Praetonia
11-09-2005, 20:32
L-82 Hussar Advanced Strike Fighter
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v387/Praetonia/HussarSF2.png
History
Until now, Praetonia has not had any ambition to design an indigenous Strike Fighter with which to equip her armed forces, instead purchasing foreign designs, notably those of Sarzonia and produced by the Avalon Aerospace Corporation. Concern had been growing, however, as to the suitability of these aircraft should they be forced to come up against next generation air superiority fighters of potential rivals. These concerns were brought to a head when squadrons of Sarzonian fighters were wiped out wholesale to no lose by Doomingslandi fighters in the Inkanan Civil War. Although other factors were most likely at work, the aircraft must have been a factor and so a Parliamentary Commission was set up to decide upon the future of the Imperial Flying Corps's aircraft. Several options were considered, including choosing a new foreign aircraft (possibly a new Sarzonian model). In the end, however, it was decided to commission the construction of a Praetonian fighter and the Hussar was born.
Design Characteristics and Manoeuvrability
In keeping with the need to provide a highly advanced and versatile craft, the Hussar is a switchblade aircraft. This allows the aircraft to sweep its wings back, keeping them extended outwards increasing the leading edge and therefore drag, slowing down the aircraft for precision bombing and low-flying.
If it becomes necessary for the pilot to engage with enemy fighters, he need only switch the wings to a forward-swept position and the aircraft will become highly manoeuvrable. With wings forward-swept an aircraft enters a highly unstable state which is perfect for fast and complex manoeuvres. The aircraft itself is kept stable by complex computer adjustments to the canards and other control surfaces - a feat which is not possible with a human pilot assuming total control.
Should it then become necessary for the aircraft to vacate the area at high speed, then the pilot will bring the wings into a fully forward swept position. The wings will then have formed a perfect Delta configuration, enabling the aircraft to travel at extremely high speeds with none of the instability of the forward-swept position.
The actual implementation of this is, however, somewhat different. Instead of three absolute positions, the aircraft's computer is constantly adjusting the state of the wings to assume the optimum position for the plane's mode of flight at any particular time. When flying in formation, Hussars equipped with HCI (Hussar Computer Integration) will attempt to assume similar wing positions. The Hussar, due to its wing form, can achieve a very low minimum speed, a very high maximum speed and very high levels of manoeuvrability depending on the tactical need.
Propulsion
A major factor in the design of the Hussar was that of making the craft fast enough and manoeuvrable enough to compete with foreign aircraft. The decision was made not to install expensive and inefficient pulse detonation engines, going instead with two Ultra Heavy Duty Turbofans with afterburners, each developing 45,000lbs of thrust for a total of 90,000lbs. Both engines have full 3D thrust vectoring capability allowing all variants of the craft to perform both complex aerobatic manoeuvres and to operate as VTOL craft where absolutely necessary. It should be noted, however, that this is somewhat inefficient.
The engines can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 3.0 at altitude when deployed into a delta wing pattern and a minimum speed of 120mph when the wings are swept fully back so that they are perpendicular to the fuselage. The aeroplane can attain a supercruise of Mach 2.3 when deployed into a delta, although the general cruise speed is usually kept down to 1.7 for the sake of fuel efficiency. Both engines are equipped with integrated automatic fire suppression equipment, and the aircraft is able to remain in the air with only one functional engine.
Armament
The Hussar is equipped with a variety of gun and missile armaments, and is also capable of carrying anti-ship missiles, bombs, cluster munitions, chemical and biological weapons’ dispersal equipment, nuclear weapons, anti-radiation missiles and stand-off anti tank weapons. The aircraft is designed to be able to be equipped to take on almost any foe in the air or on the ground.
35mm ETC Chaincannon
The gun armament of the Hussar consists of a single 35mm ETC Chaincannon. The weapon can fire HE or APFSDS rounds at a rate of 1,800rpm at velocities and accuracy far in excess of that of conventional weapons of a similar type. The weapon is linked to the plane’s main computer, allowing the computer to make small adjustments to the plane’s speed and position in order to get a better aim on a pilot-specified target.
The cannon is designed primarily for use in aerial dog-fighting, but it can also be used in strafing attacks against enemy infantry, buildings, artillery and armoured vehicles. The plane carries a total of 800 rounds which reach the gun by means of a duel feed system. This allows the plane to carry and quickly switch between two different types of ammunition, and allows the gun to continue firing despite jams in some parts of the gun.
Asteroid Extra Long Range Air-to-Air Missile
4 dedicated internal bay slots
The Asteroid ELRAAM missile was designed specifically for use with the Hussar, replacing ageing Praetonian missiles. The weapon is equipped with a RAMjet, enabling it to reach mach 6 at standard aerial combat altitudes. The weapon is primarily guided by a radar feed from the firing plane, but terminal guidance is provided by an high-resolution IR imager. The missile is, therefore, impossible to detect at any considerable range, and is extremely hard to spoof.
As a Long Range Air-to-Air Missile, the weapon has an approximate range of 105 nautical miles at standard aerial combat altitudes. The Hussar can carry 4 such missiles in its internal bays alongside other weapons, a further four in the place of the 8 Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles and a further 2 in place of ordnance on the two wing light strike pylons. Each missile costs $650,000.
Comet Short Range Air-to-Air Missile
8 dedicated internal bay slots
The Comet SRAAM missile was specifically designed for use with the Hussar Strike Fighter. Like its sister missile the Asteroid, the SRAAM is also equipped with a RAMjet, although the speed is toned down to a mere mach 4 – still enough to outpace any aircraft at combat altitudes. The missile is guided primarily by the high resolution IR imager, but at longer ranges this is used as terminal guidance and primary guidance is provided by radar feed.
As a short range missile, the weapon has an approximate range of 20 nautical miles at standard aerial combat altitudes. The Hussar can carry 8 such missiles in dedicated bay slots, a further 8 missiles in place of the Asteroid LRAAMs and a further 4 missiles in place of strike ordnance on the wing light strike pylons. Each missile costs $350,000.
Light Strike Ordnance
4 dedicated wing pylons
4 pylons on the planes’ wings are set aside for light strike ordnance. These can carry 250lbs bombs, light AShMs such as the Praetonian Tiger, cluster munitions or stand off ATGMs. These pylons can also be used to carry additional external fuel tanks or can be left unused to improve stealth. These are designed mainly for carrying light ordnance not worth a full strike pylon, but which either cannot or is not carried in the internal bays.
Strike Ordnance
2 dedicated wing pylons
The Hussar is equipped with two external wing pylons design specifically to carry heavy ordnance such as large bombs (1,000 – 2,000lbs), fuel air bombs and anti-ship missiles such as the Praetonian Lance. These provide the primary strike capability of the Hussar. The pylons can be left empty to improve stealth, or can be used to carry numerous anti-air missiles or light strike ordnance.
Defences and Armour
The Hussar’s armour is designed to be lightweight and protect mainly against shell splinters and shrapnel, although some special protection is given to the engine, ordnance bays and pilot. The primary armour is the skin of the aircraft itself. The aircraft is built on a strong honeycombed titanium frame, which is overlaid with a layer of Kevlar to protect against small arms and small splinters.
The cockpit, ordnance bays (including the cannon) and engine are encased in redundant titanium shells, designed to stop any (already slowed and blunted) cannon rounds or splinters which penetrate the outer armour from entering vital areas of the aircraft and damaging vital systems, or killing the pilot.
As well as ‘hard’ defences, the aircraft is also equipped with soft defences. The Comet SRAAM can be used as an anti-missile missile, although this is not terribly efficient and is only used as a last resort. The aircraft is equipped with next generation flares designed to present a very similar IR signature to the aircraft itself, giving the flares a much greater chance of fooling the latest high resolution thermal imagers. The aircraft is also equipped with chaff.
Exhaust from the engine is piped along the inside of the aircraft and expelled at several points around the bodywork, presenting “hot spots” of IR to attempt to confuse a heat seeking missile, or at least to draw it away from the engine resulting in damage that is not as likely to be fatal. Both these openings and the engine itself are equipped with flash suppressors and IR filters to try to reduce the IR signature of the aircraft.
The fuel tanks (external and internal) are self sealing and fuel injection to either engine can be disengaged to attempt to stem the spread of a fire that has broken out. The pilot is equipped with an ejector seat, which will come into effect automatically if the pilot passes out, rendering him a greater chance of survival.
The aircraft’s control surfaces are controlled by fibre optics (‘fly-by-light”) meaning that damage from EMP blasts will have less of an effect, and will not spread between systems so easily. The central computer is shielded to an extent, and is designed to be able to survive EMP provided the aircraft is a reasonable distance from the blast at least enough to return to its airfield / carrier, or to attempt an emergency landing on a grass field or suitably sized roadway.
Electronics and Systems
Active Radar Cancellation Neutralisation Initiative (ARCaNI)
ARCaNI was developed as an answer to aircraft equipped with Active Radar Cancellation. The system works using HCI (Hussar Computer Integration) and links all Hussar radar systems together. The system then instructs all Hussar radars to cycle radar frequency and intensity. Using one radar, a strobe effect will emerge due to the lag between the radar cycle and the ARC equipped plane adapting, but using more than one radar the ARC equipped aircraft will only be able to adapt to one frequency at once, and so when the Hussars share their radar data the enemy will be unable to hide. ARCaNI is highly classified.
Hussar Computer Integration (HCI)
Hussar Computer Integration allows all Hussars within a certain range to share radar, meteorological, navigation and targeting data amongst themselves and provides each plane with different tasks to optimise performance. This means that a reasonably sized group of Hussars can track and target a practically limitless number of enemy aircraft, and even allow planes whose radar or other systems have been disabled to continue to function at 100% effectiveness. HCI also allows the Hussar or Hussars to share data with fleets, ground stations, AWACs planes and early warning helicopters.
Hussar Advanced Radar - Phased (HARP)
Each individual HARP array is capable of tracking 25 targets at any one time, although using HCI this number can be made almost limitless. The system has a maximum range of approximately 375km at altitude in most weather conditions and in all directions. Radar data feeds directly into the aircraft’s weapon systems and HUD, allowing the pilot view the positions, relative velocities and target lock status of targets overlaid upon his visual cockpit view. The radar is capable of identifying targets from a pre-set database at 120km distant. The radar is capable of identifying head on missile threats to allow the computer, at the pilot’s command, to engage with the cannon.
Hussar Advanced Computer (HAC)
Each Hussar receives a mass of data from the pilot and its sensors which must all be processed and a lot of which must be passed on to other Hussars and Praetonian assets. Each Hussar is equipped with a computer capable of operating at 25ghz and supplemented by 5gb of memory. The system is capable of collating and processing all the data required to keep the aircraft in the air and fighting.
General Specifications
Name: L-82 Hussar Advanced Strike Fighter
Manufacturer: Imperial Praetonian Ordnance – Aviation
Maximum Speed: Mach 3.2 at combat altitude
Minimum Speed: 120kph
Armour / Construction: 12mm Kevlar, 10mm titanium honeycomb.
Armament: 1x 35mm nose mounted L35A5 ETC Chaincannon
4 ELRAAM bay slots
8 SRAAM bay slots
Total Bay: 1,750kg
4 Light Strike Pylons
2 Strike Pylons
Total Pylons: 6,000kg
Operational Radius: 1,200km
Loaded Weight: 29,573kg
Build Cost: $122,000,000
Purchase Cost: $150,000,000
Production Rights Cost: $15,000,000,000 + $4,000,000 / plane.
[OOC: Any constructive criticism is very welcome because I’ve never designed a plane before. Some quick notes:
1) Yes, that radar dome thing is just there to look cool.
2) This will only be sold to allies at the prices stated above but you can negotiate this if you really want.]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v387/Praetonia/HussarSF2.png
History
Until now, Praetonia has not had any ambition to design an indigenous Strike Fighter with which to equip her armed forces, instead purchasing foreign designs, notably those of Sarzonia and produced by the Avalon Aerospace Corporation. Concern had been growing, however, as to the suitability of these aircraft should they be forced to come up against next generation air superiority fighters of potential rivals. These concerns were brought to a head when squadrons of Sarzonian fighters were wiped out wholesale to no lose by Doomingslandi fighters in the Inkanan Civil War. Although other factors were most likely at work, the aircraft must have been a factor and so a Parliamentary Commission was set up to decide upon the future of the Imperial Flying Corps's aircraft. Several options were considered, including choosing a new foreign aircraft (possibly a new Sarzonian model). In the end, however, it was decided to commission the construction of a Praetonian fighter and the Hussar was born.
Design Characteristics and Manoeuvrability
In keeping with the need to provide a highly advanced and versatile craft, the Hussar is a switchblade aircraft. This allows the aircraft to sweep its wings back, keeping them extended outwards increasing the leading edge and therefore drag, slowing down the aircraft for precision bombing and low-flying.
If it becomes necessary for the pilot to engage with enemy fighters, he need only switch the wings to a forward-swept position and the aircraft will become highly manoeuvrable. With wings forward-swept an aircraft enters a highly unstable state which is perfect for fast and complex manoeuvres. The aircraft itself is kept stable by complex computer adjustments to the canards and other control surfaces - a feat which is not possible with a human pilot assuming total control.
Should it then become necessary for the aircraft to vacate the area at high speed, then the pilot will bring the wings into a fully forward swept position. The wings will then have formed a perfect Delta configuration, enabling the aircraft to travel at extremely high speeds with none of the instability of the forward-swept position.
The actual implementation of this is, however, somewhat different. Instead of three absolute positions, the aircraft's computer is constantly adjusting the state of the wings to assume the optimum position for the plane's mode of flight at any particular time. When flying in formation, Hussars equipped with HCI (Hussar Computer Integration) will attempt to assume similar wing positions. The Hussar, due to its wing form, can achieve a very low minimum speed, a very high maximum speed and very high levels of manoeuvrability depending on the tactical need.
Propulsion
A major factor in the design of the Hussar was that of making the craft fast enough and manoeuvrable enough to compete with foreign aircraft. The decision was made not to install expensive and inefficient pulse detonation engines, going instead with two Ultra Heavy Duty Turbofans with afterburners, each developing 45,000lbs of thrust for a total of 90,000lbs. Both engines have full 3D thrust vectoring capability allowing all variants of the craft to perform both complex aerobatic manoeuvres and to operate as VTOL craft where absolutely necessary. It should be noted, however, that this is somewhat inefficient.
The engines can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 3.0 at altitude when deployed into a delta wing pattern and a minimum speed of 120mph when the wings are swept fully back so that they are perpendicular to the fuselage. The aeroplane can attain a supercruise of Mach 2.3 when deployed into a delta, although the general cruise speed is usually kept down to 1.7 for the sake of fuel efficiency. Both engines are equipped with integrated automatic fire suppression equipment, and the aircraft is able to remain in the air with only one functional engine.
Armament
The Hussar is equipped with a variety of gun and missile armaments, and is also capable of carrying anti-ship missiles, bombs, cluster munitions, chemical and biological weapons’ dispersal equipment, nuclear weapons, anti-radiation missiles and stand-off anti tank weapons. The aircraft is designed to be able to be equipped to take on almost any foe in the air or on the ground.
35mm ETC Chaincannon
The gun armament of the Hussar consists of a single 35mm ETC Chaincannon. The weapon can fire HE or APFSDS rounds at a rate of 1,800rpm at velocities and accuracy far in excess of that of conventional weapons of a similar type. The weapon is linked to the plane’s main computer, allowing the computer to make small adjustments to the plane’s speed and position in order to get a better aim on a pilot-specified target.
The cannon is designed primarily for use in aerial dog-fighting, but it can also be used in strafing attacks against enemy infantry, buildings, artillery and armoured vehicles. The plane carries a total of 800 rounds which reach the gun by means of a duel feed system. This allows the plane to carry and quickly switch between two different types of ammunition, and allows the gun to continue firing despite jams in some parts of the gun.
Asteroid Extra Long Range Air-to-Air Missile
4 dedicated internal bay slots
The Asteroid ELRAAM missile was designed specifically for use with the Hussar, replacing ageing Praetonian missiles. The weapon is equipped with a RAMjet, enabling it to reach mach 6 at standard aerial combat altitudes. The weapon is primarily guided by a radar feed from the firing plane, but terminal guidance is provided by an high-resolution IR imager. The missile is, therefore, impossible to detect at any considerable range, and is extremely hard to spoof.
As a Long Range Air-to-Air Missile, the weapon has an approximate range of 105 nautical miles at standard aerial combat altitudes. The Hussar can carry 4 such missiles in its internal bays alongside other weapons, a further four in the place of the 8 Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles and a further 2 in place of ordnance on the two wing light strike pylons. Each missile costs $650,000.
Comet Short Range Air-to-Air Missile
8 dedicated internal bay slots
The Comet SRAAM missile was specifically designed for use with the Hussar Strike Fighter. Like its sister missile the Asteroid, the SRAAM is also equipped with a RAMjet, although the speed is toned down to a mere mach 4 – still enough to outpace any aircraft at combat altitudes. The missile is guided primarily by the high resolution IR imager, but at longer ranges this is used as terminal guidance and primary guidance is provided by radar feed.
As a short range missile, the weapon has an approximate range of 20 nautical miles at standard aerial combat altitudes. The Hussar can carry 8 such missiles in dedicated bay slots, a further 8 missiles in place of the Asteroid LRAAMs and a further 4 missiles in place of strike ordnance on the wing light strike pylons. Each missile costs $350,000.
Light Strike Ordnance
4 dedicated wing pylons
4 pylons on the planes’ wings are set aside for light strike ordnance. These can carry 250lbs bombs, light AShMs such as the Praetonian Tiger, cluster munitions or stand off ATGMs. These pylons can also be used to carry additional external fuel tanks or can be left unused to improve stealth. These are designed mainly for carrying light ordnance not worth a full strike pylon, but which either cannot or is not carried in the internal bays.
Strike Ordnance
2 dedicated wing pylons
The Hussar is equipped with two external wing pylons design specifically to carry heavy ordnance such as large bombs (1,000 – 2,000lbs), fuel air bombs and anti-ship missiles such as the Praetonian Lance. These provide the primary strike capability of the Hussar. The pylons can be left empty to improve stealth, or can be used to carry numerous anti-air missiles or light strike ordnance.
Defences and Armour
The Hussar’s armour is designed to be lightweight and protect mainly against shell splinters and shrapnel, although some special protection is given to the engine, ordnance bays and pilot. The primary armour is the skin of the aircraft itself. The aircraft is built on a strong honeycombed titanium frame, which is overlaid with a layer of Kevlar to protect against small arms and small splinters.
The cockpit, ordnance bays (including the cannon) and engine are encased in redundant titanium shells, designed to stop any (already slowed and blunted) cannon rounds or splinters which penetrate the outer armour from entering vital areas of the aircraft and damaging vital systems, or killing the pilot.
As well as ‘hard’ defences, the aircraft is also equipped with soft defences. The Comet SRAAM can be used as an anti-missile missile, although this is not terribly efficient and is only used as a last resort. The aircraft is equipped with next generation flares designed to present a very similar IR signature to the aircraft itself, giving the flares a much greater chance of fooling the latest high resolution thermal imagers. The aircraft is also equipped with chaff.
Exhaust from the engine is piped along the inside of the aircraft and expelled at several points around the bodywork, presenting “hot spots” of IR to attempt to confuse a heat seeking missile, or at least to draw it away from the engine resulting in damage that is not as likely to be fatal. Both these openings and the engine itself are equipped with flash suppressors and IR filters to try to reduce the IR signature of the aircraft.
The fuel tanks (external and internal) are self sealing and fuel injection to either engine can be disengaged to attempt to stem the spread of a fire that has broken out. The pilot is equipped with an ejector seat, which will come into effect automatically if the pilot passes out, rendering him a greater chance of survival.
The aircraft’s control surfaces are controlled by fibre optics (‘fly-by-light”) meaning that damage from EMP blasts will have less of an effect, and will not spread between systems so easily. The central computer is shielded to an extent, and is designed to be able to survive EMP provided the aircraft is a reasonable distance from the blast at least enough to return to its airfield / carrier, or to attempt an emergency landing on a grass field or suitably sized roadway.
Electronics and Systems
Active Radar Cancellation Neutralisation Initiative (ARCaNI)
ARCaNI was developed as an answer to aircraft equipped with Active Radar Cancellation. The system works using HCI (Hussar Computer Integration) and links all Hussar radar systems together. The system then instructs all Hussar radars to cycle radar frequency and intensity. Using one radar, a strobe effect will emerge due to the lag between the radar cycle and the ARC equipped plane adapting, but using more than one radar the ARC equipped aircraft will only be able to adapt to one frequency at once, and so when the Hussars share their radar data the enemy will be unable to hide. ARCaNI is highly classified.
Hussar Computer Integration (HCI)
Hussar Computer Integration allows all Hussars within a certain range to share radar, meteorological, navigation and targeting data amongst themselves and provides each plane with different tasks to optimise performance. This means that a reasonably sized group of Hussars can track and target a practically limitless number of enemy aircraft, and even allow planes whose radar or other systems have been disabled to continue to function at 100% effectiveness. HCI also allows the Hussar or Hussars to share data with fleets, ground stations, AWACs planes and early warning helicopters.
Hussar Advanced Radar - Phased (HARP)
Each individual HARP array is capable of tracking 25 targets at any one time, although using HCI this number can be made almost limitless. The system has a maximum range of approximately 375km at altitude in most weather conditions and in all directions. Radar data feeds directly into the aircraft’s weapon systems and HUD, allowing the pilot view the positions, relative velocities and target lock status of targets overlaid upon his visual cockpit view. The radar is capable of identifying targets from a pre-set database at 120km distant. The radar is capable of identifying head on missile threats to allow the computer, at the pilot’s command, to engage with the cannon.
Hussar Advanced Computer (HAC)
Each Hussar receives a mass of data from the pilot and its sensors which must all be processed and a lot of which must be passed on to other Hussars and Praetonian assets. Each Hussar is equipped with a computer capable of operating at 25ghz and supplemented by 5gb of memory. The system is capable of collating and processing all the data required to keep the aircraft in the air and fighting.
General Specifications
Name: L-82 Hussar Advanced Strike Fighter
Manufacturer: Imperial Praetonian Ordnance – Aviation
Maximum Speed: Mach 3.2 at combat altitude
Minimum Speed: 120kph
Armour / Construction: 12mm Kevlar, 10mm titanium honeycomb.
Armament: 1x 35mm nose mounted L35A5 ETC Chaincannon
4 ELRAAM bay slots
8 SRAAM bay slots
Total Bay: 1,750kg
4 Light Strike Pylons
2 Strike Pylons
Total Pylons: 6,000kg
Operational Radius: 1,200km
Loaded Weight: 29,573kg
Build Cost: $122,000,000
Purchase Cost: $150,000,000
Production Rights Cost: $15,000,000,000 + $4,000,000 / plane.
[OOC: Any constructive criticism is very welcome because I’ve never designed a plane before. Some quick notes:
1) Yes, that radar dome thing is just there to look cool.
2) This will only be sold to allies at the prices stated above but you can negotiate this if you really want.]