MRCA COMPETI TORS

COMPETITION IS NOW HOTTING-UP f or t he

MRCA multi-role combat aircraft being
projected on a collaborative basis by
Italy, West Germany and the United
"^Kingdom and now awaiting a decision
on the building of prototypes.
From Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
has come a proposal (Flight, March 19)
to offer the latest version of the Star-
fighter (CL-1200) to European countries
which built and are operating the F-104.
These include two of the MRCA
partners, Italy and West Germany. This
would have the advantage of providing a
logical follow-on in production to the
Starfighter, and of easing the logistic
problems of the air forces operating it.
On the other hand, as far as the German
Air Force is concerned, the F-104G has
earned itself an unhappy reputation
because of the number of aircraft lost
(118 to date). Also, Germany's aircraft
industry is no doubt anxious to put a
type of its own into production, having
Infra-red Reconnaissance
ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION TO THE AN- US D-
j 501 airborne surveillance system which is
to come into the British Army inventory
this year (Flight, March 5, page 355) is
the Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Type 201
infra-red linescan system. Describing
their contribution to this reconnaissance
drone, HSD say that it "looks more like
a missile than aircraft, is only eight feet,
2.4m long and just over one foot, 0.3m
in diameter. It is launched by rocket and
flies over enemy territory on a pre-
selected path. It is guided to the recovery
area by a homing beacon where the
engine cuts off and a parachute floats
the drone to the ground. Infra-red or
photographic imagery recorded by the
drone during its flight can be rapidly
developed and assessed to provide the
tactical commander with battlefield in-
formation. Due to its small size and
high subsonic velocity the drone is almost
impossible to detect and has a high prob-
ability of survival in hostile environ-
ments.
"In 1968 Hawker Siddeley Dynamics
was selected, after international compe-
tition, to develop an infra-red linescan
5 sensor for the drone, which can be car-
ried as an alternative to photographic
cameras.
"Linescan is a form of reconnaissance
in which the terrain overflown is scanned
at high speed in narrow strips at right
angles to the flight path. Forward motion
builds up a continuous picture of the
built only projects since its post-war
revival. Germany's MRCA requirement
(600) would be half the total number to
be built. So far, Lockheed have not
released any details of the CL-1200.
The other MRCA competitor is now
the Dassault Mirage F.l, the develop-
ment of the 3E, which it was reported
from Paris last week had been offered
to the Italians. The attractiveness of this
alternative to Italyand which would
woo her away from the MRCA consor-
tiumwould be largely on economic
grounds, because the cost of the F.l
would probably be about two-thirds that
of the MRCA. Also, the French aircraft
is already in being, while the multi-role
combat type so far exists only on paper.
Primary r61e of the F.l is all-weather
interception, which is what the Italian
Air Force require in their MRCA
version. The French have reportedly
offered licence-production of the aircraft
in Italy.
radiation from the ground below. In an
infra-red linescan, radiation is collected
by an optical scanner and is focused on
to an infra-red detector. Variations in
the radiation received cause correspond-
ing fluctuations of the signal output from
the detector. The detector output is pro-
cessed electronically and is used to
modulate the intensity of a light source
which exposes a photographic film.
"The introduction of an infra-red line-
scan, as an alternative sensor to optical
cameras, provides the drone with impor-
tant additional capabilities. In particular,
the night performance of the system is
greatly enhanced, -since the IR linescan
can produce continuous imagery on the
darkest night without the use of illumin-
ating flares.
"The use of a completely different
part of the electro-magnetic spectrum
enables the system to detect targets in
circumstances where a camera would be
useless. It is possible, for example, to
detect military targets, such as vehicles
which are under camouflage, by virtue
of the difference in temperature from
their surroundings.
"Twelve months' successful and rapid
development of the infra-red linescan
culminated in a series of flights with the
sensor installed in the drone at the Royal
Canadian Artillery Firing Range at
Camp Shilo, Manitoba. These trials were
completely successful and resulted in
high quality infra-red imagery of military
targets."
573
Lockheed's New Hercules
THE FIRST OF A NEW TYPE of C- 130
Herculesthe forty-second versionhas
been delivered to the US Air Force by
Lockheed-Georgia. Designated HC-130N,
it is a long-range rescue aircraft and
helicopter in-flight refueller. It can refuel
two helicopters simultaneously, rAnain
on station for three hours and transfer
2,500 gal of fuel at maximum range.
The HC-130N has a search system to
locate aircrew on the ground and to
track returning space vehicles. For
catching space vehicles in the air, the
aircraft uses a special system on its aft
cargo ramp.
India's Fighter Aircraft
INDIA HAS STARTED PRODUCING mi ssi l es
for MiG-21s and a suitably modified
version of the aircraft was being de-
veloped, according to the Minister of
State for Defence Production, Mr L. N.
Misra. The new version of MiG-21 would
be called Mig-21 (M).
Besides the manufacture of the Gnat,
HF-24s and MiGs, research into a new
fighter with better striking capacity and
endurance was being carried out, Mr
Misra said in the Indian Parliament.
A new engine with an improved re-
heat system was also being developed
for the HF-24. Separate design sections
would set up at the Nasik, Koraput and
Hyderabad factories to train engineers
in designing supersonic aircraft.
India had almost attained self-reliance
with regard to fighter planes, he added,
but it would take some time to achieve
self-sufficiency.
F- l l l "Shortcomings"
DISCLOSURES OF SHORTCOMINGS i n t h e
F- l l l were made last week by the chair-
man of the US Senate permanent investi-
tions sub-committee, Senator John L.
McLellan, when he addressed committee
hearings. He made them after the
Administration had agreed to cancel
guidelines that had prevented the com-
mittee's staff from learning the full
details of F- l l l cost and performance.
Shortcomings disclosed by the senator
were as follows:
(1) Its cruising range was only 2,750-
miles as against 4,180 miles called for in
the specifications.
(2) Its maximum, high-altitude speed
originally specified at 2.5 times the speed
of soundis Mach 2.2.
(3) Its "supersonic dash distance"
the capability of diving under enemy
radar and surface-to-air missiles flying at
supersonic speeds to attack, then climb-
ing back to high altitudesis 30 miles.
The contract specification was for 210
miles.
. (4) It requires at least 3,550ft to
take off, instead of 2,780ft.
(5) It takes four minutes to
accelerate from 0.9 to Mach 2.2, com-
pared with the 1.45 minutes specified.
(6) Its take-off weight, originally
planned to be 69,1221b, has risen to
82,5001b.