Efa Vs Rafale
former BAe AirOps director praises Rafale.
March 24 2005 at 3:50 PM
No score for this post Thunder (Login Fonk)
France
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have prepared this little brief in order to counter the constant "Typhoon (or sometime) F-35 are best" brain washing we have for a good while now and to allow any new comers to make up a more accurate picture of the reality.
When the Eurofighter consortium claims to have designed the "most manoeuvrable fighter in service in Europe (EADS 2004), they don't expect you to know otherwise, it simply recovered automatically from a ppitch movement of an amplitude of 70*: Not bad, but not best and that by a fair marging of more than 30*AOA and a few years.
So, some guys at EADS and Eurofighters are trying to convince us as well as themself (and potential customers), of their capabilities in airtcfat design, regardless of the fact that the experience could be a little below ten to one in Dassault favour, then ignoring historycal facts and hoping that we won't look eslewhere... As a reminder, Typhoon was born from a serie of specs but mostly one maker's draft and design features was retained: The German Company MBB.
As early as 1988, MBB designed Typhoon's which actual features show only a minor difference, it was a twin tailed aircraft and became a single fined as a weight saving measure, all other designs from partners were rejected on the gound that they were inferior.
http://img17.exs.cx/img17/3138/MBB.jpg
"Programme re-examined in 1992 following German demands for substantial cost reduction and studies of alternative proposals, which submited in October 1992; Italy and Spain froze EFA work mid-October. Seven possible alternative configurations for New EFA (NEFA) offered to Germany, being permutations of single (three types) or twin engines; canards; and crancked wing. Only two of seven cheaper than EFA - both inferior to developement Mig-29 and Su-27". Extract from Jane's All the world's aircraft, so it is pretty clear which of the Eurofighter's partners had the highest level of expertise at the time, partly thanks to the work on a German/US joint hyper-manoeuvrable programme, the HIMAT....
The other manufacturers, incapable of coming with anything better, did retain the all set of arrangement, even when Germany provisoirly withdraw from the programme, BAe and Aliena did retain most of Typhoon's actual features but ran into trouble when they changed the aircraft wing design from a simple delta to a crancked one. The final aircraft reverted to MBBs original concept to the full and this fact is there for all to see, including drafts, pictures of the aerodynamic and wind tunel test models etc. All my "claims" are well documented by either (British mostly) specialised press or the world's specialist in civilian inteligence i.e. Jane's, but for the purpose of puting things right this time i'll use an article writen by former BAe AirOps director (Chief test pilot for the Typhoon programme at the time) Chris Yeo plublished in Flight International 1999.
Anyone can get a back copy of it simply by giving a ring to the publisher, your choice.
Last 1999 report Test:
In the Falcon bringing me to Istres in order to fly the last born of Dassault fighters, I think it is an honour and an happiness to take part to a mission in such a modern and efficient fighter : the Rafale.
Lets it be clear : it is neither a trial nor an evaluation, but a demonstration of the weapon system capabilities in the guise of an attack mission a Rafale F2 pilot could execute.
My pilot will be Philippe Rebourg, assistant chief test pilot in charge of the Dassault Aviation military aircrafts department. Philippe Rebourg has accumulated more than 5000 flight hours, graduated in the Ecole de l'air and flew on Mirage IIIE, attended the USAF Test Pilot School course (1990A promotion) at Edwards. He flew 400h on the Rafale (and additionally 700 on gliders).
Our aircraft, B302, is the third of the production aircrafts and the second production two-seater. She made her first flight on December 1999 and is used for F2 standard development. She is equipped with a RBE2 electronically scanned radar from Thales with air to air and air to ground modes and, depending on the needs, SPECTRA electronic warfare system, front sector optronic (OSF) or direct voice input (DVI).
For this particular flight we have a development OSF with the TV sensor only. Neither the SPECTRA nor the DVI will be available on this flight.
With 2 Magic II acquisition rounds, 2 MICA EM fakes and one 1250L supersonic tank under the fuselage, our weight is 16400 kg. The external tank bringing the kerosene capacity at 6550L is limited at mach 1.6. B302 is motorised by 2 SNECMA M88-2 Etape 1 engines of 7500 kgp thrust each.
Every flight on a fighter begins by a passage to the equipment service for the necessary ejection seat briefing, reception of the flight suit, fire resistant underwear, G suit, special gloves, helmet '
This mission being considered as an experimental flight, 2 test engineers will monitor our evolutions from the test room. Thanks to the data link they will constantly listen radio communication and talks in the cockpit.
Approaching the Rafale I'm immediately stricken by aircraft dimensions. The time of the small Dassault fighters is well finished. Here is another world : even the air version landing gear is massive, cockpit is very high and the fin culminates at 5.34 m.<
We are welcomed by Jacques Izquierdo, chief technician in charge of the B302. At Dassault, test pilots are totally confident in the technicians and the pre flight check has no raison d'être.
With a bit of an excitation I climb into the rear cockpit, taking care not to walk on the canard foreplane. With the help of Klaüs Brückner, the technician, I trap onto the Martin-Baker Mk16F zero-zero ejection seat equipped with a very simple harness, an advantage over the Jaguar MK4 or the MK10 of the Mirage F1 and 2000. The Rafale is equipped with an integrated legs and arms safety system minimising wounds in case of an high speed ejection.
Rafale has an OBOGS system eliminating the need for dangerous air supplying and an integrated cryogenic generation system avoids liquid nitrogen stock and manipulation.
Another new item, the centralised safety system allows the pilot to put automatically every jettisonable load (weapons, tanks, flares, chaff ') on 'safe ' from the cockpit. An artificer is no more needed at the departure or the return of an armed aircraft to safeguard every load with a pin.
Although the fighter is equipped with an inboard APU the start is effected with a GPU at Dassault flight test center. The procedure is very simple : you only push 2 switches from 'stop' to 'idle' and turn a 'rotacteur' to the right then to the left (inversely to start the left engine before the right one, there is no preferential order). Then, everything is entirely automatic and M88 are ready in less than 2 minutes.
Philippe Rebourg selections the INU mode (inertial navigation unit) on the left screen and ask me to launch the gyro alignment sequence using the touch sensitive screen. After exactly 4 minutes the 2 SAGEM INU are aligned. For an emergency take-off a quick alignment is achieved in 1.30 min, precision is less but can be considerably enhanced by GPS hybridisation. The Rafale integrates a comprehensive navigation system with mission computer + trajectory elaboration computer + INU. Not less but 600 nav points can be programmed and the system computes automatically the trajectory, flight times, fuel availability according to the consumption.
While Philippe Rebourg achieves pre flight checklist and test-instrumentation checks I examine the cockpit. The ergonomy has been particularly worked out by engineers and the pilot has a very carefully designed interface. The instrument panel is dominated by the wide angle (20° x 20°) high resolution (1000 x 1000) display, collimated to the infinite. The 2 touch sensitive LCD on either side of the central display have a 500 x 500 resolution. On the left console a small touch sensitive display is used for selection of air to air or air to ground modes while an auxiliary display is used to verify automatic pilot modes. Every visualization is NVG compatible and the forward scene is recorded by a camera placed under the wide angle holographic HUD (22° X 30°) and visualized by the back-seater on a video screen with the associated symbology and crosshairs. The pilot can dialogue with the plane manipulating HOTAS, touch sensitive screens, a touch-pad, DVI (inactive today), and the 2 'allumettes' (matches). These are two commands protruding from the instrument panel and being manipulated without releasing the throttle and stick. Impulses toward the left, right, up or down call primary menus on the lateral screens.
The plane is equipped with an auto diagnostic system, warning the pilot every time an anomaly being able to affect the mission happens (level 2 breakdown ').
After having tested the FBW system we are ready to taxi.
Approaching the runway, Philippe Rebourg signal to arm the ejection seat with the lateral security switch.
While I lower the 2 visors of my helmet Philippe Rebourg aligns the airplane on the runway 33. The Rafale is so powerful that it is not possible to use the maximum dry thrust while braking : the friction coefficient is not enough to stop the plane and tires would be damaged.
The best technique is to go from idle to full afterburner while releasing braking. The FADEC manages every engines parameters without any human intervention. As on the Mirage 2000, the Jx, the longitudinal acceleration value at take off, appears on the HUD and shows that the engines give their optimal thrust. At 130 knots Philippe Rebourg pull the trigger up and we do a cool take off after 700 m.
After a few seconds we reach our transit height at low altitude.
First impressions : the cockpit is very spacious and the ejection seat very comfortable. Even if the 2 canard foreplanes hide the ground from the rear seat, visibility is excellent and I can easily see at six o'clock.
With the Alpilles ahead of our plane and the mount Ventoux starboard, we turn at 400 kts and 1000 feet toward Arles and our first nav point, before heading north. During transit, Philippe Rebourg shows me how flexible the navigation system is. 'At every moment, if the orders were modified or the tactical situation changed, the pilot can quickly elaborate a new flight plan.'
For the needs of the stand-off attack demonstration, a virtual configuration comprising two SCALP under the wings is created. During the preparation of the mission, a special software has determined the geographical shooting domain in order for the missiles to overfly their first nav points. Approaching the fire zone, Philippe Rebourg selections the attack mode and the air to ground page is displayed on the left screen. The symbol ALN appears on the HUD, meaning we have to initiate the alignment of the SCALP INS. As I have learned in the simulator, I launch the procedure by a pressure on the touch sensitive screen. A new order appears on the HUD, remembering the pilot to jink in order to align the missiles gyro ; Philippe Rebourg banks the plane and pull the trigger : we go in a turn to the right then to the left to come back on our track. Before firing, I have to launch the SCALP engines, not too soon to spare some fuel. On the central display the huge domain, crescent shaped, is displayed and as soon as we enter the pilot pull on the stick to begin a steep climb maintaining the speed vector of the HUD between the 2 vertical tendency bars. This climb is essential as the pylones are designed to jettison SCALP under positive loading factor. Philippe Rebourg push the release button simulating the shooting of the 2 missiles and egress immediately to the left as, during a real attack, collision with the SCALP flying at the same speed than the aircraft can happens. As soon as the missiles are released, their wings deploy and they begin their travel to the target.
'The air to air and air to ground functions can be activated simultaneously, says Philippe Rebourg. It's the real innovation giving the Rafale her superiority on her concurrents. During the SCALP attack, the air to air mode was active with radar and OSF dedicated to this function. Naturally the radar tracked some targets and the OSF has locked the target classified as the most dangerous by the system.
---------------------------------------
Only one push would have been sufficient to engage this target. The complete firing sequence can be realised through the auto pilot by simple imputs given with the coolie hat of the stick. On the Rafale, the auto pilot is completely integrated to the flight control system : it is part of the command chain like the airbrake function for example.'
After the simulated firing we egress at very low altitude and Philippe Rebourg engages the automatic terrain following system. The hills of the Vivarais mountain are an ideal environment to demonstrate this capacity. The 2 secure maps of the multi corridor navigation system elaborate continuously 2 trajectories, either with the data of a 300,000 km² digital file over the ground or with the information of a radiosonde for sea travel. A ground profile is calculated over the further 10 km, allowing the plane to sneak under the radar cover, automatically, day or night by all weather. This totally passive system allows flight at 300 feet, this altitude being only temporary, final objective is 100 feet. The RBE2 has a 3D mapping mode permitting flight at very low altitude over a terrain not recorded on file.
Before flight, Philippe Rebourg has selected the desired flight altitude, 500 feet in this sector, and has added 100 feet, the height of the higher artificial structures in this zone. According to the discretion needed the pilot can choose between 3 flight options : soft, medium and hard. In the hard mode, the loading factors are almost doubled in comparison with the Mirage 20000D and N and the speed domain is considerably larger. For this flight the soft option was used to take care of myself. At 450 knots the plane is remarkably stable. 'The anti turbulence mode, once envisaged, has finally not been installed as the FCS has proved to be perfectly able to manage wind gusts when jumping crests.'
A revolutionary anti ground collision system is being developed for the F2 standard. Thanks to the digital file, the onboard computer knows the exact altitude of the plane to the ground. In case a dangerous situation arises, for example if the pilot becomes disoriented in dogfight, in the clouds and dive to the ground, the system will warn him and he can pass in the terrain following mode. In the F3 standard the computer will be able to automatically switch to the terrain following mode to prevent crash.
-------------------------------------
,el PAK-FA ruso?el SU-47 Berkut?
