NationStates Jolt Archive


Secret IC: Avalon Aerospace developing SZ-21 'Coronet' air superiority fighter

Sarzonia
25-10-2005, 22:59
[OOC: This is an extremely rough draft of a new air superiority fighter based largely on my own Valkyrie strike fighter with an idea of modifying it for use as an air superiority fighter. This is still in development, so any constructive feedback would be welcomed.]

SZ-21 ‘Coronet’ advanced air superiority fighter

Background After the rollout of the successful SZ-20 'Valkyrie' advanced strike fighter (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=443904), the Avalon Aerospace Corporation realised their catalogue was sorely lacking in a fully modern air superiority fighter when considering the technology employed by Doomingsland during the Inkanan Civil War. While the Valkyrie served admirably in field tests with modifications to enhance its dogfighting capability, the problems with using a dedicated strike fighter for air superiority tasks were still evident to Incorporated Air Force command operatives. The result is the new SZ-21 ‘Coronet’ air superiority fighter.

Propulsion Similar to the new SZ-19 ‘Predator’ interceptor, originally built as an answer to the F-78 ‘Sokol,’ Avalon Aerospace Corporation engineers provided the Coronet with two Avalon Aerospace Corporation T-9000 Pulse Detonation/Turbofan hybrid engines providing a thrust of 110,000 pounds. On a relatively light airframe designed largely with stealth in mind, the Valkyrie has been tested at speeds approaching Mach 4.4 with a supercruise capability of Mach 2.75. Instead of kevlar armour protection, critical areas have been given a backing of biosteel to provide additional protection against shrapnel and weapon splinters. Radar absorbent materials have also liberally been applied to further reduce an enemy’s ability to detect the aircraft. Like the ‘Predator,’ the Valkyrie has been painted medium gray to allow it to fool the naked eye. The Valkyrie’s wings have been swept forward to allow for greater stealth and the delta wing configuration of the Predator has been adopted for the Valkryie for similar maneuverability and stealth.

Avionics Avalon Aerospace Corporation took a close look at their design for the Predator and incorporated many of the targeting features that make the aircraft an excellent dogfighter. Namely, features that include an AHDS-1 Helmet Mounted HUD System, which allows for the pilots of the aircraft to simply look at the target to achieve a lock and a SCS-1 Mobile Super Computer System, which gives the aircraft nearly unmatched processing power. Control capabilities of the Valkyrie rival the Predator’s through use of a new FBW-1034A advanced Fly By Light system.

Weapons Designers chose to retain the 32 mm ETC chain gun designed for the Valkyrie with its excellent 1,800 rpm rate of fire. The gun is ideal for dogfights or anti-personnel strafing runs and can be employed against armoured units. Its weapons bay contains room for two 115 kg ‘Robin’ small diametre bombs if needed to serve in a strike capacity, though speed and stealth suffer greatly when employed in that mission profile. The Coronet is armed with eight ‘Warp’ ELAAMs, originally designed for the Valkyrie. The Warp travels at speeds of Mach 5.5 and are guided by a radar feed from the firing plane, the same way the Asteroid ELRAAM the Warp is based upon is. However, the Warp has been modified to include advanced heat-seeking technology and GPS-based target acquisition software to make spoofing more difficult.

The ‘Yellow Jacket’ mini-SAM that has served the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy extraordinarily well has been adapted for use aerially. The resulting missile, the Apollo mini-AAM can serve as a last ditch, extremely short-ranged anti-aircraft or anti-missile missile, though it is largely considered a desperation tactic and is believed to be largely ineffective.

Electronics For the Coronet to compete with some of the world’s elite fighters, the aircraft’s designers realised they needed to have electronics that allow it to keep up with the latest advances in technology. To do that, they have adopted the APG-100 Advanced Long Range Millimetric Wave Radar for air-to-ground detection, an APG-120 Advanced LIDAR/LADAR Receiver, and a IRTS-1 Infrared Scanning System. Such allows the aircraft to target buildings, personnel, and fortified positions from the air. The radar system can be adapted to use the APG-90 Advanced Long Range Millimetric Wave Radar for air-to-air operations.

Specifications
Name: SZ-21 ‘Coronet’ advanced air superiority fighter
Manufacturer: Avalon Aerospace Corporation
Maximum Speed: Mach 4.0 (Mach 2.75 supercruise)
Protection: Limited protection against 12.7 mm rounds.
Armament: 1 x 32 mm ETC chaingun mounted internally in the fuselage.
Eight ELRAAM bay slots
Six SRAAM bay slots
Total bay space: 2,050 kg
Two strike pylons
Total Pylons: 500 kg
Crew: Two
Range: 1,750 km
Empty Weight: 17,570 kg
Loaded Weight: 20,250 kg
Length: 17.2 m
Wingspan: 14.6 m
Operational Ceiling: 24,700 m
Price: $125 million
NOTE: Sale will be subject to extensive background search into the prospective purchasing nation. Production rights will be available only to close allies.
Space Union
26-10-2005, 01:04
I have to say this is a great aircraft. A nice competitor to mine and Pushka's F-79 Archangel. ;)

Here's a couple of comments:

1) Don't expect to go anywhere near Mach 3 if you have swept wings. Also that swept wing part didn't make any sense. I think you might have accidently misplaced the aircraft names in that sentence ;)
2) I would call the Fly-by-Light thing Fly-by-Optics as it is called on NS :)
3) RAM is only going to work up till Mach 2 before burning off permenantly. JFYI.
4) The price should be upped so it costs more than the SZ-20, afterall it is an air superiority fighter.

But nice aircraft overall. Good job :)

EDIT: YEAH! I reached the 2,000 post mark. :p
The Macabees
26-10-2005, 01:13
[OOC:

I have problems with aircraft that claim they can hit a maximum velocity over over Mach 3.7, and more so for those who can claim to exceed Mach 4, because of basic physics. As I've already complained about in Space Union's NS Draftboard thread, with metallic and alloy charactiristics, I don't think you'll find anything that can take the creep, pure heat and friction, with the coming pressures, of going four times the speed of sound within the next fifty years, regardless of the type of wings that you put on it. Indeed, for something to go at that speed, to my understanding [as this is what I'm majoring in, although I won't use that as an excuse to argue since I'm merely starting the major, so I shouldn't be considered a good source] you would have to be at the very least twenty-five thousand meters altitude. The problem further proliferates with the inclusion of the ETC gun, which if portruding from the nose, or wherever it's located, will be torn.

As for stealth, don't expect much of it if you're putting out 110,000 lbs of thrust. The idea that you can keep stealth with that much heat coming from your engines is simply ludicrous, not to mention that this fighter is designed to hit supersonic velocities. As for dogfighting, supersonic velocities aren't very useful, so this aircraft is more of an interceptor than an air superiority fighter.

Just my two cents.]
Axinon
26-10-2005, 03:01
[OOC:

I have problems with aircraft that claim they can hit a maximum velocity over over Mach 3.7, and more so for those who can claim to exceed Mach 4, because of basic physics. As I've already complained about in Space Union's NS Draftboard thread, with metallic and alloy charactiristics, I don't think you'll find anything that can take the creep, pure heat and friction, with the coming pressures, of going four times the speed of sound within the next fifty years, regardless of the type of wings that you put on it. Indeed, for something to go at that speed, to my understanding [as this is what I'm majoring in, although I won't use that as an excuse to argue since I'm merely starting the major, so I shouldn't be considered a good source] you would have to be at the very least twenty-five thousand meters altitude. The problem further proliferates with the inclusion of the ETC gun, which if portruding from the nose, or wherever it's located, will be torn.

As for stealth, don't expect much of it if you're putting out 110,000 lbs of thrust. The idea that you can keep stealth with that much heat coming from your engines is simply ludicrous, not to mention that this fighter is designed to hit supersonic velocities. As for dogfighting, supersonic velocities aren't very useful, so this aircraft is more of an interceptor than an air superiority fighter.

Just my two cents.]

OOC: (Responding to The Macabees) I'm just in high school, so I'm not an expert on the physics or anything, but the SR-71 (which was built in the 60s and 70s I think) was estimated to be able to be able to go over Mach 3.7. Its (never deployed) interceptor versions were slower, but this would be compensated by superior NS metals, construction schemes and engines.

You are absolutely correct about stealth, the SR-71 was one of the LEAST stealthy craft the US ever made, despite stealth emphasis in its design.

And you are ALSO absolutely correct about supersonic speeds in dogfighting, although engines that could produce that kind of thrust would allow rapid climbs/acceleration, which would be a major asset. It also could be valuble for thrust vectoring, but the design does not seem to include that (a major flaw in my opinion, the only one on a otherwise very well designed aircraft).

(To Sarzonia) Good job on another excellent millitary vehicle.
The Macabees
26-10-2005, 03:05
OOC: (Responding to The Macabees) I'm just in high school, so I'm not an expert on the physics or anything, but the SR-71 (which was built in the 60s and 70s I think) was estimated to be able to be able to go over Mach 3.7. Its (never deployed) interceptor versions were slower, but this would be compensated by superior NS metals, construction schemes and engines.


[OOC: But I'm under the impression that the SR-71 got those velocities by flying at close to the outer atmosphere of the Earth. Indeed, it flew at around 110,000 feet I believe. An air superiority fighter fights at around 30,000 feet.]
Axinon
26-10-2005, 03:22
OOC: Good point. Forgot about air density. Anyway, most people on NS won't abandon their Mach-4 fighters over mere physics... so there is your NS MT/early PMT aircraft tech leval.
Sarzonia
26-10-2005, 15:36
bump
Sarzonia
29-10-2005, 04:12
*bump*
Sarzonia
31-10-2005, 15:31
*bump*
Praetonia
01-11-2005, 15:36
This seems like quite a good aircraft, but it looks like this air superiority fighter can carry more ordnance than my strike fighter over a wider radius at a greater speed with an airframe just over half the size, so you might want to take a look at that.
Southeastasia
01-11-2005, 15:43
No offense Prae, while I find your Hussars to be good, at least they don't look like floppy and soft, unlike Sarz's Valkyrie. :p
Praetonia
01-11-2005, 15:52
No offense Prae, while I find your Hussars to be good, at least they don't look like floppy and soft, unlike Sarz's Valkyrie. :p
?
Sarzonia
01-11-2005, 15:53
This seems like quite a good aircraft, but it looks like this air superiority fighter can carry more ordnance than my strike fighter over a wider radius at a greater speed with an airframe just over half the size, so you might want to take a look at that.OOC: I'll probably adjust the ordnanace and other figures down, but the ordnance type is different (ELRAAM missiles for AA roles rather than bombs and/or ASMs for a strike fighter). And the SRAAMs are essentially AAM versions of my Yellow Jacket missiles that are the mini-SAMS on my warships.
Praetonia
01-11-2005, 15:55
OOC: I'll probably adjust the ordnanace and other figures down, but the ordnance type is different (ELRAAM missiles for AA roles rather than bombs and/or ASMs for a strike fighter). And the SRAAMs are essentially AAM versions of my Yellow Jacket missiles that are the mini-SAMS on my warships.
I mean in terms of weight. If you add it up, the two are very close despite mine being a strike fighter and yours being an airsuperiority fighter, and despite yours being considerably smaller (it also seems to have much large engines). You should either make the whole thing weigh more and go slower, or make it carry less stuff. AAMs arent particularly heavy.
Sarzonia
01-11-2005, 16:06
I mean in terms of weight. If you add it up, the two are very close despite mine being a strike fighter and yours being an airsuperiority fighter, and despite yours being considerably smaller (it also seems to have much large engines). You should either make the whole thing weigh more and go slower, or make it carry less stuff. AAMs arent particularly heavy.
Total weight, Hussar: 29,573 kg; Coronet: 14,570 kg. But looking at the weapons bay layout, I'll adjust it downward since it's a lot bigger than it should be for an air superiority fighter.

EDIT: Changes made. It looked like another strike/air superiority fighter hybrid and I wanted to make this a straight-up air superiority fighter.
Praetonia
01-11-2005, 16:43
No, I mean weight of ordnance carried.
Sarzonia
01-11-2005, 16:47
No, I mean weight of ordnance carried.I also adjusted that rather dramatically.
Praetonia
01-11-2005, 17:40
[OOC: It looks much better now. I'd have thought that since this is a fighter only which needs to carry only small missiles, it wouldnt want to use the pylons much as they arent that stealthy, so it makes sense to have the bays carry more than the pylons.]
Sarzonia
01-11-2005, 17:47
OOC: Exactly the point behind the revisions. Where your Hussar and (now) to a lesser extent, my Valkyrie can be used for air superiority under varying degrees of duress, this can be used in a limited strike capacity under extreme duress. But that's certainly not its primary mission profile.

Thanks for the comments and the feedback. It's much appreciated. :)