Fleet Air defence fighter of 1980 challenge

Charguizard

Post subject: Re: Fleet Air defence fighter of 1980 challenge

Posted: September 29th, 2018, 4:20 am

Posts: 424
Joined: January 28th, 2017, 1:17 am
Location: Santiago Basin

Mitsubishi A17M

In 1975, Hitachi Electronics presented a working prototype of a Passive Electronically Scanned Array RADAR to representatives of the Japanese Army and Navy, small enough to be embarked in a fighter aircraft. While the IJA didn’t present interest, due to them already having a development program for a PESA radar with Toshiba, the IJN staff was interested, and Specification 36-sentōki was released the next year, for a twin engine single seat air superiority fighter mounting the new radar. This system would be accepted into service in 1981 as the Type 41 "Gekko" Air Radar.

The radar was further developed in partnership with the Naval Aerospace Technical Department and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., and a new Fire Control and Data Distribution system, which entered service in 1983 as the Type 43 Tactical System, was designed to work together with the radar. Together with this, Mitsubishi project Suisei for a long-range ramjet powered air to air missile was integrated with the previous systems, and entered service in 1984 as the Type 44 air to air missile, with the new fighter.

In 1977, proposals for the new fighter were presented by Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, Nakajima and Kawanishi, and the Mitsubishi and Nakajima proposals were given contracts for prototypes in 1978. After flyoff trials in 1982, the Mitsubishi proposal, Ka-132, was selected and the service designation A17M was reserved for it. Fifteen preproduction aircraft were then funded and development continued using the four prototypes and the preproduction craft, into 1984, when it finally entered service as the A17M1 Navy Type 44 Fighter.

First deployed by the 12th Tactical Operations squadron embarked on carrier Zuihō, the unit later became the 12th Naval Fighter squadron, the A17M became the main fighter for the Imperial Navy. The initial production A17M1 quickly gave way to the slightly improved A17M2 variant, using the Type 41 Mod 2 radar with improved automation and more reliable autotrack.

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Type 41 consists of an X-band radar, which uses 1440 emitters, and an L-band transponder, consisting of 64 emitters, in an oval planar array which is angled 8° downwards for improved angles to intercept its intended targets, cruise missiles and low level strike craft, while maintaining compact dimensions. The system has a maximum range of 200km, introduced the track-while-scan feature, which enables a single aircraft to track 10 targets while engaging 4, and has the ability to autotrack at 100km. The radar featured four different modes and was made from the outset to be simple to operate, so a single crewmember could handle all tasks. Nevertheless, in service it was found that pilots barely used two of the modes and that a Radar Intercept Officer would be beneficial, which led to the widely used A17M3 variant.

The Type 44 air to air missile is a long range missile, guided by an inertial navigation system, and with active radar terminal guidance. It is boosted by a solid rocket first stage, and then on powered by a ramjet to Mach 4 speeds. It weights 243kg, has a range of 120km and carries a 18kg blast-fragmentation warhead. A version with infrared terminal guidance was proposed but not proceeded with.

The initial Mitsubishi proposal was intended to use two of the Mitsubishi Ze-801 turbofan engines, but continuous delays in development and cost overruns prompted the Imperial Navy staff to pressure Mitsubishi into using their rival’s engine instead, the more developed Kawasaki-Ishikawajima Ze-770 turbofan. The engines are dimensionally similar so the development team didn’t have to redesign the aircraft extensively. The Ze-770 (ゼ-770) is a low-bypass turbofan designed for high responsiveness and reliable operation. It measures 3.9m long, 0.9m in diameter and weights 1 metric ton. It produces 50 kN of thrust dry and 80 kN on reheat.

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The A17M has been deployed by air services from numerous Co-Prosperity Sphere partner nations, mostly land based, including the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China's Republican Volunteer Service, the Philippine Republic's Voluntary Service, the National Army of Viet-Nam Air Force, and the Mongol Federation Air Corps.

As for the future, who knows what it may bring?

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General characteristics

Crew: 1 or 2 depending on variant
Length: 15.15 m (49 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 11.70 m (38 ft 5 in)
Height: 5.70 m (18 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 43.2 m² (465 ft²)
Empty weight: 10,258 kg (22,615 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 25,250 kg (55,666 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Kawasaki-Ishikawajima Ze-770 turbofan
Dry thrust: 50 kN (11,240 lbf) each
Thrust with afterburner: 80 kN (17,985 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,912 km/h (1,032 knots, 1,188 mph) at 11,000 m (36,100 ft) (clean)
Combat radius: 1,967 km (1,061 nmi, 1,222 mi) on air superiority configuration
Ferry range: 5,550 km (3,000 nmi, 3,450 mi) with three external fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 18,250 m (59,875 ft)
Rate of climb: 300 m/s (59,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 347 kg/m² (71 lb/ft²)
Maximum g-load: +9/−3.6g (+11g in emergencies)

Armament

Guns: 1× 25 mm (0.98 in) Sumitomo Type 17 rotary autocannon
Hardpoints: One centerline, two underfuselage, four underwing and two wingtip missile rails
Bombs: Various bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and rocket pods on four underwing, two wingtip, and three underfuselage pylons. Weapons carried include up to 10 Type 44 radar guided missiles, up to 12 Type 42 IR missiles, up to 4 Type 30/Type 51 anti-ship missiles, Type 11 12 cm rocket pods, 7x12 cm rockets, up to 24 Navy Type 24 Number 25 250 kg bombs, up to 16 Navy Type 20 Number 50 500 kg bombs, up to 8 Navy Type 26 Number 80 800 kg bombs, up to 12 Type 48 TV guided missiles.

BONUS STAGE

Aircraft Carrier Zuihō

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Zuihō (瑞鳳) Auspicious Phoenix - Yokosuka Navy Arsenal
Laid down: 1965 Launched: 1968 Comissioned: 1970
LWL: 272m (892.3 ft)
LOA: 296m (971.1 ft)
BWL: 37m (121.4 ft)
Draught: 10m (32.8 ft)
Displacement: 55,000 t std
63,000 t full load
Powerplant: 8 Kampon Boilers, 4 Parsons steam turbines
4 shafts, 160,000 hp nominal, 32 knots
Range: 8,000 nmi @ 27 kn
Compliment: 3900 total
Nominal Air Wing 1985 and later:
A17M x18
D11A x18
Q3W x6
L9K x1 (not permamently embarked)
F4M x3
C8M1 x6
T5E x8
Total: 60

My first finished carrier drawing, I'd like to give many thanks to Hood for his inspirational drawing of CVA-01, from which I took several pages, to Blackbuck for technical data and specially to acelanceloet for his help with pulling this one off.

_________________
w o r k l i s t :
Hatsuyuki-class Escort Ships . . . <3

Last edited by Charguizard on November 1st, 2018, 3:26 am, edited 5 times in total.

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