Military Aviation News and Discussion

Terran

Terran

Well-Known Member
The Cost and resource allocation isn’t worth it. the Typhoon would make a great addition to the Indian Air Force as a potential replacement for the Flanker and Fulcroms but the added weight and modifications to the landing gear, tail hooks and more would just be the poorer choice for the Navy.
Especially given the STOBAR system compromises. Elements of that model may come to pass for ground Typhoons but for the Navy? Best just to buy more Rafale M and invest that R&D into a proper CATOBAR carrier down the line.
 
K

koxinga

Well-Known Member
Didn't see this coming. In the wider context of the region, it is likely funded by external parties such as Saudi / Turkiye and comes on the heel of Israel's recongition of the rival Somaliland.

africa.businessinsider.com

Somalia moves to buy 24 Pakistan JF-17 fighter jets in $900m deal months after Israel recognised Somaliland

Somalia, ranked among the world’s weakest militaries, is negotiating with Pakistan to acquire up to 24 JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets in what could mark its most significant defence investment in decades, according to Defence Security Asia
africa.businessinsider.com africa.businessinsider.com
 
FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
koxinga said:
Didn't see this coming. In the wider context of the region, it is likely funded by external parties such as Saudi / Turkiye and comes on the heel of Israel's recongition of the rival Somaliland.

africa.businessinsider.com

Somalia moves to buy 24 Pakistan JF-17 fighter jets in $900m deal months after Israel recognised Somaliland

Somalia, ranked among the world’s weakest militaries, is negotiating with Pakistan to acquire up to 24 JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets in what could mark its most significant defence investment in decades, according to Defence Security Asia
africa.businessinsider.com africa.businessinsider.com
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Certainly seems like a broad leap in capability for a military that hasn't operated fixed wing aircraft in two-to-three decades, let alone multirole light fighters
I'm going to assume it will be quite a while before they exhibit anywhere bear an operational competence
 
K

koxinga

Well-Known Member
Agreed. There are limited, training facilities in Somalia. If the purchase goes ahead. They will need a sponsor to run the whole operations from the start, right from selecting candidates.
 
Sandhi Yudha

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
I expect most of the aircraft maintenance technicians, pilots and other specialists will be mercenaries/employees from china and Pakistan, provided by the manufacturer. A small semi-failed Fourth World Country like Somalia lacks everything to have a proper functioning educational system for the people, to train enough people for 2 light fighter squadrons in a couple of years is just impossible.
 
S

swerve

Super Moderator
There's a large Somali diaspora, probably a lot better off & better educated than the residents of Somalia itself. Doesn't mean they'll be able to rustle up enough personnel for a couple of fighter squadrons in a couple of years, but we shouldn't dismiss the possibility of it being possible to recruit some skilled Somalis, & more willing & able to learn from the foreigners who I agree will be necessary if this project is actually going to happen.
 
John Fedup

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
The latest on Darpa's X-76 high speed VTOL plane with stop/foldable rotors. Speed will be about 400 knots. The article suggests there are two foldable rotor power plants and one jet engine for horizontal flight. If it has decent range and can be proven to be safe and reliable then it will be an awesome new capability. Could affect the V-280 numbers as well if the cost isn't too much more.

Bell’s X-76 Fold-Away Rotor Aircraft Is DARPA’s Newest X-Plane
 
FormerDirtDart

FormerDirtDart

Well-Known Member
John Fedup said:
The latest on Darpa's X-76 high speed VTOL plane with stop/foldable rotors. Speed will be about 400 knots. The article suggests there are two foldable rotor power plants and one jet engine for horizontal flight. If it has decent range and can be proven to be safe and reliable then it will be an awesome new capability. Could affect the V-280 numbers as well if the cost isn't too much more.

Bell’s X-76 Fold-Away Rotor Aircraft Is DARPA’s Newest X-Plane
Click to expand...
I have concerns over the vast complexity of the folding rotors combined with the vast complexity of the tilt-rotors..
Add to that questions of the low-speed lift of the rather small wings.
I can't help but imagine an unfortunate need to eventually land this marvel of modern engineering with the rotors folded due some myriad of possible system failures
 
Terran

Terran

Well-Known Member
FormerDirtDart said:
I have concerns over the vast complexity of the folding rotors combined with the vast complexity of the tilt-rotors..
Add to that questions of the low-speed lift of the rather small wings.
I can't help but imagine an unfortunate need to eventually land this marvel of modern engineering with the rotors folded due some myriad of possible system failures
Click to expand...
Landing with rotors folded is likely to be a non issue. In past attempts at high speed VTOL type aircraft the primary issue is the transition between vertical lift and high speed horizontal flight. Landing on the jet engine would likely just be landing a jet. It’s the transition point where you move from powered prop to powered jet with the props folding away.
 
Sandhi Yudha

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
I understand FormerDirtDart concerns. If one engine gets inop, it will cause a lot of drag, will one engine in combination with the small wings be enough to keep sufficient velocity and lift?
 
Terran

Terran

Well-Known Member
Sandhi Yudha said:
I understand FormerDirtDart concerns. If one engine gets inop, it will cause a lot of drag, will one engine in combination with the small wings be enough to keep sufficient velocity and lift?
Click to expand...
First the props on the wings don’t appear to be engines they appear to be propellers. The pods they are mounted to seem to lack indicators of an engine like intakes. The intakes appear on the fuselage. Where we see on the graphic three intakes.
There appears to be two side mounted sets similar to what we see on fighters like the F35. Likely a Y shaped inlet made of two S ducts and a single key shaped one on the dorsal. This may imply two different engines a turbo fan and a turbo prop or like F35B the turbofan has a gearbox that slaves the props to the jet. In either event the props are just props either mechanically driven or electronically.
All the concept art seems to move the engines to the fuselage as can be seen via the inlets and intakes being there well the wing pods are smooth.
So the props getting stuck isn’t likely to an effect thrust. But drag. If there was a point I would worry based on that it wouldn’t be in the transition from hover to horizontal but horizontal to hover as the craft crosses to stall speed.
 
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