Greenwich Tigress and Super Tigress

Greenwich Super Tigress
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Greenwich Super Tigress FG.1
Role	Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	Greenwich
First flight	1954 (Greenwich Tigress), 1956 (Greenwich Super Tigress)
Introduction	1957 (Super Tigress FG.1)
Retired	1984
Status	retired
Primary user	Commonwealth Navy, Commonwealth Air Force

The Greenwich Tigress and Greenwich Super Tigress were Arthuristan fighter-bomber designs from the 1950s. The former was the first Arthuristan production fighter attaining supersonic speeds, while the latter, a re-engined version of the Tigress, was the first Arthuristan fighter to reach Mach 2. Variants of the Super Tigress would serve as Arthurista’s main lightweight tactical aircraft for decades, complemented by the Continental Reaper in the high-end air defence role. They were fully replaced by the Aigios Ifrit.

Greenwich Tigress

The Tigress, first flown in 1954, was Greenwich’s first attempt to develop and market a replacement for the Greenwich Gryphon. Equipped with an afterburning Armourer’s Ruby turbojet engine, the fighter could develop 75kn of thrust with afterburners and break the sound barrier.

At the time, like many air arms, the Commonwealth Air Force was primarily interested in procuring a technologically sophisticated, heavy, long range high altitude interceptor which could handle nuclear-armed bombers. As such, a lightweight, manoeuvrable ‘dogfighter’ was not primarily within their sight. What saved the project was the Fleet Air Arm. Constricted in the size of the aircraft they could operate by the fact 40s-era carriers still constituted the mainstay of the fleet, and with the Icarus class heavy fleet carrier project still in the planning stage and subject to the threat of cancellation, the Tigress seemed like an attractive option and they procured a number of aircraft, enough to equip several squadrons.

Actual operational usage proved the basic soundness of the airframe, which was light, agile and excellent in a turning fight. The engine, however, was swiftly becoming underpowered when compared to emerging foreign designs from Liothidia. With the services casting increasingly close looks at the Belfrasian BAU Cutlass, Greenwich understood that they must improve the aircraft as soon as possible.

Super Tigress FG.1/R.1

In 1955 Greenwich commenced a study in fitting the new, significantly more powerful Rollers Engineering Avon afterburning engine in the Tigress airframe. This resulted in a dramatic improvement in thrust-to-weight ratio and hence top speed, acceleration and rate of climb. First tested in 1956, it became the first Arthuristan fighter to reach Mach 2. The long nosecone of the aircraft also allowed the installation of a basic AIRPASS air interception radar, conferring a measure of all-weather/night operations capability.

The Super Tigress only served in the Fleet Air Arm for a short period. However, it remained for a long time the Commonwealth Air Force’s main lightweight tactical fighter. The armament of these early service aircraft include a pair of 30mm rotary cannons, as well as four wing and one centreline fuselage hardpoints for Firestreak or Red Top heatseeking missiles, AGM-12 Bullpup and AGM-62 Walleye guided ground attack munitions, AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile}}, dumb bombs, unguided rockets and drop tanks.

In the early-70s, the FG.1A program was initiated as a limited upgrade of the Super Tigress. The radar was upgraded with limited look down capability, as well as compatibility with Sidewinder.

Super Tigress FGR.2

The Super Tigress was gradually replaced by the Aigios Ifrit throughout the 1980s. However, the FGR.2 program was still embarked upon to upgrade certain units in reserve and, more importantly, those still operated by export customers abroad. The most important new addition was a RA-67 multimode pulse doppler radar with real shoot-down capability and compatibility with the AIM-7 Sparrow and Skyflash. A more extensive FGR.2+ upgrade package would replace the existing turbojet engine with a Sieuxerrian M53 turbofan used in the Bloch MB.2000.

Operators

• Arthurista

Specifications (Super Tigress FG.1)

• Crew: one
• Length: 48 ft 9 in (14.85 m)
• Wingspan: 31 ft 8 in (9.65 m)
• Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.36 m)
• Wing area: 250 ft² (23.25 m²)
• Empty weight: 13,810 lb (6,277 kg)
• Loaded weight: 21,035 lb (9,561 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 26,086 lb (11,833 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rollers Engineering Avon turbojet

• Dry thrust: 12,533 lbf (53.3 kN)
• Thrust with afterburner: 17,000 lbf (75.6 kN)

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.04 (1,400 mph, 2,253 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,192 m)
• Combat radius: 1,200km (interception plus 15 minutes loitering time)
• Ferry range: 1,536 mi (3,000+ km)
• Service ceiling: 59,000 ft[8] (19,980 ft)
• Armaments: 2x 30mm rotary cannons, 4x wing hardpoints, 1x fuselage centreline hardpoint

See also

• Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
  • BAU Cutlass
  • Myeong and Lyang_MyL-3
  • Volvo JAS-21
  • Bloch MB.632