F-20 Tigershark (Wallpaper 3)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
image dimensions : 1200 x 750
F-20 Tigershark (Wallpaper 3)
Three. F-20 Tigershark, widescreen, wallpaper, Northrop, Jet, Fighter, USA, Air Force, Attack, Aircraft, Airplane. Photo, image, picture, review, specification.
Northrop developed the F-20 Tigershark in response to a U.S. Government call for the private development of a tactical fighter specifically tailored to meet the security needs of allied and friendly nations. The first flight of the Tigershark was made August 30, 1982. The Mach 2 class F-20 Tigershark's basic single-seat configuration was formally designated the F-20A. The F-20 combined propulsion, electronics and armament technologies with improvements in reliability to sustain high sortie rates in adverse weather. The F-20 incorporated a combination of advanced technology features. The F-20 could carry more than 8,300 pounds of external armaments and fuel on five pylons. It could carry six Sidewinder missiles on air-to-air missions. For air-to-ground missions, more than 6,800 pounds of armament could be carried. Two internally mounted 20mm guns were standard equipment on the Tigershark. The avionics system features a General Electric multimode radar, Honeywell laser inertial navigation system, General Electric head-up display, Bendix digital display and control set and Teledyne Systems mission computer. The F-20 is powered by a General Electric F404 engine, with 17,000 pounds of thrust. The F404 is recognized as one of the world's most reliable advanced technology engines. It is also used to power the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps F/A-18A Hornet strike fighter. Once airborne, the F-20 pilot utilized his multimode radar, which could detect and track targets at ranges of up to 48 nautical miles "look up" and 31 nautical miles "look down." The F-20 mission computer coordinated the aircraft's weapons systems. The head-up display placed critical weapons, target and flight data at the pilot's eye level. This allowed him to fight without having to look down. Northrop designed a new panoramic canopy for the F-20 that gave the pilot a 50 percent increase in rearward visibility over previous Northrop fighters. An improved seat and headrest design combined to substantially expand over-the-shoulder visibility, which is critical in air-to-air combat. Aerodynamic features of the F-20 included an enlarged leading edge extension to the wing, which generated up to 30 percent of the lift manoeuvres. The "shark-shaped" nose allowed the F-20 to manoeuvre at much higher angles of attack than current operational fighters. The F-20 airframe could withstand 9 G's. The F-20 was reliable and easy to maintain. Based on comparisons with the average of contemporary international fighters, the F-20 consumed 53 percent less fuel, required 52 percent less maintenance manpower, had 63 percent lower operating and maintenance costs and had four times the reliability. This final incarnation of the F5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II family (aka "the flying razorblade," especially to pilots who flew against it at Top Gun/Red Flag, because it was "murderously hard to see until it was right on top of you") exhibited vastly superior performance to the Fighting Falcon in many respects. Unfortunately, double-dealing back-room politics killed this magnificent fighter, leaving the US and its NATO allies in the lurch and forced to rely on the lesser Fighting Falcon and the compromise-laden Hornet strike/fighter instead. The F20 Tigershark was a 100% privately-funded development; a 1.1/1 thrust/weight ratio, dedicated air superiority fighter that was a joy to handle and exhibited no vices of any kind. in fact, it has often been said that she would not "depart" under all but the most extraordinary circumstances. I've spoken with two high-hour pilots who flew the Tigershark, and they were unanimous in their praise of her capabilities. Especially praiseworthy was the F20's ability to achieve supersonic speeds at milpo (which the Falcon needs reheat to accomplish!) and its superb trust-to-weight ratio and high alpha capabilities, which meant it could hang in there in prolonged high-G turns that would've left the Falcon sucking dust. The hard-earned lessons of the past have been largely forgotten by buzz-word-addicted politicians/procurement-committee-types and air staff officers, most of whom have never seen combat and have been promoted far beyond their level of competence. One of the most important of these lessons is that it is ALWAYS more cost-effective to maintain a mix of purpose-built fighter/strike types than to develop and maintain a handful of overly-expensive, compromise-laden multi-mission/multi-role "self-escorting" strike/fighters. The problem with that kind of heavily compromised airframe is that when bounced by purpose-built dogfighters (even ones that are one or two generations older, as we saw repeatedly in Vietnam) these "self-escorting" F/A strike fighters have to dump their heavy A/G loads in order to fight effectively in the A/A role. This amounts to nothing short of a "mission kill," and as all fighter pilots know, "a mission kill is almost as good as a real kill." That's why they should bring back the mixed approach of dedicated strike planes doing what they' best at, all the while being covered by dedicated dogfighters doing what they're best at.
Three. F-20 Tigershark, widescreen, wallpaper, Northrop, Jet, Fighter, USA, Air Force, Attack, Aircraft, Airplane. Photo, image, picture, review, specification.
Northrop developed the F-20 Tigershark in response to a U.S. Government call for the private development of a tactical fighter specifically tailored to meet the security needs of allied and friendly nations. The first flight of the Tigershark was made August 30, 1982. The Mach 2 class F-20 Tigershark's basic single-seat configuration was formally designated the F-20A. The F-20 combined propulsion, electronics and armament technologies with improvements in reliability to sustain high sortie rates in adverse weather. The F-20 incorporated a combination of advanced technology features. The F-20 could carry more than 8,300 pounds of external armaments and fuel on five pylons. It could carry six Sidewinder missiles on air-to-air missions. For air-to-ground missions, more than 6,800 pounds of armament could be carried. Two internally mounted 20mm guns were standard equipment on the Tigershark. The avionics system features a General Electric multimode radar, Honeywell laser inertial navigation system, General Electric head-up display, Bendix digital display and control set and Teledyne Systems mission computer. The F-20 is powered by a General Electric F404 engine, with 17,000 pounds of thrust. The F404 is recognized as one of the world's most reliable advanced technology engines. It is also used to power the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps F/A-18A Hornet strike fighter. Once airborne, the F-20 pilot utilized his multimode radar, which could detect and track targets at ranges of up to 48 nautical miles "look up" and 31 nautical miles "look down." The F-20 mission computer coordinated the aircraft's weapons systems. The head-up display placed critical weapons, target and flight data at the pilot's eye level. This allowed him to fight without having to look down. Northrop designed a new panoramic canopy for the F-20 that gave the pilot a 50 percent increase in rearward visibility over previous Northrop fighters. An improved seat and headrest design combined to substantially expand over-the-shoulder visibility, which is critical in air-to-air combat. Aerodynamic features of the F-20 included an enlarged leading edge extension to the wing, which generated up to 30 percent of the lift manoeuvres. The "shark-shaped" nose allowed the F-20 to manoeuvre at much higher angles of attack than current operational fighters. The F-20 airframe could withstand 9 G's. The F-20 was reliable and easy to maintain. Based on comparisons with the average of contemporary international fighters, the F-20 consumed 53 percent less fuel, required 52 percent less maintenance manpower, had 63 percent lower operating and maintenance costs and had four times the reliability. This final incarnation of the F5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II family (aka "the flying razorblade," especially to pilots who flew against it at Top Gun/Red Flag, because it was "murderously hard to see until it was right on top of you") exhibited vastly superior performance to the Fighting Falcon in many respects. Unfortunately, double-dealing back-room politics killed this magnificent fighter, leaving the US and its NATO allies in the lurch and forced to rely on the lesser Fighting Falcon and the compromise-laden Hornet strike/fighter instead. The F20 Tigershark was a 100% privately-funded development; a 1.1/1 thrust/weight ratio, dedicated air superiority fighter that was a joy to handle and exhibited no vices of any kind. in fact, it has often been said that she would not "depart" under all but the most extraordinary circumstances. I've spoken with two high-hour pilots who flew the Tigershark, and they were unanimous in their praise of her capabilities. Especially praiseworthy was the F20's ability to achieve supersonic speeds at milpo (which the Falcon needs reheat to accomplish!) and its superb trust-to-weight ratio and high alpha capabilities, which meant it could hang in there in prolonged high-G turns that would've left the Falcon sucking dust. The hard-earned lessons of the past have been largely forgotten by buzz-word-addicted politicians/procurement-committee-types and air staff officers, most of whom have never seen combat and have been promoted far beyond their level of competence. One of the most important of these lessons is that it is ALWAYS more cost-effective to maintain a mix of purpose-built fighter/strike types than to develop and maintain a handful of overly-expensive, compromise-laden multi-mission/multi-role "self-escorting" strike/fighters. The problem with that kind of heavily compromised airframe is that when bounced by purpose-built dogfighters (even ones that are one or two generations older, as we saw repeatedly in Vietnam) these "self-escorting" F/A strike fighters have to dump their heavy A/G loads in order to fight effectively in the A/A role. This amounts to nothing short of a "mission kill," and as all fighter pilots know, "a mission kill is almost as good as a real kill." That's why they should bring back the mixed approach of dedicated strike planes doing what they' best at, all the while being covered by dedicated dogfighters doing what they're best at.
Labels: F-20 Tigershark
|
|
<< Home