EuroFighter Typhoon

The first flight of the prototype Eurofighter Typhoon took place on March 27, 1994, when Messerchmitt-Bülkow-Blohm (MBB) chief test pilot Peter Weger took the prototype on a test flight around Bavaria. The basic configuration is reminiscent of the British Aerospace (BAe) EAP agile combat aircraft demonstrator, which flew back in August, 1986. In fact, the EAP was used to test many Eurofighter systems before final configuration of the latter plane was decided. (The relationship is similar to the F-17 and F\A-18, where the basic planform is the same but many design changes were made.)

The EuroFighter, formerly known as the EF2000, is built by a consortium made up of BAe (UK), MBB and Dornier (Germany), Aeritalia (Italy), and CASA (Spain). It was initially designed for air-superiority and air defense roles, but a changing world situation has also resulted in an emphasis on excellent air-to-surface capabilities as well.

The STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft has a fundamentally unstable aerodynamic design; while this requires computer assistance for stable flight, gives the Eurofighter superior agility. Two Eurojet EJ200 advanced technology turbofans each provide 20,250 pounds of afterburning thrust; with a maximum take-off weight of 37,480 pounds fully loaded, this means the Eurofighter has power to spare. Although it's not actually a stealth aircraft, careful shaping and use of composites and low-detectability technologies (the airframe surface is only 15 % metal) means the Eurofighter is extremely light and has a much smaller radar profile than 1980s-era fighters.