Military aircraft configurations overview

Design goal	Characteristics required	Ideal planform
Dogfight	fast transients (roll onset, pitch onset) subsonic-transonic turn rates (instantaneous, sustained) energy management (acceleration, climb) cruise speed and endurance	close-coupled moderate-sweep canard delta
BVR combat	energy management (acceleration, climb) supersonic turn rates (sustained, instantaneous) cruise speed and endurance top speed	long arm moderate-sweep canard delta
BVR interception	top speed cruise speed and endurance energy management (acceleration, climb)	tailless moderate-sweep delta tailless high-sweep delta
Low-altitude strike	low-altitude performance (speed, acceleration, range) payload	tailed low-sweep wing
Long-range strike Strategic bombardment	range payload optional: cruise speed, service ceiling	tailless moderate-sweep delta tailed low-sweep wing long-arm canard-delta flying wing
Close air support	fast transients (roll onset, pitch onset) subsonic turn rates (instantaneous, sustained) energy management (acceleration, climb) cruise speed and endurance combat endurance damage tolerance	tailed no-sweep wing close-coupled low/no-sweep canard wing
Reconnaissance	high altitude performance (service ceilling, cruise speed, endurance) range payload	moderate-sweep delta wing
Patrol	range endurance payload	tailed no-sweep wing
Transport	range payload takeoff and landing	tailed low-sweep wing tailed no-sweep wing

Design goal	Characteristics required	Engine configuration
Dogfight	fast transients (roll onset, pitch onset) subsonic-transonic turn rates (instantaneous, sustained) energy management (acceleration, climb) cruise speed and endurance	single-engined
BVR combat	energy management (acceleration, climb) supersonic turn rates (sustained, instantaneous) cruise speed and endurance top speed payload	twin-engined
BVR interception	top speed cruise speed and endurance energy management (acceleration, climb) payload	twin-engined
Low-altitude strike	low-altitude performance (speed, acceleration, range) payload damage tolerance	twin-engined
Long-range strike Strategic bombardment	range payload optional: cruise speed, service ceiling	twin-engined multi-engined
Close air support	fast transients (roll onset, pitch onset) subsonic turn rates (instantaneous, sustained) energy management (acceleration, climb) cruise speed and endurance combat endurance damage tolerance payload	twin-engined
Reconnaissance	high altitude performance (service ceilling, cruise speed, endurance) range	multi-engined twin-engined single-engined
Patrol	range endurance	multi-engined twin-engined
Transport	range payload takeoff and landing	multi-engined twin-engined

Design goal

Characteristics required

Engine type

Dogfight

fast transients (roll onset, pitch onset)

subsonic-transonic turn rates (instantaneous, sustained)

energy management (acceleration, climb)

cruise (speed, endurance)

turbojet

low-bypass turbofan (BPR <0,4)

BVR combat

energy management (acceleration, climb)

supersonic turn rates (sustained, instantaneous)

cruise speed and endurance

top speed

turbojet

low-bypass turbofan (BPR <0,4)

BVR interception

top speed

cruise speed and endurance

energy management (acceleration, climb)

turbojet

low-bypass turbofan (BPR <0,4)

Low-altitude strike

low-altitude performance (speed, acceleration, range)

payload

damage tolerance

moderate- to high- -bypass turbofan (BPR >0,4)

Long-range strike

Strategic bombardment

range

payload

high-bypass turbofan (BPR >0,9)

turboprop

Close air support

fast transients (roll onset, pitch onset)

subsonic turn rates (instantaneous, sustained)

energy management (acceleration, climb)

cruise speed and endurance

combat endurance

damage tolerance

high-bypass turbofan (BPR >0,9)

Reconnaissance

high altitude performance (service ceilling, cruise speed, endurance)

range

payload

turbojet

turbofan

Patrol

range

endurance

payload

turboprop

piston

Transport

range

payload

takeoff and landing

turboprop

piston

high-bypass turbofan (BPR >0,9)

Design goal	Characteristics required	Crew compartment
Dogfight	quick decision cycle	single-seat
BVR combat	high information input quick decision cycle	single-seat two-seat
BVR interception	high information input	two-seat
Low-altitude strike	quick decision cycle	single-seat
Long-range strike Strategic bombardment	long mission duration	multi-seat
Close air support	high information input quick decision cycle high information output (to ground troops)	two-seat single-seat
Reconnaissance	high information input long mission duration	multi-seat
Patrol	high information input long mission duration	multi-seat
Transport	long mission duration low information input	multi-seat two-seat

Design goal	Characteristics required	Primary sensor(s)
Dogfight	high resolution resistance to jamming high probability of surprise (no emissions)	IRST video
BVR combat	high resolution resistance to jamming high probability of surprise (no emissions) reliable ID	IRST
BVR interception	long range high volume search	radar
Low-altitude strike	high resolution resistance to jamming high probability of surprise reliable ID	FLIR video
Long-range strike Strategic bombardment	resistance to adverse meteorological conditions	radar
Close air support	high resolution resistance to jamming high probability of surprise reliable ID	FLIR video
Reconnaissance	high resolution resistance to jamming high probability of surprise reliable ID	IR video
Patrol	high resolution resistance to jamming reliable ID high volume search	IR video radar
Transport	resistance to adverse meteorologic conditions high resolution	radar IR

Design goal	Characteristics required	Canopy type
Dogfight	good situational awareness	bubble
BVR combat	good situational awareness low drag	bubble / semi-bubble
BVR interception	low drag	sunk
Low-altitude strike	low drag	sunk
Long-range strike Strategic bombardment	low drag	sunk
Close air support	good situational awareness	bubble
Reconnaissance	low drag	sunk
Patrol	low drag	sunk
Transport	low drag	sunk

Design goal	Characteristics required	Gun type
Dogfight	quick reaction time (firing acceleration) short flight time (high muzzle velocity) high precision high damage (heavy shell, high HE content)	25-30 mm revolver
BVR combat	N/A (Not Applicable)	N/A
BVR interception	N/A	N/A
Low-altitude strike	high damage (heavy shell, high HE content) large ammo load	25-30 mm rotary
Long-range strike Strategic bombardment	N/A	N/A
Close air support	high damage good precision large ammo load large number of firing passes	30-35 mm rotary 30+ mm linear action
Reconnaissance	N/A	N/A
Patrol	N/A	N/A
Transport	N/A	N/A

Uncategorized

7 thoughts on “Military aircraft configurations overview”

syntaxerror9 says:

11 Feb 2016 at 8:20 am

For close air support’s characteristic, i will add small radius turn.
Subsonic turn rate is important but it’s important too having a radius turn as small as possible to keep target in sight easily and reduce time between fire engagements.

For dogfight’s charateristuc, i will add fuel efficiency (not far from “energy management” you mention, indeed).
In dogfight particulary, the first to break combat cause of low fuel has few chance to stay alive.
In dogfight, you can choose to stay in a “draw” position, taking few risks cause you know you have more fuel or more saving fuel capabilities than you oponent. Waiting him to break then, following him to shoot. These two points(“last to break” and “draw as a tactics”) give some “comfort” in a pilot’s mind engaging a dogfight.

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1. Francesco Ganzetti says:
  
  11 Feb 2016 at 2:49 pm
  
  In dogfight ,if you dont have irisT which has very good defensive capabilities and 180 engagement, bith contenders die, even if an f22 would encounter a mig 21 with proper wvr missile: that is why has not much sense to trow a modern and expensive fgihter in wvr.
  
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  1. syntaxerror9 says:
    
    11 Feb 2016 at 6:52 pm
    
    Don’t understand what you mean by “both contenders die without irisT type missile.
    I was thinking about dogfight canon, maybe that why i don’t understand.
    
    In a wvr combat before canon part, indeed, with same type of missile on both side, at the first crossing, the game can be equal , but if it comes to manoeuver just after, fuel efficiency and turn rate will be crucial.
    
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  2. picard578 says:
    
    12 Feb 2016 at 6:14 am
    
    That is an assumption that is at best untested. Seeing how WVR missiles achieved 60-70% Pk against largerly nonmaneuvering targets, I wouldn’t put much money into it.
    
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  3. Francesco Ganzetti says:
    
    12 Feb 2016 at 3:29 pm
    
    R “Don’t understand what you mean by “both contenders die without irisT type missile.”
    Very few missiles have 180 degrees launch window; iris t has also very high intercept ratio vs incoming missiles.
    
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altandmain says:

12 Feb 2016 at 12:02 am

It’d be interesting to consider the possibility of maybe a single engined CAS aircraft as well.

As I’ve noted before, another possibility is a turboprop driven CAS aircraft, for the loiter time.

With BVR combat, I think that you will want to have an aircraft that is at least a decent dogfighter, in case you do get intercepted. Something like a tailess close coupled delta variant of the Su-27 like I’ve described before I think is the best compromise. It won’t have the transient performance of a smaller aircraft due to size and wingspan, but it will still be very lethal. You could also go with what the Eurofighter has done with the long arm canard (such an aircraft might be a hybrid between the Su-27 variants with their high fuel fraction and the Eurofighter), although you’d want to consider deleting the radar.

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altandmain says:

15 Feb 2016 at 8:55 pm

The latest F-35 report:
http://www.pogo.org/straus/issues/weapons/2016/pentagon-tester-warns-against-f-35.html

It’s comically bad. This would be amusing, were it not so tragic.

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