YF-23 Black Widow II

The YF-23 was a stealth air-superiority fighter, which lost the competition with the YF-22. The YF-23 was the most unconventional of the two designs; it had a diamond-shape wing platform and a V-tail. Missiles were to be carried in two fuselage bays. The second prototype had the General Electric YF120 engine.

The body of the YF-23A is a blend of stealthy shapes and aerodynamic efficiency, hopefully providing a low radar cross section without compromising performance. The YF-23A was longer and more slender than the Lockheed YF-22A. The main load-bearing fuselage structure, measured from the stablizer to the front of the cockpit, is about 7 feet longer than the YF-22A. From the side, the profile of the YF-23A is reminiscent of that of the Lockheed SR-71. The general impression from other angles is that of a long, high forebody mounted between two widely-separated engine nacelles. The lengthwise variation in cross-sectional area is very smooth, minimizing transonic and supersonic drag. The forward section has a modified double-trapezoid cross section, one above the other in mirror image, with the aft region blending into a circular cross section and disappearing into the rear fuselage. The upper component of the engine box is dominated by two parallel engine nacelles that blend smoothly into the wing, each nacelle being of a modified trapezoidal cross section. The forebody has the cockpit, the nose landing gear, the electronics, and the missile bay. The YF-23 engine nacelles were larger than they would have been on the production F-23, since they had been designed to accommodate the thrust reversers originally planned for the ATF but later deleted.

Trapezoid-shaped air inlets are located underneath each wing, with the leading edge forming the forward lip of a simple fixed-geometry two-shock system. The placement of the intakes underneath the wings has the advantage in removing them from the sides of the fuselage so that a large boundary-layer scoop is not needed. Instead, the thin boundary layer which forms on the wing ahead of the inlet is removed through a porous panel and is vented above the wing. An auxiliary blow-in inlet door is located on each of the upper nacelles just ahead of the engine to provide additional air to the engines for takeoff or for low speeds. The inlet ducts leading to the engines curve in two dimensions, upward and inward, to shield the faces of the compressors from radar emitters coming from the forward direction.

Tejas / Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)

The Tejas (formerly known as LCA; Light Combat Aircraft) is India's second indigenous jet fighter design, after the HF-24 Marut of the 1950s. It's the world's smallest, light weight, multi-role combat aircraft designed to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force as its frontline multi-mission single seater tactical aircraft during the period 2000 - 2020. Development began in 1983; the basic design was finalised in 1990; the first prototype rolled out on 17 November 1995. On 04 January 2001 at 10.18 a.m. the first LCA Prototype TD-1 (Technology Demonstrator-1), finally took off on its first flight from Yelahanka AFS.

The configuration is a delta wing, with no tailplanes or foreplanes, and a single vertical fin. The LCA is constructed of aluminium-lithium alloys, carbon-fibre composites, and titanium. The design incorporates "control-configured vehicle" concepts to enhance manoeuvrability, and quadruplex fly-by-wire controls. Both prototypes are powered by General Electric F404-GE-F2J3 engines, but an indigenous engine, the GTX-35VS Kaveri, is being developed for the production TejasShort takeoff and landing, high maneuverability with excellent maintainability and a wide range of weapon fit are some of Tejas' features. Two aircraft technology demonstrators are powered by single GE F404/F2J3 augmented turbofan engines. For maintenance the aircraft has more than five hundred Line Replaceable Units (LRSs), each tested for performance and capability to meet the severe operational conditions to be encountered. Major subsystems like fly-by-wire digital flight control system, integrated avionics, hydraulic and electricalsystems, environmental control system, fuel system etc., are being tested to ensure performance and safety. Following satisfactory subsystem test results the flight test program of the Tejan began in 2001. Production will start in 2007

JF-17 Thunder

The Joint Fighter-17 (JF-17) Thunder, also known as the Fighter China-1 (FC-1) Fierce Dragon (Xiaolong) in China (initially known as Super-7), is a single-seat multirole fighter aircraft co-developed by China and Pakistan. Currently four prototypes are flying. A joint venture between CAC and Pakistani Aeronautical Complex (PAC) will begin initial production of 16 aircraft in 2006. The designation of the aircraft in the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) is Joint Fighter-17 (JF-17) Thunder. It is still not clear whether the Pakistan Air Force (PLA) Air Force will eventually acquire any of this aircraft. If they do introduction can be as soon as 2007.

The JF-17 is designed to meet the tactical and strategic needs of the Pakistani Air Force with a minimal reliance on imports from other countries. In addition, the requirement was for the aircraft to have sufficient space for future upgrades and/or equipment specified by export buyers. The JF-17 is considered to be in the "mid-high-tech class" of fighter aircraft The JF-17 is being built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC), and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAIC) is expected to license produce it at a later stage. Initial reports claimed that the aircraft was based on the design of the MiG-33, a proposed single-engined version of the MIG-29, which was rejected by the Soviet Air Force. However, the FC-1/JF-17 is instead derived from the "Super Seven" project, not the Project 33 (not to be confused with the MiG-33) or the failed Chengdu J-9. Indications are that MiG assisted the program by contributing their light fighter design as well as providing additional design & development assistance.

V-22 Osprey, Bell-Boeing

The V-22 Osprey is destined to be the first operational tilt-rotor aircraft. It has the configuration of the smaller V-15, with rotating engine pods set at the wingtips. The fuselage is box-like. The wing is set above the fuselage, and can rotate to be parallel with the fuselage, for storage. The tiltrotor aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter. Once airborne, its engine nacelles can be rotated to convert the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The USAF received the first CV-22 Osprey in November 2006

The V-22 Osprey is a joint service multi-role combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed wing aircraft. With its engine nacelles and rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter, but once airborne, its engine nacelles can be rotated to convert the aircraft to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. This combination allows the V-22 to fill an operational niche no other aircraft can approach.

The Osprey can carry 24 combat troops, or up to 20,000 pounds of internal cargo or 15,000 pounds of external cargo, at twice the speed of a helicopter. It includes crosscoupled transmissions so either engine can power the rotors if one engine fails. The rotors can fold and the wing rotates so the aircraft can be stored on board an aircraft carrier or assault ship.

The Osprey's development processes have been long and controversial. When the development budget, first set at $2.5 billion in 1986, had reached $30 billion in 1988, then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney zeroed out the budget, but was overruled by Congress. The first flight occurred on March 19, 1989.

The MV-22B is equipped with a glass cockpit, which incorporates four Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and two Communications Display Units (CDUs), allowing the pilots to display a variety of layers, including: digimaps centered or decentered on current position, FLIR imagery, primary flight instruments, navigation (TACAN, VOR, ILS, GPS, INS) and system status. The flight director panel of the Cockpit Management System (CMS) allows for fully-coupled (aka: autopilot) functions which will take the aircraft from forward flight into a 50' hover with no pilot interaction other than programming the system.

Mikoyan Project 1.44 / MiG 1.42 MFI

The MiG 1-42 MFI (Mnogofunktsionalny Frontovoi Istrebitel - Multifunctional Frontline Fighter), sometimes referred to in the West as "ATFski," is a low-observable (LO) multirole fighter. The primary mission of the 1.42 is air-superiority, which makes 1.42 a direct Russian equivalent of the USAF F-22, but, being a multi-functional fighter, it performs almost just as well in a strike mission. Two prototype have been built, called the MiG 1-44. The program has been suspended many times due to lack of funds but it has survived. It carries missiles in internal bays and on external pylons (like the F-22) and, as MiG MAPO claims, it is stealthier than the F-22. The chief designer of the 1.42 claims it will have greater agility and range than the F-22 (It has 3D TVC and it is big). If it's built, it could enter service around 2006-2008.

It is a twin-engined aircraft with a cranked delta wing, canards, twin tail fins, jet intakes under the nose, and 3D vectoring nozzles. It's supposed to be incredibly agile and it will be able to supercruise. It features the new Phazotron N-014 phased array fire control radar as well as a rearward-facing N-012 radar. To reduce RCS it sports a heavy coating of RAM, S-shaped compressor channels, internal weapon storage, LO airframe geometry, and maybe an active radar cancellation system (RCS) or a plasma cloud stealth (PCS) system. The MiG 1.42 will cost about $70 million, compared to the Eurofighter's $60 million, the USAF F-35 Lightning II (JSF) $36 million, and the F-22's $150 million. Though it will probably never enter service in Russia due to its high price tag and Russia's financial crisis, China and India could supply some of the money to develop it and might be primary customers. It is featured in Jetfighter: Full Burn (as the MiG-42) but looks a little different

Su-37 Terminator, Sukhoi

A derivative of the SU-27 'Flanker', the Su-37 is a super-maneuverable thrust vectoring fighter. Designed from an SU-35 prototype, the Su-37 test aircraft (designated T10M-11) made its maiden flight in April 1996 from the Zhukovsky flight testing center near Moscow. The Su-37 powerplant features more standard thrust than all earlier 'Flanker' variants, including the Su-35. In addition, the hydraulically actuated nozzles of its Lyulka/Saturn AL-37FU (ForsazhUpravlaemoye meaning 'afterburning steerable') engines are steerable -15 to +15 degrees along the vertical plane. Thrust control is fully integrated into the flight control system, requiring no input from the pilot. An emergency system can automatically return the nozzles to level flight in the event of an onboard failure. The Su-37 has the newer, more powerful, NIIP NO-11M pulse-Doppler phased-array nose radar. A rearward-facing missile system and NIIP NO-12 rear-radar will give the pilot the ability to fire at enemy aircraft behind the Su-37, in addition to the front. While the Su-37 is the first Russian aircraft to feature thrust vector control comparable to that of the American F-22, it may not be the last. A new axisymmetrical (three-dimensional) nozzle is currently being developed by Lyulka for the future Sukhoi S-55 aircraft, a single-engined version of the Su-35. Nozzles are also being readied to make current Su-35s TVC capable.

Sukhoi Su-47

The Sukhoi's candidate for the Russian air force requirement for a Mnogo-funktsional'ny Frontovoy Istrebitel' (MFI - multifunctional frontal fighter) is less known than its rival Mikoyan article1.42. Vladimir Ilyushin, Sukhoi's veteran test pilot, revealed in mid 1997 that the aircraft was "close to completion", adding that it will be a "worldwide sensation" when it is unveiled. The scarce information on Simonov's new fighter indicate that it had already underwent high-speed taxi tests by the end of the summer and made its maiden flight at Zhukovsky at September 25th, 1997, in hands of Sukhoi's test pilot Igor Votintsev.

The S-32 (do not mix with Su-32!) is an internal Sukhoi OKB designation which is rationalized in terms of commonly used yet controversial indexing originated with Sukhoi Su-7 and Su-9 prototypes. These were designated S-1 and T-1 respectively, with "S" being a first letter of swept wing in Russian "Strelovidnoe krylo" and "T" from the Russian for delta wing "Treugol'noe krylo". Clearly, the "S" in S-32 implies that new Sukhoi has a swept wing but the index conflicts with another S-32 taken by Sukhoi SU-17 prototypes few decades ago. There is a great deal of hints that S-32 is a phony designation and presently a different designation is used in conjunction with new Sukhoi fighter -- S-37 (do not mix with SU-37!). The S-37 index was formerly allocated to a single-engined lightweight multirole combat aircraft broadly similar to French RAFALE which was cancelled in 1994. In any event, both S-32 and S-37 are internal bureau designation, and could become Su- anything. Reported name of S-37 is Berkut (Ber-koot) which means golden eagle in Russian. The NATO reporting name for this aircraft is "Firkin