A bold hypothesis or an attempt to look into the future?
When the Raptor remains the only combat-ready fighter of the fifth generation, and most tasks in modern wars are successfully solved by generation 4 aircraft, how timely are the dreams of generation 6? We have neither a clear idea of the appearance of the "aircraft of the future", nor a clear concept of its use.
The “yellow” media periodically scare them with combat fiction, citing fragments of phrases from high-ranking officials of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon about the beginning of work on the creation of a fighter of the future. Hypersound, drones and beam weapons. Despite the sheer futurism and the seeming inappropriateness of such projects, it is already possible to draw certain conclusions about the likely appearance of the sixth generation fighter.
Manned or unmanned is not the main question. Major changes are expected in the layout of the aircraft.
Rejection of vertical tail is brewing. From an EPR point of view, the vertical stabilizer is not a gift. Much more serious is another point: when maneuvering at high angles of attack, the efficiency of the classic vertical tail is reduced to zero. Vertical stabilizers are an anachronism, poorly combined with super-maneuverability and stealth, the main trends of modern aviation.
In general, an aircraft needs a keel for directional stabilization in flight. While the main mode for super-maneuverable fighters is increasingly becoming critical and supercritical angles of attack (static instability, exorbitant thrust of UHT engines). The vertical tail is always in the aerodynamic shadow. And if so, why is it needed at all?
There are many real examples of aircraft built according to the “flying wing” scheme. The most famous is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomb carrier. Contrary to rumors about poor handling, “flying wings” are not inferior to classic aircraft built according to a normal aerodynamic configuration. The proof is the experimental American fighters and bombers of the WWII era, flying without the help of the notorious electronics.
Strategic jet bomber "Northrop" YB-49 (1947).
Crew 7 people. Max. takeoff weight 87 t
The flying wing is the last century. Nowadays, aerodynamics specialists are ready to offer several "abnormal" layout schemes at once, combining elements of various types of aircraft. The main thing that unites everyone is the lack of classic plumage.
In 1996, "Bird of Prey" appeared on the covers of aviation magazines. The prototype of a stealthy fighter-bomber, built according to the “canard” scheme, however, without the use of the PGO, the role of which is played by the supporting fuselage, made using the “stealth” technology and having a negative mounting angle with respect to the air flow. To consolidate the effect, the lower part of the fuselage in the bow has a shape similar to the descent vehicles of spacecraft. At the same time, the “Bird of Prey” is a wave-boat, based in supersonic flight directly on the shock wave with the help of its V-shaped wing (“gull” type).
Possessing the main advantage of the aerodynamic “duck” design (no balancing losses, sincethe direction of the lifting force of the VGO coincides in the direction with the lifting force of the wing), the "Bird of Prey" is devoid of all its drawbacks (limitation of the view from the cockpit and the tendency to suicidal "peck"). Strictly speaking, there are no shortcomings in the layout of the "Bird" at all. Some advantages. A new era in aviation.
It is not known what the Boeing's designers were inspired by during the work on the project, but we should give them credit for their innovation.
However, decide for yourself.
Not a toy model at all.
The Bird of Prey completed 38 test flights. According to the testers, she, being statically stable in all three axes, was manually controlled without the aid of an ESDU. And in its design, units of conventional production aircraft were used. For example, the Pratt & Whitney JT15D turbojet engine installed on the TCB and business jets was used as a power plant.
The work on "Bird" was not in vain. The "Bird of Prey" traits can now be seen in the X-47B reconnaissance drone.
Of course, it was just a brazen glimpse into the future, proving that such an exotic aircraft is able to confidently stay in the air. A real fighter-bomber with a similar aerodynamic design could be statically unstable in several channels. Taking into account the absolute integral layout of the "Bird of Prey", its predatory, streamlined silhouette without vertical keels, the UHT engine and the high efficiency of the ailerons located in the vortex zone formed by the aircraft nose - such a fighter would set the heat in close combat.
Just as HiMAT set the heat at one time. “Six-winged eight-tail”, in whose design an aeroelastic wing was used, capable of bending under the influence of overloads by 5, 5 °. Differentiated deflection was supplemented by a non-standard layout with the placement of the engine in the area of the central heating, static instability of the aircraft, as well as maximum wing mechanization and PGO. As a result, the HiMAT concept could perform a turn with an overload of 8g at transonic speeds (for conventional fourth-generation fighters, this figure did not exceed 4g).
The turning radius of HiMAT in comparison with the F-16 and "Phantom"
Similar work was carried out in the Soviet Union. Back in 1963, TsAGI scientists proposed to use differentially deflected aeroelastic wing tips, which they called “pre-airliners,” for roll control.
Bold ideas were long ahead of their time. Projects for the creation of an extremely maneuverable aircraft have confirmed the hypothesis that the “classic” fighter configuration (a high wing with a medium aspect ratio wing, two-fin fins and bucket-shaped side air intakes) is not the only correct solution. Fighters of the fourth and fifth generations can quickly lose air superiority when an aircraft of an unconventional design appears.
Simultaneously with the "Bird of Prey" in 1997, the X-36 made the first flight (McDonnell Douglas / NASA). A model of a promising stealth fighter, made at a scale of 1: 4, also exploiting the theme of abandoning vertical tail and the use of unconventional aerodynamic schemes.
A real props for a Hollywood action movie, in whose guise you can see a "duck" (balancing scheme with VGO), engines with a controlled thrust vector, features of the late stealth technology (orientation of all edges and edges exclusively in two directions), as well as split ailerons for roll and yaw control. According to the developers, the real X-36 would be statically unstable in the longitudinal and track channels, which, in the presence of UHT, would make such an aircraft an extremely dangerous enemy in close air combat. While unprecedented measures to reduce visibility would make such a fighter less vulnerable at long distances.
Stealth is the main criterion for survivability over the battlefield. With the advent of anti-aircraft missiles, aviation was forced to withdraw to extremely low altitudes. Where it became an excellent target for cannon anti-aircraft artillery. Contrary to the widespread controversy "MiG vs. Phantom", the cause of 3/4 of all US Air Force losses in Vietnam were DShK and small-caliber anti-aircraft guns of the partisans. The hot sky of Afghanistan only confirmed the sad statistics: machine-gun fire from the ground is more dangerous than any Stinger.
The only salvation is flight to medium and high altitudes. This is why the extreme anti-visibility measures implemented in the X-36 and Bird of Prey are becoming so important.
The mention of air defense systems and fire from the ground is not accidental. Every fighter is a highly maneuverable strike aircraft. "Phantoms" with napalm. Sushki and MiGs over the Afghan mountains. A high-altitude three-flight MiG-25 with a bunch of bombs …
Jet thrust provided them with a combat load at the level of the "Flying Fortresses" of WWII times. With incomparable capabilities of sighting and navigation equipment.
However, all "classic" fighter-bombers have one subtle feature that causes trouble for pilots and technical personnel. Originally designed as maneuverable fighters, all of these Medium Wing Strike Needles are engineered to have low wing loading. While for a bomber, ideally, this value should be as large as possible. To ensure the rigidity of the wing and to reduce the drag when making supersonic throws, to successfully exit the attack and break away from the pursuit. In general, a low specific load is not the greatest, but an unpleasant congenital disease of all multi-role fighters.
Fifth generation fighters are a new class of military equipment. They are PERFECT interceptors and tactical attack aircraft. The short trapezoidal wing with a large leading edge sweep provides sufficient rigidity to combat turbulence when flying at low altitudes. At the same time, having lost their bomb load, they are able to perform effective anti-missile maneuvers. While the crazy thrust-to-weight ratio, coupled with the highly integrated wing and fuselage, makes them unrivaled air fighters.
It is for this reason that the F-35 so confidently crowds out all other types of aircraft: fighters, attack aircraft, strike vehicles.
The situation is complemented by a perfect sighting system, based on a radar with an active phased array. Equally effective for tracking both air and ground targets.
Multifunctionality is the third trend in modern aviation. There is no doubt that the developers of the sixth generation fighter will stick to the same line. The appearance and characteristics of all the concepts described at the beginning of the article fully confirm this thesis.
A couple of paragraphs above, we touched on the topic of avionics. What changes will take place in the avionics of “future fighters”? Previously, the pilot only saw a dot on the radar. Modern high-sensitivity radar systems with AFAR with appropriate software make it possible to reconstruct the appearance of a target with a resolution of less than one meter.
Radar aerial photographs taken by the radar station of the F-35 fighter
The next stage is the creation of a mathematical apparatus for a three-dimensional radar model.
When viewed from the stratosphere, distinguish a military jeep from an ordinary car … An armed person from an unarmed … Fighting fantasy? Hardly.
Armament of the “fighter of the future”: 100% transition to guided munitions. Air-to-air missiles with a kinetic warhead (smaller dimensions - more ammunition), which is especially important in conditions of limited volumes of internal weapons bays.
An interesting question: will you need a live pilot?
The person is too fragile and unreliable. Whole cockpit with oxygen system, instrument panel and ejection seat. At a time when computers are capable of performing trillions of operations per second, surpassing the level of complex information processing of the human brain.
Failure in electronics - the likelihood of such an event is less than if at the helm, by chance, there is a sleepy, tired or poorly trained pilot. Who, after all, is prone to fear. Yes, and in general, in terms of endurance, it is no good.
On the whole, the issue requires more careful consideration.
But something has been done already today. For example, the British strike UAV "Taranis". Unlike other drones, which are large radio-controlled toys, this demon is capable of targeting itself and opening fire WITHOUT operator confirmation.
British Aerospace Taranis
All these are just sketches of the fighter of the future. To what extent will the expectations be met? And, in general, how soon will the need for such machines appear?
Well, given the right conditions (a new "cold war" or a confrontation between the United States and China), the order to start creating a sixth generation fighter can be given at the beginning of the next decade.
The exact shape of the "technology of the future" remains a mystery. But one thing is already known - these aircraft will be a revolutionary breakthrough into the future. The notorious "fifth generation", despite all the advantages, suffers from an archaic layout. With the advent of the sixth generation, all this technology will be forced to retire.
The only one who has a chance to stay in the sky is the Russian PAK FA. Obviously, he will appear too late and, perhaps, he will have to compete with the sixth generation. Late isn't always bad. The declared characteristics of the Russian fighter (which has no analogues in the world practice of an airborne radar with five antennas or "second stage" engines with an all-aspect UHT and a thrust of 18 tons) will make the PAK FA a 5+ generation.
And then the fun begins …
