Modern-Military Aircraft
In the history of aviation, military aircraft were first used for
reconnaissance, then guns were added, and finally somene decided to
drop a bottle of gasoline its cloth fuse alight with fire. Those fabric
winged aircraft were built in sheds and powered by little more than
motorcycle engines. Today military aircraft are built in huge
factories, with technologies and materials not even imagined by the
pioneers. Our aircraft are driven by one of two basic propulsion
standards, turbo-jet or turbo-fan jet aircraft, and turbo-prop
aircraft. Jet aircraft comprise the majority of heavy combat aircraft,
providing high speed and heavy lift capability, as well as increased
maneuverability and higher altitude performance. See Modern U.S.
Aircraft .
Among the military jet aircraft designs today, the fastestand most
publicized operational aircraft was the
SR-71 . This all black, long fuselaged reconnaissance aircraft
served for 30 years before being retired from service in 1990, only
after breaking all speed at altitude records on the books of
operational aircraft. At Mach 3+ the SR-71 was designed to be refueled
soon after takeoff, climb to greater than 80,000 feet, transit to the
target area, reduce speed for the recon run, then repeat the cycle to
return to base. No less than 2 fuel stops usually occurred, with three
being most typical (one after takeoff, one before entering the target
area, and one after exiting the target area.
Fighter aircraft are typified in the F-15 (USAF), the F-14 (USN), the
MIG-28 (USSR), and the MIG-25 (USSR) and compose the faster of the jet
aircraft. At speeds better than Mach 1.5, these aircraft have the dash
capability to move into the combat radius of their target, slow to
air-to-air combat speeds if necessary, or launch highly effective
air-to-air missiles. In some cases the missile launch could be from as
far out as 40 miles from their airborne target, and in the case of the
F-14, engage up to six simultaneous targets.
For air-to-air combat, the weapon of choice might be considered the
air-to-air missile , but only for a reason than you might not suspect.
If a fighter aircraft closes into battle, it is preferable to launch
the missile before actually engaging the target aircraft in air-to-air
combat. For in the throes of air-to-air, missile launches are of no
use, and the pilot must rely on guns. As experienced by U.S. pilots in
Vietnam, if you trained only to fire missiles at your foe, you were
sure to be shot down. In other words, the missile is the weapon of
choice only because you hoped you wouldn't have to get close enough to
force you into the hijinks of a "dog fight".
For surface attack, fighters use air-to-ground, anti-tank, or
anti-ship, or anti-submarine weapons, generally lumped as air-to-ground
missiles (AGMs).
Transport Aircraft
Transport aircraft are typically two or four jet engine aircraft
designed for long haul of equipment and men. For the most part, these
aircraft are designed with heavy, wide wings and bodies designed for
drive through capbability, that is, you load tanks, artillery, trucks,
or even helicopters in one end, and when you arrive you offload at the
other...or perhaps this takes place at both ends. In any case, the idea
is to provide 400 knot air travel or more for lots of heavy gear.
Typical of this type of aircraft would be the USAF's C-141 or C-
5A. Both aircraft feature turbofan engines (also known as high-bypass
engines...see also Jet Engines ). The exception to this rule are some
special duty aircraft or in some cases aircraft that have been pressed
into continuous duty despite their being very old (see Turboprop
Aircraft below).
Bombers have increased the speed and altitude limits. From high
altitude to low altitude, from low speed manueverability to high speed,
the bomber today is more a technological wonder than it ever was. The
B-1B is a supersonic capable, low altitude, penetration bomber which
offers pivoting wing technology, aircraft like avionics and electronic
warfare gear, and terrain following radar that allows it to sweep in
low to enemy targets virtually undetectable to the majority of the
opposition radar. Only sophisticated look down radar capability found
in only the most modern fighters or in yet unknown surveillance
satellites can spot low level aircraft until they are very close to
target. Moreover, with high dash speed and electronic warfare suite of
the B-1B, it makes it even more difficult to close and shoot.
In contrast to the B-1B, the U.S. B-2 , the "Stealth Bomber", relys
on very low observable technology to reduce its radar signature down to
a point where the aircraft is nearly invisible to radar. Using
composites in most of its construction and techniques such as placing
the engines abovee teh wing to reduce heat signatures from below the
aircraft, as well as the inherent low radar cross ssection of the
flying wing design (learned in the 1950s with the old Northrup
Corporations flying wing), the B-2 will be undetectable by most Soviet
Radars.
But not all bombers are jet aircraft, see the remarks about the
Soviet Bear bomber below under Turboprop Aircraft.
Turboprop Aircraft
The most prevalent aircraft throughout the world for a number of
endurance or short field tasks, are the
turboprop aircraft . Turboprop aircraft remain in service both for
their easy restart ability (thus you can safely shut down one or more
engines) for use in economic crusing, as well as their power on demand
and easy maintenance. The U.S. Navy uses the P-3 Orion to patrol U.S.
and other strategic coastlines to detect SLBM submarines. The Soviets
use Bear bombers very much in the same role.
The short field characteristics of the C-130 Hercules is legendary,
and it is the most modified and updated aircraft in existence, with
Lockheed still manufacturing or updating airframes well into the year
2000.