DESIGNING ADVANCED

FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

Burt Dicht
Managing Director
ASME Knowledge and
Community Sector

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 MODERN FIGHTER
AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS
• Air Superiority – controlling the airspace within a limited area and within a
limited length of time
• Stealth – seeing the enemy before they see you
• Maneuverability – not top speed, but climbing performance, acceleration
and turning speed
• Aerodynamics – wing loading – aircraft weight divided by wing area – one
of the most important
• Range – ability of the aircraft to reach the combat zone and cover it
• Engine – thrust to weight ratio, favorable fuel consumption, low infrared
and smoke
• Avionics – Vehicle and systems management, reduced pilot workload, all
weather capability
• Armament- kind and quantity of stores on board
• Reliability and Maintainability – systems have a high operational rate and
are easy to repair

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 THE EVOLUTION OF
STEALTH AIRCRAFT
• From the earliest days,
deception and stealth have
been used to gain the
advantage over an enemy
in combat.
• Early combat aircraft
used camouflage to make
visual detection difficult.
• The advent of RADAR in
the late 1930’s and during Romulan “Bird of Prey”
WWII enabled the early • Equipped with “Cloaking Device.”
detection of aircraft in
flight.
• Made the craft invisible to 3
 THE EVOLUTION OF
STEALTH

NORTHROP YB-49 BOMBER

• Designed by Jack Northrop
in the late 1940’s.
• Role was as a strategic
bomber.
• Its unique wing shape
produced a low radar cross
section, although the goal
was improved performance.

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 THE EVOLUTION OF
STEALTH
DESIGN IN THE 50’S AND 60’S
• Stealth in aircraft design does
not mean invisible – it means
“Low Observable,” reducing the
radar cross section.
• Little effort in the 50’s and 60’s.
Integrating low observable
aspects meant compromising
performance – so designers
concentrated on speed,
maneuverability, and weapons.
• A-12/SR-71 has rounded lines,
wing/body blending, conical
center bodies, fuselage chine
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
and canted twin fins to reduce 5
radar reflectivity.
 RADAR CROSS SECTION

An object's Radar Cross

Section depends on its
size, reflectivity of its
surface, and the
directivity of the radar
reflection caused by the
object's geometric
shape.
RCS = Geometric cross
section × Reflectivity ×
Typical RCS diagram B-26 Invader
Directivity 6
(From Wikipedia)
 STEALTH
CHARACTERISTICS

• Airframe shaped for Low

Radar Cross Section
•Use of Radar Absorbent
Material (RAM)
•Minimized engine noise
•Reduced infrared signature
•Reduced visual signature
•Use of electronic
countermeasures
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 THE FIRST STEALTH
AIRCRAFT
F-117A Nighthawk
• USAF and DARPA studies
initiated in 1973 – project
Have Blue
•Air Force invites proposals
to develop technology
prototype
•Lockheed and Northrop were
finalists and each built a
prototype for a “fly-off”
•Lockheed wins production Mission – covert reconnaissance
contract in 1976 and covert surgical strikes
Subsonic – limited performance 8
 STEALTH GROWS UP

• 1980 report concluded that B-1 bomber would be

unable to penetrate Soviet air space beyond 1990
• Positive results from Have Blue (F-117) justified
launch of a full-scale low-observable bomber
program (Advanced Technology Bomber – ATB)
• Lockheed/Rockwell team and a Northrop/Boeing
team responded to requests for proposals
• Northrop relied on experience studying stealth
technology and its extensive experience with
flying wing designs and was awarded the contract
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 STEALTH GROWS UP

NORTHROP – GRUMMAN
B-2 SPIRIT
• Length – 69ft
• Height – 17ft
• Wingspan – 172 ft
• Max Speed – Mach .85
•Range 6300 nm
• Armament – 40,000 lbs in
internal weapons bays
•Powerplant – four GE F-118-
GE-100 turbofans – 17,300 lbs 10
 DEVELOPING A TRULY
STEALTH FIGHTER
WHY THE NEED?
• Late 1970’s – Soviets building far more fighters than US
• Massive Soviet surface to air missile threat
• USAF looking to technology to counter Soviet numerical
advantage
• In 1981 USAF issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the
Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF)
• A RFI does not offer any money or production contracts, it
defines mission, the threat, service entry date and new features
that are desirable and feasible
• Supercruise (the ability to achieve supersonic flight without
afterburner) and stealth were considered essential components,
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although stealth was still considered an exotic technology
 DEVELOPING A TRULY
STEALTH FIGHTER
THE ADVANCED TACTICAL FIGHTER (ATF) PROGRAM
• Air Force opts to build a truly air-to-air fighter to follow the F-15
Eagle air superiority fighter - designed to enter service in mid 90’s
• In 1983 USAF issues Request for Proposals (RFP) for ATF and
the Joint Advanced Fighter Engine (JAFE)
• General Electric and Pratt & Whitney vie for engine contract
• Lockheed, Rockwell, Grumman, McDonnell Douglas, General
Dynamics, Boeing and Northrop vie for aircraft contract
• McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics were thought to have
the inside track because of F-15 and F-16
• But stealth proved to be the deciding factor. Both Northrop and
Lockheed fell back on their stealth experience and proposed
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stealthy fighters that could perform as well as non-stealthy
 DEVELOPING A TRULY
STEALTH FIGHTER
THE ADVANCED TACTICAL FIGHTER (ATF) PROGRAM
• In October 1986 the USAF awards the contracts to
build prototype aircraft to Northrop and Lockheed
• Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas to build the
YF-23A
• Lockheed - Boeing - General Dynamics comprised the
other team to build the YF-22A.
• Aircraft first flights in the Fall of 1990.
• Lockheed Martin awarded contract in April 1991. The
F-22 is now in production.
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 YF-23A BLACK WIDOW II
•Wing Span 43.6 ft • Two Prototypes were built
•Length 67.4 ft • PAV 1 - two Pratt & Whitney YF119
•Height 13.9 ft engines
• PAV 2 - two GE YF120 engines
•Wing area 900 sq. ft.
•Top Speed Mach 2+
•Range 800 Nm
•Altitude 65,000 ft
•Air Superiority
•Low Observable
•Super-cruise - mach
1+ without afterburner
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 NORTHROP GRUMMAN
AN AIRFRAME MANUFACTURER
• Responsible for the design,
manufacture and integration of aircraft
and aircraft sub-assemblies

F/A-18 Carrier
Takeoff
Boeing (McDonnell Douglas/Northrop)
F/A-18F Super Hornet 15
AIRCRAFT DESIGN PROCESS
• Customer Requirements
• Conceptual Design Phase
General size and configuration of the aircraft •
aerodynamics studies • thrust loading • wing
loading • wing sweep • general body, wing and tail
configurations
• Preliminary Design Phase
Best conceptual design is chosen for testing •
inlet/engine/airframe integration • major loads and
stresses • weight • stability and control • internal
arrangement
• Detailed Design Phase
Configuration frozen • Detailed structural design •
Detailed system design and installation •
Production drawings
• Development Phase
Manufacturing and assembly
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 AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING
GROUPS
• Aerodynamics
• Advanced Design
• Avionics (airborne electronics)
• Crew Station (cockpit)
• ECS (environmental control system)
• Electrical
• Flight Test
• Fuel Systems
• Hydraulic Systems
• Propulsion Integration (engines)
• Reliability and Maintainability
• Safety
• Structures
• Vehicle Management (flight control)
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 CONFIGURATION/
SYSTEMS
INTEGRATION
• Responsible for overall internal
and external systems arrangement
• Work with every design group and
coordinate and integrate their
designs into a single aircraft
design
• Final Product:
Inboard Profile Drawing • Aperture
F-20A Tigershark Arrangement • Three Views • Zone
Drawings

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 INBOARD PROFILE

F-23A Advanced Tactical Fighter

Profile View 19
 APERTURE
ARRANGEMENT

YF-23A Prototype Air Vehicle –

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Plan View
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN
IS A COMPROMISE
• It is the task of the aircraft design engineer
to balance the customer requirements with
the physical constraints, cost and time-
scale, in order to produce the most
effective aircraft possible.
• Aircraft Design Requires Teamwork
• No “one” design group is more important
than the others.
• Note: All Engineering involves
Compromises!

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 LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
DESIGN GROUPS HAVE THEIR WAY

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 ENGINEERING JOB
DESCRIPTIONS
• Design - From Concept to Production
• Good understanding of engineering principles
• See things in 3-D (Geometry, Graphics, Kinematics)
• Like to solve problems, come up with better ways of doing things
• Analysis - Verify engineering designs (Stress, Thermal,
Aerodynamics, Dynamics)
• Engineering Theory and Mathematics
• Problem solving
• Test - Verify functionality of design
• Basic understanding of engineering theory and design principles
• Lab work and strict guidelines and procedures
• Operations- Maintaining and operating final product
• Basic understanding of engineering design and systems
• Understand how and why things work

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YF-23A BLACK
WIDOW II

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 LOCKHEED
MARTIN F-22A
RAPTOR
•Wing Span 44.5 ft
•Length 62 ft 1 in
•Wing area 830 sq. ft.
•Top Speed Mach 2+
•Range 800 Nm
•Altitude 65,000 ft
•Air Superiority
•Low Observable
•Two Pratt & Whitney
F119-PW-100 Turbofans
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@ 35,000 lbs
LOCKHEED MARTIN X-35 (F-35)
JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics -
Aerospace Outlook
Employment Change 2004 - 2014
•Aerospace engineers held about 76,000 jobs in 2004.
•Aerospace engineers are expected to have slower-than-average growth in
employment over the projection period. Although increases in the number and
scope of military aerospace projects likely will generate new jobs, increased
efficiency will limit the number of new jobs in the design and production of
commercial aircraft. Even with slow growth, the employment outlook for
aerospace engineers through 2014 appears favorable: the number of degrees
granted in aerospace engineering declined for many years because of a
perceived lack of opportunities in this field, and, although this trend is reversing,
new graduates continue to be needed to replace aerospace engineers who retire
or leave the occupation for other reasons.
•Mechanical engineers held about 226,000 jobs in 2004.
•Employment of mechanical engineers is projected to grow at an average rate for
all occupations though 2014.
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 AEROSPACE & ME
SALARIES
• Average starting salary for Bachelor’s degree
candidates in aerospace engineering is
$53,471 a year. (2006)
• Average starting salary for Bachelor’s degree
candidates in mechanical engineering is
$52,165 a year. (2006)

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 THE FUTURE

BOEING 787 DREAMLINER

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THE FUTURE

AIRBUS A380
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 THE FUTURE

Northrop Grumman X-47B Pegasus Unmanned Combat Air System

Demonstrator (UCAS-D).
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 THE FUTURE

BOEING 797 FLYING WING

PASSENGER JET 32
 THE FUTURE

SCALED COMPOSITES
SPACESHIP ONE
(Building Spaceship Two for Virgin Galactic)
http://www.scaled.com/index.html

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 THE FUTURE

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES

FALCON 1LAUNCH VEHICLE
http://www.spacex.com

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 THE FUTURE

ORION CREW EXPLORATION

VEHICLE 35
 THE FUTURE

ARES V Launch ARES I

Vehicle (two - 5 Launch
segment shuttle Vehicle (5
SRBs and a 33 ft segment
diameter liquid shuttle SRB
fueled booster for the 1st
with 5 RS-68 stage and a
engines for the 1st liquid fueled
stage and an Earth J2X engine for
Departure Stage the second
with a single J2X stage)
engine)

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 THE FUTURE

LUNAR SURFACE ACCESS MODULE

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THE FUTURE

ORION AND LSAM

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 AEROSPACE WEB SITES
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/

• About Aerospace/Aviation - Links to many aerospace

employers http://aerospace.about.com/industry/aerospace/cs/aviationjobs/index.htm
• SpaceJobs.com - Aviation and Aerospace business news and
job search
http://www.spacejobs.com/index.shtml

• Aircraft Design Sites

http://www.aircraftdesign.com/other.html

• Aerospace Industries Association – sign up for AIA Update

http://www.aia-aerospace.org/

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 AEROSPACE WEB SITES
• AOL Hometown - Aerospace Job Search
http://hometown.aol.com/aerojobs/Welcome.html
• Nation Job - Job database and search engine
http://www.nationjob.com/aviation/
• NASA - Job and internship information
http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/
http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/stud_opps/
• Aerospace Mall - A directory of many aerospace/aviation
related companies (From airframe to suppliers, from military
to general aviation)
http://www.aerospacemall.com/
• Internships
http://www.Tech-Interns.com

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 MORE ABOUT THE
AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
ASME’s Professional
Practice Curriculum –
Industry Series
http://professionalpractice.asme.org/
The Aerospace Module:
• Industry Scope
• Industry Sectors
• Industry Operations
• Job Functions
• Industry Outlook
• Mapping Your Career
• Industry Resources
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