Q-107 Grackle: Difference between revisions
m
no edit summary
m (→Operators) |
mNo edit summary |
||
Line 16:
|more users= see ''Operators'' <!--Only THREE (3) TOTAL 'more users'. Please separate with <br />. This list matches cited/sources list (as of July 2016) in Operators section below. -->
|produced= 2012-present
|number built= ~
|program cost=
|unit cost=
Line 24:
|}
The Q-107 Grackle is a single-engine, multirole fighter jet developed by the Axdelian defence company ARMS. It was the first all-new combat aircraft developed domestically since the fall of the Noroist government, entering development in 1998 under the 'new versatile fighter' programme. The aircraft had a troubled development,
The Q-107 was named the Grackle in 2010, however it have since been given several nicknames by air forces fielding it such as "Fat Bird" and "
== Development ==
[[File:X-32 Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Full.tif|thumb|The
(ARMS, an independent union-run arms company, is contracted to develop the 'new versatile fighter' using experience gleaned from use of the stealth Q-105 fighter-bomber and the ongoing S-4 stealth strategic bomber project. the NVF demands outlined the need for a stealthy, highly advanced multirole fighter, expected to replace the [[Q-103 Swift|Q-103S]] and Q-105 in Axdelian service and available for export. Even Conservative production numbers considered enough to justifying the development cost)
(The prototype EX-107A NVF and EX-107B NVF first flew in 2003, somewhat behind schedule)
(During development ARMS goes bankrupt and get bailed out by their competitor Sentinel in a government mediated deal under the agreement that they would continue the project, getting additional funding to do so but having to cut the third planned variant.)
(This is partially due to corruption, as well as banking on being bailed out despite overspending as they were an important supplier of military materiel. The economy going from technically still centralised, bouncing through the 1999 liberalising financial reforms and back into formalised worker ownership probably didn't help ARMS at all either, constantly twisting their priorities.)
(Late 2008 saw the first production run Q-107A built, with early run deliveries to the AAeF beginning in 2010 ahead of an expected active service date in 2012. Production at the plant in Añuur was scaled up to 80 aircraft a year by 2014)
(Despite this, cutting back on the third variant meant it still got to market just before its main competitor, the Joint [[South Hills|SH]]-[[North Concordian Economic Forum|NCEF]]-[[Federation of the Southern Coast|Federation]] developed HK-45. The two are broadly comparable, although the Q-107 is slightly faster and thanks to its larger internal fuel tanks has a moderately longer range. However the HK-45's VSTOL variant uses a shaft driven fan and vectored thrust from its main exhaust to provide vertical thrust which, whilst heavier, provides more lift and allows for a larger payload capacity than the Q-107B's direct lift system during vertical take off operations.)
== Design ==
(Stealthy, blended fuselage largely made of composites and fully coated in radar absorbent materials. Aesthetically reminiscent of first generation jets with its frontal intake and
(Sensor fusion and network centric warfare are keystone capabilities of the Q-107. A complex mission computer processes data from the wide array of sensors in order to present information in a clean, ergonomic fashion to the pilot, who can customise how it is arranged for convenience. The fully glass cockpit lacks a targeting HUD, with all relevant information being provided through the Situational Awareness and Targeting augmented reality headset.)
(Engine is an afterburning low bypass turbofan mounted centrally for better VTOL performance in the B variant, necessitating the large frontal intake. Despite not having an s-duct, the compressor blades are shielded by variable baffles buried in the intake
(Carries almost twice as much fuel as the Q-103S/SE thanks to its large blended delta wing, giving it a much larger operational range.)
(Weapons can be stored in two large internal bays or on up to four removable pylons that can be jettisoned in flight to reduce RCS. The Q-107A has a 25mm cannon below the intake that can be keyed to sensors fired semi automatically in order to take out targets with only a few rounds. The Q-107B lacks a built in cannon however, and must carry a low-observability gun pod if it is required.)
== Operators ==
Line 55 ⟶ 57:
'''{{flagcountry|Axdel}}'''
* Axdelian Aerospace Force - 250 Q-107A originally delivered from 2012, with an additional block of 52 contracted to replace the [[Q-103 Swift|Q-103SE]]
* Axdelian Navy - 72 Q-107B's to operate on the ''Khalanitas'' class carriers alongside the Q-104EQS
Line 85 ⟶ 87:
* '''Crew:''' 1
* '''Length:''' 15.3 m
* '''Wingspan:'''
* '''Height:'''
* '''Wing area:''' 54.8 m<sup>2</sup>
* '''Empty weight:''' 12,500 kg
Line 92 ⟶ 94:
* '''Max takeoff weight:''' 31,800 kg
* '''Fuel capacity:''' 9,000 kg internal
* '''Powerplant:''' 1 × Yf190 Triakhe-cSC turbofan (120kN dry thrust 190kN with afterburner)
=== Performance ===
| |||