The F-CK-1 (also called the Indigenous Defense Fighter) is a light fighter aircraft developed by Taiwan state-owned aerospace company AIDC in the 1980s. Powered by two Honeywell/ITEC F125-GA-100 turbofan engines, the aircraft entered service in 1994. Some 134 had been completed when production stopped in 1999.
The AH-1 series is a family of single- and twin-engine, single-main-rotor attack helicopters. Bell has delivered more than 2,300 AH-1s, with Fuji producing about 90 AH-1s under license. The AH-1Z, the latest iteration in the series, is an improved version of the earlier AH-1W. Powered by two GE T700-GE-401 turboshaft engines rated 1,723 shp each, the AH-1Z features a four-blade composite main rotor and an uprated transmission. The U.S. Marine Corps plans to take delivery of 189 AH-1Zs, including 152 new-build helicopters and 37 converted AH-1Ws.
The Fabrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA) AT-63 is an updated version of the tandem-seat IA 63 Pampa trainer/light-attack aircraft. First flight of the IA 63 occurred in 1984, followed by initial deliveries in 1988. It was powered by a single 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2-2N turbofan engine. Twenty-two IA 63 aircraft were produced, including three flying prototypes. The new AT-63 has a 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2C turbofan engine, five weapons stations and an Elbit avionics suite. Future AT-63s will be built with 4,000-lb.-thrust TFE731-40 engines.
The M28 is a twin-turboprop, utility/transport aircraft. Looking to break into new markets, PZL Mielec redesigned the Antonov An-28 to incorporate more extensive use of Western components, including two 1,100-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B engines. The new model, dubbed the M28, made its first flight in 1993. The purchase of PZL Mielec by U.S. manufacturer Sikorsky in 2007 brought a new lease on life to the M28, ensuring its continued production.
The B-1B is a four-engine strategic bomber produced by Rockwell International and operated by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft evolved from a series of studies begun in 1962. Following the launch of the program in 1969, the initial prototype made its first flight in 1974. The B-1B is powered by four GE F101-GE-102 turbofan engines rated at more than 30,000 lb. thrust each. In addition to four B-1A prototypes, a total of 100 B-1Bs were built by the time production ended in 1988. Upgrades to the systems and capabilities have been ongoing since the aircraft's introduction.
Last week's successful flight test of the tri-national Medium-Extended Air Defense System (Meads) has officials at Raytheon worried that their mainstay PAC-3 missile and air-defense system has strong competition. Meads achieved two kills Nov. 6—one against a QF-4 emulating a cruise missile and another against a Lance tactical-ballistic-missile target. The system acquired, tracked and destroyed two targets using all-Meads components, says Marty Coyne, Lockheed Martin's lead business development official for Meads.
The Typhoon is a delta-wing, single- and two-seat, supersonic, air-superiority combat fighter produced by the Eurofighter consortium of Alenia, BAE Systems and EADS, and sponsored by the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. The aircraft is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 axial-flow, low-bypass, augmented turbofans rated approximately 20,250 lb. thrust each with reheat. The initial prototype flew in 1994, with deliveries commencing in 2002. Current Eurofighter operators are Austria, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the U.K.
The Eurocopter EC120 is a single-turbine helicopter primarily used in the military arena for flight training. Power is supplied by a Turbomeca Arrius 2F turboshaft engine rated 504 shp. Through 2012, approximately 710 civil/military EC 120s were produced, with another 12 for military applications expected through 2022.
The Northrop F-5 Tiger is a supersonic twin-engine, one- or two-seat light fighter. The T-38 is a two-seat trainer. The aircraft are powered by a GE J85-GE-21B turbojet, producing 5,000 lb. thrust. Northrop began designing the F-5 in 1955 for a U.S. government study on Asian and European high-performance fighter needs. Northrop pursued the effort, the N-156C concept, as a private venture. In 1956, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy showed interest in a trainer derivative, the T-38, developed in parallel with the N-156C. The prototype N-156C first flew on July 30, 1959.
The Eurocopter BO 105 is a 5-7-seat, twin-turboshaft-engine, single-main-rotor utility helicopter used for both military and commercial roles. BO 105CB/CBS models are powered by two Rolls-Royce 250-C20B turboshaft engines rated 420 shp each for takeoff, while the BO 105LS features a pair of Rolls-Royce 250-C28C turboshafts rated at 500 shp each for takeoff. Approximately 1,400 BO 105s, including 680 military BO 105s, were built through 2005. Eurocopter's newer and more-advanced EC135/635 light twin has replaced the BO 105.
The Tucano series is a family of trainer and light-attack aircraft; first flight occurred in 1980. The standard EMB-312 Tucano is powered by a single 750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop engine, while the Shorts-built S312 (T1) variant is powered by an uprated 1,100-shp AlliedSignal TPE331-12B-701A turboprop. These original Tucano models are no longer in production.
YouTube goes a long way in highlighting the creativity and delight some of today's university students take in being . . . well, a nerd. Whether at Purdue University creating an over-engineered automated soft-drink dispensing system or at the University of Michigan putting a fresh take on dance-a-thon turned hack-a-thon, present-day engineering students add to the tradition of poking fun at who they are while reveling in what they do.
The F-35 Lightning II is a single-engine, single-seat, multirole combat aircraft. Lockheed Martin's X-35 design was selected as the winner of the JSF program in 2001. Lockheed Martin's bid featured numerous partners, including Northrop Grumman and BAE. The JSF program calls for the F-35 to be available in three versions: the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing model, the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant, and the F-35C carrier-based attack model.
The F-15 Eagle is a single- or two-seat, twin-engine air superiority fighter manufactured by Boeing and license-produced by Mitsubishi. (McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997, developed the fighter and produced the earlier versions.) All F-15 models built to date are powered by variants of the Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan engine, except the F-15K and the F-15SG, which are powered by GE F110 turbofans. The initial F-15 was the F-15A, which first flew in 1972; deliveries began in 1974.
The Fuji T-7, also known as the T-3 Kai or the KM-2F, is a two-seat basic/primary trainer derived from Fuji's earlier, piston-engine T-3. It is powered by a 450-shp Rolls-Royce 250-B17F turboprop engine. First flight of a prototype, converted from an existing T-3, occurred in 1998. In 2000, the T-7 was selected over the Pilatus PC-7 as the new primary trainer for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. T-7 deliveries began in 2002, with 49 produced through 2008, when the final aircraft was delivered for the Japanese requirement.
The FC-1 is a single-seat air-superiority and ground-attack aircraft powered by a single Klimov RD-93 afterburning turbofan (18,300 lb. thrust), with a two-seat variant also planned. Chengdu began the FC-1 program in 1991, two years after the U.S. withdrew from the Grumman/Chengdu Super 7 effort. Pakistan, where the aircraft is known as the JF-17, and China signed an agreement in 1998 for FC-1 joint development and production. The first prototype flew in 2003, with first delivery following in 2007.
The MB-339 was developed as a follow-on to Aermacchi's MB-326. The initial MB-339 prototype flew in 1976. Propulsion is provided by either a single Rolls-Royce Viper Mk 632-43 (4,000-lb.-thrust) or Viper Mk 680 (4,400-lb.-thrust) turbofan. During its production run, more than 220 aircraft for flight training and light air combat were built. The MB-339CD variant serves as a lead-in trainer for Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon pilots in the Italian air force, and has also proven a popular aerobatic model. MB-339 production ended in 2004.
The UH-72A Lakota is a twin-turboshaft-powered multimission helicopter based on the Eurocopter EC145 civil helicopter. The UH-72A is powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 turboshaft engines rated 738 shp each. The selection of the helicopter for the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program represents EADS North America's first major win as a prime contractor for the U.S. military. Deliveries began in late 2006, with 252 units produced through 2012. An additional 105 Lakotas are forecast for production through 2022.
Development of the T/A-50 two-seat advanced trainer began in 1992. The program was formally launched in 1997, with Lockheed Martin announced as a participant, responsible for avionics, flight-control systems and wings. The first prototype flew in August 2002. Two versions were developed: the T-50 trainer and the weapons-capable A-50 Lead-In Fighter Trainer. T-50s and A-50s are powered by a single General Electric F404-GE-102 turbofan engine (7,700 lb. thrust).
A stretched version of the CN235, the C295 twin-turboprop transport and maritime patrol/antisubmarine-warfare aircraft carries up to 78 troops and has a maximum payload of 20,392 lb. It is powered by two 2,750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G turboprops. The C295's first flight took place in 1997, with deliveries beginning in 2001. Some 97 295s were produced through 2012. Airbus Military is expected to build 118 C295s in the 2013-22 period.
At $10 billion, the Defense Department and National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) planned life-extension and upgrade program for the B-61 nuclear warhead was bound to draw attention on Capitol Hill. During a recent hearing, the NNSA deputy administrator for defense programs, Donald Cook, and the U.S. Strategic Command chief, USAF Gen. Robert Kehler, defended the B-61-12 against Democratic members concerned with spending on any new nuclear warhead, particularly when the B-83, an alternative to the B-61, will not need refurbishment for a decade (see page 48).
The 340 series is a family of twin-turboprop commuter aircraft designed and initially produced jointly by Saab and Fairchild Aircraft. The 340A is powered by two GE CT7-5A2s rated 1,735 shp each, and the 340B by GE CT7-9Bs rated 1,870 at shp each. Equipped with a Saab Electronics Defense Systems Erieye phased-array pulse-Doppler radar, the Saab 340 is used in the military market as an airborne-early-warning platform. Operators of 340Bs modified for AEW use include Sweden, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
