India AMCA Program

[Nilgiri]

Addendum to what I posted above:

Wing area vs MTOW for F-22 vs F-35 and HAL AMCA (provisional) for basic L/D comparison

i.e AMCA closer to ratio of F-22 here.

F-22 MTOW = 38 ton, wing area = 78, wingspan = 13.56, AR = 2.36
F-35 MTOW = 30 ton, wing area = 43, wingspan = 11, AR = 2.81
AMCA* MTOW = 25 ton, wing area = 55, wingspan = 11.13, AR = 2.25

Wave drag reduced by lower AR (supercruise at M 1.5+, given massive wave drag spike at mach 1 region), hence why F-22 AR compared to F-35

i.e F-22 more optimised to supersonic combat, F-35 subsonic and transonic.

http://www.stengel.mycpanel.princeton.edu/MAE331Lecture5.pdf

page 14

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA377310.pdf

page 19

 

[Gessler]

Looks like work on the DAS prototype has begun...

The proof of concept for the sensor fusion software looks like it'll only have 2 sensors to begin with. The system would probably be integrated on the DRDO A319 FTB first...

...not unlike how F-35's EODAS was first fitted on the B737 FTB:

 

[Radonsider]

With 2 sensors wouldn't it be hard? Maybe just for testing

 

[Gessler]

With 2 sensors wouldn't it be hard? Maybe just for testing

Yes - just to get the sensor fusion working. Eventually it should have 6 apertures.

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1776483159460515896

 

[Afif]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1776483159460515896

As you know my knowledge in this domain is primitive. But how does DRDO finish CDR before even having an actual workable prototype? Don't you first need a tech demonstrator like YF-22, X-35 and KAAN today?

 

[Nilgiri]

As you know my knowledge in this domain is primitive. But how does DRDO finish CDR before even having an actual workable prototype? Don't you first need a tech demonstrator like YF-22, X-35 and KAAN today?

This is essentially the CDR for a prototype and tech demonstrator.

Just like those 3 you mention all would have had CDR done before fabricating the prototype.

X-35 for example had its CDR ~ 1998, fabrication over two years and first test flight in 2000.

The F-35 TD could then use this earlier CDR to get going in parallel while the CDR for the F-35 series production was constructed with the design feedback from all of this (I think in 2006 or some such year, I forget the year).

But there always has to be a CDR completed at some stage for there to be fabrication and assembly.

 

[Windchime]

As you know my knowledge in this domain is primitive. But how does DRDO finish CDR before even having an actual workable prototype? Don't you first need a tech demonstrator like YF-22, X-35 and KAAN today?

You are misunderstanding what a CDR actually is. Look up what the term "design review" means in system engineering. In terms of military acquisition, a lot of the countries base their processes on the US DoD practice, so I suggest you reading following link

https://aaf.dau.edu/aaf/mca/cdr/

Also, you are getting it the other way around. Manufacturing of any prototype follows a design review, not vice versa. That design review is typically critical design review, since you need to have finished most critical designs to build a representative prototype. A TD vehicle is not a premise for fighter development.