Ambox notice.png
Scheduled Maintenance
The wiki will be going down for routine maintenance on Friday, October 4th, 2024, at approximately 3:30 PM Central Time (15:30) or 1:30 PM Pacific Time. The site may be inaccessible during this time and the database will be locked from editing. We expect the maintenance to take about thirty minutes. We strongly encourage joining our Discord for updates.

AFHB-4 Balena Heavy Bomber: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Created page with "{{WIP}} {|{{Infobox aircraft begin |name = Vulcan AFHB-4 Balena |image = Image:AFHB4Balena.jpg |caption = A Cacertian Royal Air Fleet AFHB-...")
 
mNo edit summary
 
Line 27: Line 27:
|}
|}


The '''Vulcan AFHB-4 ''Balena''''' ('''Whale''') is a four-engine, turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform currently in service with the [[Cacertian Royal Air Fleet]]. Introduced in 1956 as part of the Royal Air Fleet’s Strategic Long-Range Aviation division, it served as the main strategic bomber of the Air Fleet until it was superseded by the [[AFSB-2 Spettro Strategic Bomber|Spettro]] but continues to serve as a maritime patrol craft and reserve missile platform. It is expected to remain a part of the Air Fleet’s arsenal well into 2040.
The '''Vulcan AFHB-4 ''Balena''''' ('''Whale''') is a four-engine, turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform currently in service with the [[Cacertian Royal Air Fleet]]. Introduced in 1956 as part of the Royal Air Fleet’s Strategic Long-Range Aviation division, it served as the main strategic bomber of the Air Fleet until it was superseded by the [[AFSB-2 Spettro Strategic Bomber|Spettro]] but continues to serve as a maritime patrol craft and reserve stand-off missile platform. It is expected to remain a part of the Air Fleet’s arsenal well into 2040.


==Development==
==Development==

Latest revision as of 20:38, 13 July 2021

Vulcan AFHB-4 Balena
AFHB4Balena.jpg
A Cacertian Royal Air Fleet AFHB-4 on a maritime patrol
Role Strategic heavy bomber
National origin  Cacerta
Manufacturer Vulcan Aeronautics
First flight 3 October 1952
Introduction 11 March 1956
Status In active service
Primary user CRAFFlag.png Cacertian Royal Air Fleet
Produced 1952—1993
Number built 100+

The Vulcan AFHB-4 Balena (Whale) is a four-engine, turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform currently in service with the Cacertian Royal Air Fleet. Introduced in 1956 as part of the Royal Air Fleet’s Strategic Long-Range Aviation division, it served as the main strategic bomber of the Air Fleet until it was superseded by the Spettro but continues to serve as a maritime patrol craft and reserve stand-off missile platform. It is expected to remain a part of the Air Fleet’s arsenal well into 2040.

Development

Design

Operational History

Variants

AFHB-4

Production variant of the original AFHB-4; it was the only variant not fitted with a refueling probe.

Operators

Specifications (AFSB-3)

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 6 - 7 (pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, communications systems operator, navigator, tail gunner, additional navigator)
  • Length: 46.2 m (151 ft 7 in)
  • Wingspan: 50.1 m (164 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 12.12 m (39 ft 9 in)
  • Wing Area: 300 m² (3,300 ft²)
  • Empty Weight: 90,000 kg (198,416 lbs)
  • Gross Weight: 171,000 kg (376,990 lbs)
  • Max Takeoff Weight: 188,000 kg (414,469 lbs)
  • Powerplant: 4 × RKD-12 turboprop engines
  • Propellers: 8-bladed contra-rotating fully-feathering constant-speed propellers

Performance

  • Maximum Speed: Mach 0.8 (925 km/h, 575 mph) at altitude
  • Cruising Speed: Mach 0.6 (710 km/h, 440 mph)
  • Range: 15,000 km (9,300 mi, 8,100 nmi)
  • Service Ceiling: 13,716 m (45,000 ft)
  • Rate of Climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
  • Wing Loading: 606 kg/m² (124 lb/ft²)

Armament

  • Payload: 45,000 kg (99,208 lb) within internal weapons bays
Retrieved from "https://iiwiki.us/mediawiki/index.php?title=AFHB-4_Balena_Heavy_Bomber&oldid=372523"