Place of Beta Bays
JF-55D Merlin Hawk - Naval Superiority Variant, Simular to F-14D and F-18E
JF-55R Merlin Hawk - Recon Variant, Additive Stealth Features and Lack of Ordanance with Additive Sensors
JF-55V Merlin Hawk - Ligered Variant. Following Symbol Represents Mission (-VA, -VB, -VC, etcetera)
Deminsions
Statistics
Fuselage Length: 64ft 3in
Wingspan (Unswept): 64ft 2in
Wingspan (Swept): 39ft 7in
Height: 14ft 8in
Engine
Convetional Rating: 25,000lb (Each)
Afterburnner Rating: 27,680lb (Each)
Pulse Cannon (Maximum) Rating: 40,500lb (Each)
Supercruise: mach 1.434
Weights
Empty: 43,560lb
Normal take-off: 65,780lb
Maximum take-off: 76,390lb
Tranversal
Maximum level speed, conventional: mach 1.434 (Supercruise)
Maximum level speed, afterburnner: mach 1.78
Maximum level speed, Pulse Cannon full: mach 2.35
Cruising speed: 462 knots
Service ceiling: <54,560 feet
Take-off run: 1,980 feet
Landing run: 1,830 feet
Maximum range (Internal Fuel only): 1,450 nautical miles
Maximum range (Internal and External Fuel): 1,900 nautical miles
Other
Internal Fuel: 17,800lb
External Fuel: Up to two 3,400lb drop tanks
Production cost: $103,450,000 USD
Export cost: $108,000,000 USD
Mass Produce cost: $99,950,000 USD
Mass Export cost: $104,980,000 USD
Currently no Merlin Hawks are for sale unless under tight and detailed contract
OOC: Note that I try to stay realilistic, I doubt there will be strong-heavy metals before 2008 which will allow M5 speeds and what not, expecially for the role this baby is playing. I also do not belive in full-Ligering so I will oftenly RP difficulties on the battlefield, and I ask others to do the same if you just so happen to get a hold of one of these.
Any comments, critics, or suggestions? I have used this in the past many times but just got around to making a detailed write up (but not as detailed as I would like it to be).
"Raist the skies, a power from the past comes to rule the future. The skies shall be ours. We may not have the edge no more, but we have the soul and skill. With Mustangs we can destroy Raptors, and with Stukas we can destroy a nuclear missile en route."
Those were the words Former Presidente and Capiton (Now Chancellor) Fonzi Jewitt said when the news of the government's funding into the "Last Generation Multiple Mission Superiority Aircraft" had been entirely cut. Little did he know, what he laid out as a plan for the true "Last Generation" aircraft of atmospheric missions was put into action by a band of researchers and designers from the leading aircraft company Truitt and Hughes Corporation.
A Merlin Hawk, as the Former Presidente described, was a Phoenix that could not be killed, could not die, nor could be hurt. It could only be touched if it wished to, and were always superior to its surroundings. It could singly rule the world, but chose not to.
He said that is how Merlin got his name; that he befriended the only Merlin Hawk to be on the Earth, and somehow, the Merlin Hawk wished for him to end its life. Thus, Merlin was granted his name in remembrance of the omniscient creator.
The Merlin Hawk returns from the past, doing its same mission of superiority. The JF-55 Merlin Hawk, Last Generation Multiple Mission Superiority Aircraft.
Cockpit - Systems and Controls
The cockpit of the Merlin Hawk is possibly the most up-to-date and vital part of any centerpiece. It includes the Xerocraft, Internal Weaponry, and even a ditch emergency system.
Computer
The computer of the Merlin Hawk is new Pethium-Jones Compressor GHF-567-3 S.E.R.I.E.S. which has a classified amount of power. The computer itself takes the actions of the pilot and adds it to its memory and all other computers in the thousands more of Merlin Hawks. With this data, the Ditch Emergency System can operate and even avoid being shot down, along with the droned Merlin Hawk having to operate with less dependence of the operator.
It also views the vital signs of the pilot, and also displays any maneuvers that is hazardous to the pilot's health. It will also have the option for the on-board computer to correct the problem. This also includes, but is not limited to, maneuvers, armament malfunction, engine flame-out, over-ride, and structural damage.
Sensors throughout the entire aircraft monitor certain connections, of which are the mostly likely to be damaged or even scaled to strain. These include the gears at which the Arkwings retract, the Arkwings themselves, the empinage, and the landing gears. This information is displayed in the cockpit.
Along with the computer is the ability to be programmed to any mission, be it anti-missile, infantry support, air superiority, or naval assault, or anything else, it can be programmed. Also allowed, is the ability for the programming to be changed in the air by either the pilot or a systems manager at an airbase.
"Due points" programming is also possible, which has not been applied to military aircraft in this time and age, and "Due points" are important for long-range missions and flights.
Screens and Dials
Current air superiority aircraft's' cockpit view have simply put conventional (dial) or digital (screen) systems, or a hybrid of the two. A strict-conventional layout promises performance, even during EMP or power failure, put lacks detailed and sure-thing figures. All-digitals have given more space for other systems and less irritation for the pilot, but in case of EMP or power failure, the entire system shuts down. Hybrids were enacted to have the best of both worlds, having dials and screens.
However, hybrids usually take up more space than any of the two alone, and thus, more crowding, more maintenance, and more strain on the pilot. A solution? Put a line of dials in a parallel pattern that show altitude, speed, cabin pressure, pitot pressure, wing leveling, horizon, and etcetera, and have two digital screens showing this and much more, mostly arms and navigation information.
This is like any old hybrid, right? Wrong. The helmet holds a translucent black screen (to act also as a sun glass when flying towards the Sun) over the face which has become common in movies such as "Top Gun" and "Stealth." The entire screen shows information which in itself is translucent. At first, they will be "fuzzy," for lack of a better word, when concentrating on out-side items.
As time goes on, the pilot's eye will adjust to switch focuses very quickly, and in the Aouren 45 Day Wonder Flyer's Programme, pilots learn this skill in an average of 15 days. Although they are trained before hand, a "ground to pit jumper" could easily learn this skill in less than a month.
This helmet also holds a very important key feature. If someone has played air combat games, they will notice gun information, altitude, missile targeting, and where the cannons are facing and where their bullets will be once fired. This helmet was based after the same one for Ace Combat Five, The Unsung War, which has prove great and all the information needed in a top-end dogfight.
Motor skills - "Talon"
The "joy-stick" and "thrust gauge" is very different in the Merlin Hawk, as it allows for care-free action while allowing for total control and information without "finding that sweet-spot" or "notching too much."
The Joy-Stick is nicknamed the Talon, as it is shaped like one up-side-down. It has a selector knob, which can move between the labeled joints that are labeled S-GUN or MISSILE-#, of which the S- designation means either F- (Front) or R- (Rear). The -# designation stands for which pylon to be used (If the pylon is loaded, when selected, it will show the missile/bomb and its information). To prevent over-crowding, each internal bay has a separate selector system at the base of the Talon. The ever-popular "trigger" is what activates the selected option.
Also included is a voice recognition, which is designed to be used to change the screens, alter certain views and information being displayed, and etcetera to allow for hands-free changing of information with ease.
For things that cannot be targeted (IE. firring an AAM into a ground target) a swivel was placed at the joint-piece, above where the internal bay selectors are, which the pinkie finger can be trained to use this flawlessly. Battles have shown that when AGMs run out, the only option is no longer the guns, but also the other missiles.
Motor-skills - "Paradise City Stick"
The Thrust Gauge in modern and possibly in future designs has been, and will always, be a stick coming forth from the dashboard and to be pulled out (light thrust) or pushed in (heavy thrust). Depending on how far in/out it is, it depended on the airspeed. This is troublesome in the middle of dogfights and in top-notch situations when speed is needed perfectly in a short period of time. Thus, a new design.
The Paradise City Stick (PCS) as it has been called (and without an official name, it may stay as that) is a flawless way to adjust to a certain airspeed quickly. The PCS is a bar with two strips of metal connecting it into the lower dash of the left-hand side of the cockpit, at elbow length. The bar itself is where the left hand will always be unless the screens or dials must be adjusted (Because most basic adjustments can easily be made via the Talon or voice recognition).
Next to the bar is a flat panel. This lights up an LCD stretch-screen which will fill in dem yellow bars for as far the PCS is up on its mount (as it is adjustable). As the bar moves forward, the dem yellow appears to fill in the side. If the bar moves backwards from its "Idle" position, a dem orange bar will be filled in in its direction.
At the far end near the dashboard, easily seen at mostly any angle the pilot may be looking, is a small bit of information. In large numbers is a orange negative number or a positive yellow number. This shows the amount of the engine's capability is being used. Below it is the airspeed it brings (the computer rules out wind speed, maneuvers, turns, etcetera) and will constantly update. Two speed numbers are used, knots and mach, at all times. Knots on top, of course, as it is the most used.
Most Extreme Selections:
120 (Yellow) - Full Throttle
121 (Yellow) - Afterburner
45 (Orange) - 7,800lb Reverse Thrust
40 (Orange) - 2,340lb Reverse Thrust
Pulse Cannon Thrust Modification System
The PCS however is not only a thrust gauge, but also an acceleration tool. The Pulse Cannon has been a popular engine modification into thrust modification systems, at which, the PCS's bar can be swiveled by pushing the wrist forward or backward. By a certain push forward and then pressing the gray button next to the thumb, the Pulse Cannon can be activated with that desired thrust increase. As long as the button is held, the Pulse Cannon will continue to operate.
The Engine and Body Stability selection will appear automatically on the top screen showing most information that is displayed in the helmet. For the abilities of the pilots are strong, so is the engine and body, and thus, it can withstand up to 12-14 seconds of this without critical damage. Most pilots will only use it as temporary (about 4-6 seconds) boost to confuse incoming missiles while in a turn.
Pulse Cannon Extremes:
12 - 12,340lb of additive thrust on current output (Highest selectable above Mach speeds)
15 - 18,280l of additive thrust on current output (Unselectable above Mach speeds)
20 (Maximum) - 25,000lb additive thrust on current output (Unselectable above Mach speeds)
The Air Brake operates by pulling the Pulse Cannon backwards (pushing the wrist downwards) at any dimension or angle and pressing the button. The standard deceleration is 82 kts/s as standardized, but could be effected in certain conditions or any damage to systems.
Xerocraft
The Xerocraft is an ejection system which allows the entire cockpit to eject. It keeps on vital computers and some sensors, which are expensive. It has a one-way 12,300lb gel-based rocket engine that can go up to 120 knots and can fully maneuver in combat operations. It has a range of 185 nautical miles.
On-board is a small 12mm Vurlex Gun with a 1,450rpm. Although not as effective as many guns, it can still reek havoc. It also has the ability to hold two TALM-1A Solarflare AAMs (Smallest AAM to date), which most will not have these on-board as they bring back the performance of the Xerocraft and add about 200lb additive eight to the Merlin Hawk.
The Xerocraft, like the Merlin Hawk herself, has a floatation device on-board which can be deployed for either hard landings (where cushion is needed extremely) or for water landings.
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Canards and Frontal Armament
Canards
The canards are designed as the first which souly act with the ailerons, instead of act independently. Why? The only difference is additive wiring and more money towards this change, but what could it do? When in a high-end turn, the canards usually push the nose beyond the body's limits of turning, and thus, could damage the gearing systems in the wings which allow it to alternate positions.
As if that was not it, they can also allow a "nickel-point turn" which pushes the nose on an axis once the Pulse Cannon is activated and turns within 15ft of its desired position within 1.239 seconds. This allows for close-encounter maneuverability away from missiles and will confuse most non-satellite guided missiles.
Guns
Besides the canards being themselves (and angled for stealth purposes) two more cannons were loaded, 32mm, located right above the cockpit, over the usual side-pit mount most fighters take. It allows (the mounting base) a dis-figuration in the radar signature, and naturally to the lidar signature (instead of on-on-off-on, like most lidar avoidance angles, it allows on-off-on-off, ultimate stealth against it), allowing for a secret flight.
The tactical portion of these two guns are limited, as besides the disruption, it does nothing more but make it look more armed to the naked eye. However, unknowingly the public had said it was similar to most Fulcan (Front-Mount Cannon) Guns in service and the barrels can adjust to the pilot's wishing. What they did not know was they just gave the secret of the new helmet's targeting system.
The two barrels will look forward, as usual, inside its stealthy and stylish enclosure. When the time comes (when GUNS is selected on the Talon) the barrels will show from the frontal portions of the enclosure retracting almost instantly. As if it was not already overkill to have two 32mms, a small targeting arch appears on the pilot's helmet. Where ever that arch is, the barrels will shoot.
Example:
The pilot looks just in front of his shoulder to a fighter aircraft that is targeting his wing-mate. He is far too close for missile engagements, and cannot line up a shot right in front of him in time. What should he do? Look in the direction so the arch is covering the aircraft (or a certain portion if it is close enough) and fire. The two cannons fire, and thus, the aircraft is shot and probably beyond repair and will crash (as such a deadly shot is bound to be successful).
There are problems, and that is in such a scenario the right cannon cannot move all the way without breaking. So the left cannon is the only one which can do it. Vise versa if the direction was to the right. Why, then, have two cannons when you could easily do it with a swiveled single gun as past Truitti fighters have had?
One swiveled gun could of course target the wide variety of horizontal and vertical targets, as with these guns, and yes, were not limited. But the guns are much larger (apposed to 28mm standardized ones of the past) and pack a longer range (some 560 yards longer than the Vulcan on board the F-14D Advanced Tomcat) and punch (Some 45bir, which the Vulcan on board the F-14D Advanced Tomcat only has 28.5bir). Also, it allows for equal distortion of munition weight over the cockpit.
A total of 300 rounds is held for each gun, which is fed from a sectional drum located just above the frontal gears.
The "Arkwing"
The Arkwing has been the nickname of the system because it allows the wings to move independently and acts like an Archangel (A spelling mistake by the designers had the name Archwing changed to Arkwing) in the battlefield. When a wing is hit, it needs a different setting to act in the same manor as the untouched one, and thus, the independent adjustable (automatically done by computer) has a purpose which is the first ever to happen, and allows for perfect performance even when you have a smoke trail.
The wing itself also, unlike the previous aircraft, does not have internally stored missiles. It as made souly for caragability and stress-taking. Thus, allowing for more stresses and the ability to hold heavier munitions.
It is also front-controlled, and not rear-control. Why, as so many aircraft are having both? Front-controls are less-prone to break. If a rear-front combination existed, than if one broke, both would be "laggy," and thus performance would be taken away. Front-based controls are less likely to be damaged if hit and also are enclosed and have a "head-on approach" to the airstream, allowing for more reaction with less change in the flaps or other controls.
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The Engines
Merlin's Staff
The power-plants of the Merlin Hawk is a new change to the old-fashioned "One Engine, One Source, One Problem" philosophy to engines that the Truitti air forces have oftenly had. The Merlin Hawk has two Emeraldia JF-45-677G "Merlin's Staff" turbofans with afterburner, super-cruise and Pulse Cannon capabilities.
The power-plant has its internal parts made of a cesium-lithium metalliod nicknamed "Cesthium," which has an extremely high heat capacity and has one of the lowest melting points known to man. It is as light as titanium (give or take a few moles per molecule depending on what type of cesthium combination is seen) but is as durable as tungsten. It is also double-spooled and had a flame-out precaution system which is the first and only of its kind.
Each engine is capable of 25,000 pounds of thrust, maximizing to 49,870 pounds of thrust after initial placement figuration's. With after-burning each engine is capable of 27,680 pounds of thrust, and with Pulse Cannon activated to 20 (Maximum Capable Output) it can reach up to 40,500 pounds of thrust each. This, however, is not suggested unless needed (As said before, the common setting is around 9-12).
The initial range of each engine is 3,450nm, or with each other, 2,500nm. However, with the weight and armament put into coordination, it should be able to max out 1,340nm range without external fuel tanks.
Flame On
With engine fires, flame outs, and over spins becoming a popular turbofan epidemic, a series of precautions was made to prevent every one of them.
Engine fires can't be stopped from happening, but an air pollution solution was put into effect. The F-14C Super Tomcat had an engine which had one installed, and acted greatly. If an engine fire occurs, a infiltration system is implaced along the intakes' edges. It pollutes the incoming air with nitrogen-based particles series-ed in columns that smothers the fire with lack of oxygen. However, this is not in itself effective enough for a large fire (which could erupt from repetitive Pulse Cannon use) and thus a geurvant-based fire smothering foam was placed on-top of the engine in shafts and can be deployed over the engine. Since it is Eco-friendly it does not pollute the air, unlike the nitrogen-based particles that escape and are not demoliculize.
Flame outs occur all too after, and usually happen in maneuvers which air flow into the engines is lost. That is the reason the engines are placed on top of the fuselage, instead of below it, where in maneuvers air flow is directed to the fuselage's up-rift current (top portion, where air flow is oftenly accelerated due to air displacement). Next to this is a rivet-spinner system implaced on the rear spool which can activate the constant spinning by using gained electrical energy. This reenacts air suction and activates the frontal spool and makes the engine effective again.
Over-spins. Not common, but can happen. It is when the spinning is so violent it literally makes a fire around the engine, but not inside, just from friction and kinetic-forced radiational energy. It is more common in Scram jets and Air-spikes, but has happened in turbofans more times than needed. Because it oftenly will target the fuel tanks (near the engine) the entire aircraft would usually explode, and thus, no chance of saving or countering the problem. How to prevent this? Each engine is on a tooled mount which moves with the engine's own pattern of vibration, causing any kinetic-forced radiation outside of the aircraft's air flow area, and out of its way.
Engines Can Be Bombs, Too
With the tooled mounted system also installed, an engine with a fire or flame out that cannot be solved can be dropped, and even used as an impact bomb if positioned correctly. Because these engines add extra weight, they would slow the aircraft. Thus, dropping is the only option. Fuel can be redirected by the computer to the other operating engine once the other has been dropped.
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Exhaust and Control
Epinage - Horizontal and Vertical Stablizers
The Horizontal Stablizer is the wing in the rear of an aircraft going across, along the wings. The Merlin Hawk does not have these, as the exhusts can be used for this mission. he Vertical Stablizer is the vertical (or even diagnol) wings in the rear. The Merlin Hawk, although through massive stealth debate, has these. The two diagnol stablizers can control the yaw of the aircraft, and the yaw only. Because they are angled, it adds to the stealthy characteristics.
Exhust Pipes
The TyH-99 Cardinal tried a four-exhust approach with no alierons or other controls. It ultimately failed in the long run, and the designers knew this in the Merlin Hawk's development.
The two exhust pipes are ACTIVE, and allow for pitch and slight bank changes. Thier fast reaction and cordination with the alierons allow for less strain on both and better activity and reaction time. They are slitted radically and are wide but thin. They allow for good reaction time, but an other skill that is needed, and that is stealth against IR (Infrared) guided missiles.
The exiting hot air usually comes out in a circular shape, and takes longer to mix with the cooler outside air. When slitted, the hot air mixes much faster. An F-22's heat trail is about 12 feet long. A JF-55's heat trail is reportedly less than 9 feet long. It takes most IR-guided missiles at least a 11-foot long to even aquire a target, let alone lock on and engage.
Landing
Also added was a different landing gear system. Each fuselage (base) wheel has two wheels instead of the regular one. Adding up to four wheels in the middle.The frontal gear also has two wheels on the single axel. The reason? It adds more absorbancy from shock, more control on the ground, and distrubites weight much mroe without angling the gears which can add more strain to the shock resistance systems.
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Ordanance
The ordanance of the Merlin Hawk is sweet and simple, but slightly modified for various tatical reasons.
Internal Bays - Alpha
There are two internal bay systems. One is nicknamed "Alpha," which is a single-reel loading system simular to that of the B-2's. It is located mid-fuselage and is right inbetween the two internal fuel tanks.
It has the ability to hold eight loading systems, bombs or otherwise loaded. It has a long-rod missioned locking and loading system which can allow for various arms to be loaded on each one. Up to four 120lb conventional bombs can fit on just one loading system, and two AIM-7Cs can be loaded each. Miniture nuclear missiles can also be loaded, along with Daisy Clutters and other various multiple-type missiles and munitions.
Some common munitions to be loaded could be sonar bouys, anti-shippery missile, TALM-50C Vallassaa (Multiple Targetting Missile), conventional bombs, air-launched torpedoes, and sub-muniton dispencer bombs.
The reel is loaded before flight and has no additive feed to re-load it. Mostly for tatical aspects.
For air-to-air roles, up to six TALM-50C Vallassaas can be loaded on this reel.
Internal Bays - Beta
The most used internal bay will be the "Beta" system. It is simular to the Raptor's own launch system, and will be launched from the sides of the fuselage's frontal portion, right behind the cockpit. It has a feeding system which it can deploy up to two missiles each (for each side).
With the feeding system, up to six missiles can be stored (independantly) including the front two ready to launch. After one is firred, the clip is rotated and moves an other in place. Mostly AGMs and AAMs will be using these bays, as they are high-performance and act quite quickly, apposed to the reel "Alpha" which takes a while to turn to its select weapon (which can take up to eight seconds).
External Roles
The body was designed to have four external hardpoints. They are already on the aircraft, but look simular to long pimples with caps on them. The caps retract (by a spring-action mechanism) for missile loading and once firred, the string replaces the cap which adds back to the stealth abilities.
The total weight of each hardpoint is 12,300lb, designned mostly to hold heavier missiles such as minture air-launched ballistic missiles. It can however be used unstealthingly to have additional air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles. Or even bombs, as four 200lb conventional bombs can be placed on each one.
They are in the same alignement as the F-14A's external hardpoints.
Rear Armament
The rear armament has a single Rulcan 18mm cannon capable of 2,340rpm with a drum feed of 230 rounds. Its range is equal to the Super Hornet's forward gun, and is swiveled to automatically lock onto hostile targets or sources of radar tracking.
Stealth Characteristics - Armor and Avoidance
There is a lot of new revolutionary characteristics that the Merlin Hawk presents, and as time goes on, these will show as top-of-the-line and very strategic, giving the skies back to the Truittis again.
The Armor
The armor of the aircraft is made up of a still experimental carbon-carbon based titanium combonation which is capable of preventing most breaches from shells of 21mm or lower from "critical range." It also has, in the wings, a supportment Vandium rod to prevent failure in missile impacts.
The thickness is unknown, and still classified, but something did leak through from a conspiracy web site that shows it uses a Cerium-based coating which is extremely thin, but strong and holds a tight ionized bond together. It is developed to avoid radar and lidar detection. How?
Cerium itself, without the additive materials, is very moldable, like clay. The additive materials just metallisizes itself further. As it travels through the air, it creates a disturbance at a very fast rate. It looks simular to ripples in a pond. As the air flow hits it, it bends backwards as a ripple but then from its own ionic properties retracts, like an implodeing of molicules. When it returns, the contracting ends and the series repreats itself, thus creating an "On-Off-On-Off" series on radars (which is nearly impossible to track, let alone lock onto for engagement) and an "Off-Off-On-Off-On" series for lidar, which is enough to make the sensor belive it is twice as small while having a signature on both ranges of detection smaller than a Canadian Goose.
Cerium is Not Alone
Ontop of Cerium and Ironshard Radar-Avoidance Material (Commonly called RAM) covering the body, there are the properties of Gallium, which i pure form reflects all forms of light. It is a coating for the paint, which depending on heat of the paint, changes color. If hot, the color is bleach white, and if cool, the color is tar black. In day-time operations, white is harder to see than black, and vise versa for night time. Day is hotter than night, and thus, visual cloaking was possible.
Also ontop of this property of color change is the ability to confuse radar by having a "43-45 Degree Inclosure" in the front. When the aircraft is approaching within 12 degrees of the forward array of the radar sensor, it will show the aircraft much much closer, and thus, make a temporary false alarm. Up to 56 nautical miles could be the difference, which is massive in a battle field.
The troops and systems shall be alerted and attempt to track, if the aircraft can be picked up at all by radar and lidar, if anything. They will see no aircraft, and say it is something else, like a goose (which most radars will delete anyways, but we are assuming it sees everything). They just allow it to go over them, strike them, and leave before they know what hit them (because by the time it actually is above them, it appears to be past them).
Can't See, Can't Hear, Can't Act
Also onboard every Merlin Hawk is the Phoenix-Merlin Jamming System, internally stored, and has the ability to destroy entire frequencies from communication. It sends out a massive array of high-pitched and low-pitched sounds on all frequencies except for the "immunes," which are friendly frequencies. If in an instance the "immunes" is thought to be hacked, all aircraft can be changed via central control and the jamming system be modified with the change. All this changing can happen in less than thirty seconds, depending on how far away the aircraft are from a friendly base.
This allows, per aircraft, a 450 nautical mile protection radius of all radar frequencies, and can also jam most satellite signals also. When a human hears this, all they will hear is a moderate-pitched sound, simular to static but more steady. However, they will not be able to communicate with their allies in the sky because the jammer also blocks radios that are not set to the "immune" frequencies within the effective range.
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Varients with Brief Information on Each
JF-55A Merlin Hawk - Air Superiority Variant. Shown in this Infosheet. Simular to F-22 or F-15E
JF-55B Merlin Hawk - Tatical and Strategic Attack, F-117 and B-1B Role.
JF-55C Merlin Hawk - Close Air Support to Ground, Has More Cannons in Place of Beta Bays
JF-55D Merlin Hawk - Naval Superiority Variant, Simular to F-14D and F-18E
JF-55R Merlin Hawk - Recon Variant, Additive Stealth Features and Lack of Ordanance with Additive Sensors
JF-55V Merlin Hawk - Ligered Variant. Following Symbol Represents Mission (-VA, -VB, -VC, etcetera)
Deminsions
Statistics
Fuselage Length: 64ft 3in
Wingspan (Unswept): 64ft 2in
Wingspan (Swept): 39ft 7in
Height: 14ft 8in
Engine
Convetional Rating: 25,000lb (Each)
Afterburnner Rating: 27,680lb (Each)
Pulse Cannon (Maximum) Rating: 40,500lb (Each)
Supercruise: mach 1.434
Weights
Empty: 43,560lb
Normal take-off: 65,780lb
Maximum take-off: 76,390lb
Tranversal
Maximum level speed, conventional: mach 1.434 (Supercruise)
Maximum level speed, afterburnner: mach 1.78
Maximum level speed, Pulse Cannon full: mach 2.35
Cruising speed: 462 knots
Service ceiling: <54,560 feet
Take-off run: 1,980 feet
Landing run: 1,830 feet
Maximum range (Internal Fuel only): 1,450 nautical miles
Maximum range (Internal and External Fuel): 1,900 nautical miles
Other
Internal Fuel: 17,800lb
External Fuel: Up to two 3,400lb drop tanks
Production cost: $103,450,000 USD
Export cost: $108,000,000 USD
Mass Produce cost: $99,950,000 USD
Mass Export cost: $104,980,000 USD
Currently no Merlin Hawks are for sale unless under tight and detailed contract
OOC: Note that I try to stay realilistic, I doubt there will be strong-heavy metals before 2008 which will allow M5 speeds and what not, expecially for the role this baby is playing. I also do not belive in full-Ligering so I will oftenly RP difficulties on the battlefield, and I ask others to do the same if you just so happen to get a hold of one of these.
Any comments, critics, or suggestions? I have used this in the past many times but just got around to making a detailed write up (but not as detailed as I would like it to be).