W-1 Parthian

W-1 Parthian
WSU-1B Parthian
Role	Carrier-based Multirole Aircraft
National origin	Iverica
Manufacturer	Wolverine Aircraft Engineering
First flight	21 January 1997
Introduction	20 February 1999
Status	In service
Primary users	Armada Servicio L'Aire Gaellcian Air Force Gaellician Navy
Produced	1999-present
Number built	376

The Wolverine W-1 Parthian is a four-crew, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft designed and produced by the Iverican aerospace manufacturer Wolverine Aircraft Engineering. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "Benny" after the Banshee or ben síde.

The W-1 was initially developed as Manille Consolidated Maritime's (MCM) attempt to break into the aircraft industry. It was designed after its Gaellician designer, Weslodun Lake was acquired by Villamor dei Manille Aéro. The merged company, renamed "Wolverine Aircraft Engineering", used a Weslodun Lake's design for a carrier-based, subsonic, all-weather, long-range, multi-mission prototype—the WX-1 Parthian.

On 21 January 1997, the prototype WX-1 performed a test flight for the Iverican Navy's ASW carrier aircraft trials. Upon entering regular service during February 1999, it proved to be a reliable workhorse. In the ASW role, the W-1 carried automated weapons and in-flight refueling gear. Further variants, such as the WE-1 Umbra carrier-based electronic intelligence (ELINT) platform, and the WU-1 carrier-based utility and cargo transport, arrived during the 2000's. In the early 2010's, the W-1B's mission focus grew to include surface warfare and aerial refueling a carrier battle group.

Developement

In 1990, Manille Consolidated Maritime acquired Villamor Aéro IL in an attempt to penetrate the aircraft industry. In 1993, Villamor merged with Ruthven Aerospace, a Gallambrian-owned Iverican company to leverage sole-proprietor and chief engineer James Ruthven's experience in the Gallambrian aerospace industry. In 1995, Villamor acquired a majority stake in Weslodun Lake, a Gaellician subsidiary of the Lépht Group. By 1995, the company had become "Wolverine Aircraft Engineering", named for the initials of Weslodun-Villamor-Ruthven, "WVR".

MCM initially requested for a flexible and rugged airframe design that could be used for a variety of roles. Low confidence in their ability to penetrate the Iverican defence markets meant that Wolverine and Manille initially aimed to attract militaries of developing nations. Nonetheless, Wolverine entered their aircraft as a tender for the Iverican Navy's anti-submarine aircraft request for propsal, transforming the W-1 into a hunter-killer anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Its landing gear and airframe, already extremely rugged to cope with short dirt airstrips was easily fitted with a tailhook.

The WX-1 project required combining the expertise of the 3 merged design teams. The initial design for the "Parthian" project came from Weslodun Lake intellectual property. The design, initially meant as a short take-off ASW aicraft for patrols in Northern Europan waters was adapted for CATOBAR carrier operations by Villamor, who had designed the landing gear and structural reinforcement for the SeT-91P carrier-based fighter and the CP-2V Bufálo utility aircraft. Avionics, radar, and ASW sensors were either designed by James Ruthven or imported from Gardner in Gallambria.

On 21 January 1997, the WX-1 was selected by the Iverican Naval Aviation Service from amongst 2 other tendered aicraft performing above Súbic's Sea Proving Zone. Wolverine was awarded the contract for the limited production of 12 aircraft. By 1999, Wolverine had signed a contract for an additional 100 aircraft. Upon entering service, the ASW aircraft was designated WSU-1, though its convertible multi-role variant, the W-1 also entered service. The WS-1 refers to the ASW configuration of the W-1.

WE-1 Umbra in flight

Further Development

The W-1 had exceeded Manille's initial estimates. By 2008, there were more than 200 Parthians in service around the wurld. Rather than attempting more ambitious projects, Wolverine fought to maintain its focus on rugged, accessible airframes. One of the points of contention between Wolverine and MCM was the direction of Wolverine's R&D. While the Aerospace Management Division in MCM called for more ambitious projects into next-generation aircraft, Wolverine's internal management directed its efforts towards improving its existing airframes and creating new low-cost airframes.

In 2009, Wolverine launched a surprise Buyback from its independent holders and financial sponsors outside of Manille Consolidated. By the end of 2009, Wolverine was no longer majority-owned by MCM and its status as a subsidiary was changed following internal restructuring. In 2010, Wolverine announced the completion of its restructuring as an independent aerospace company with majority internal ownership. In the 2010 year end earnings call, James Ruthven is noted to have loudly announced:

We'll build whatever the fark (sic) we want and no one is going to farking (sic) stop us- and its going to be farking (sic) fantastic"

Though Manille still collected dividends and received a fixed percentage of profits from W-1 sales, Wolverine was free to pursue projects that had been stalled by MCM's oversight.

W-1B "Super Benny"

Nicknamed the "Super Benny" or "Shortstop Ben" by aviators, the W-1B was an upgrade of the W-1 Parthian capable of landing on STOBAR or CATOBAR systems.

Interest from the Iverican Navy prompted Wolverine to design a Parthian with the ability to takeoff and land on STOBAR carriers with the assistance of ski-jumps. To accomplish this, Wolverine reinforced the airframe and designed a new turbofan on the basis of the Toledo Aeronautics TF34. Other enhancements saw the addition of C4I capable systems, an updated datalink, combat managment suite, an AESA radar and a more efficient APU.

Increased Narvic imports of metals and rare earths allowed Wolverine to include titanium in the alloys for the spar and wing roots, allowing it to support an in-house variant of the TA TF34, designated the WVR TF34-8E5. The 8E5 turbofans were designed by Ruthven and were similarly high-bypass nacelle mounts. Though they were 0.6 metres longer and 467 kg heavier, the 8E5 increased total thrust with 2 engines to 128 kN from the previous 80.6 kN. New materials including ultralight aluminium-carbon composites, titanium, and carbon-fibre allowed the W-1B to offset much of the mass it gained from the new 8E5 turbofans.

Another major enhancement was the redesigned fuselage which allowed for the attachment of different mission pods to cut-away mounts on the mid and rear ventral sections of the fuselage. The mounting system allowed the W-1B to be converted between roles in facilities fit for I-level maintenance.

The W-1B can also mount a DIRCM module and a towed decoy array. The 1B's strengthened aiframe allows it to mount hardpoints capable of carrying air-launchable Anti-Ship Missiles.

Design

A Parthian showing its wings folded

The Wolverine W-1 Parthian is a conventional monoplane with a cantilever shoulder wing, very slightly swept with a leading edge angle of 15° and an almost straight trailing edge. Its twin Toledo Aeronautics TF34 high-bypass turbofan engines mounted in nacelles under the wings provide excellent fuel efficiency, providing the Parthian with the required long range and endurance, while also maintaining relatively docile engine-out characteristics.

The aircraft can seat four crew members (three officers and one enlisted) with pilot and copilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) in the front of the cockpit and the tactical coordinator (TACCO) and sensor operator (SENSO) in the back. Entry is via a hatch/ladder folding down out of the lower starboard side of the fuselage behind the cockpit, in between the rear and front seats on the starboard side. For the WU-1's cargo and Carrier onboard delivery role, the enlisted SENSOs were removed from the crew. In tanker crew configuration, the WT-1 typically flew with a pilot and co-pilot/COTAC. The wing is fitted with leading edge and Fowler flaps. Spoilers are fitted to both the upper and the lower surfaces of the wings. All control surfaces are actuated by dual hydraulically boosted irreversible systems. In the event of dual hydraulic failures, an Emergency Flight Control System (EFCS) permits manual control with greatly increased stick forces and reduced control authority.

Unlike many tactical jets which required ground service equipment, the W-1 was equipped with an auxiliary power unit (APU) and capable of unassisted starts. The aircraft's original APU could provide only minimal electric power and pressurized air for both aircraft cooling and for the engines' pneumatic starters. A newer, more powerful APU could provide full electrical service to the aircraft. The APU itself was started from a hydraulic accumulator by pulling a handle in the cockpit. The APU accumulator was fed from the primary hydraulic system, but could also be pumped up manually (with much effort) from the cockpit.

Variants

A WT-1 trails a refuelling drogue

WC-1

An AEW&C variant equipped with a top-mounted long-range early-warning radar.

WE-1

"Umbra". An ELINT and EWAR variant fitted with a broad-frequency direction finding adaptive radio receiver with ECCM capabilities. Umbras could be mounted with decoy missiles or jammer-equipped electronic warfare missiles

WS-1

First production version, designed as an anti-submarine warfare hunter-killer.

WT-1

Aerial refuelling tanker variant.

WU-1

Cargo and carrier onboard resupply variant. Carries external hardpoint mounted cargo pods and can load larger cargo via a rear ramp.

W-1B

"Super Benny". Upgraded avionics, AESA rdar, tactical datalink with satlink, C4I and combat management computers, strengthened airframe, modular mission pods.

WC-1B

A 1B equipped with WC-1 modules.

WE-1B

"Umbra II". A W-1B mounting WE-1 modules and a towed radar jammer.

WT-1B

A W-1B mounting WT-1 aerial refuelling gear. The WT-1B carriers a large internal fuel tank alongside 2x pylon mounted "buddy" tanks

WU-1B

A W-1B with internal cargo space and external cargo pods.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot/COTAC, TACCO, sensor operator/TFO)
• Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
• Wingspan: 68 ft 8 in (20.93 m)
• Width: 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m) folded
• Height: 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m) * Height tail folded: 15 ft 3 in (5 m)
• Wing area: 598 sq ft (55.6 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 7.73
• Airfoil: root: NACA 0016.3-1.03 32.7/100 mod; tip: NACA 0012-1.10 40/1.00 mod
• Empty weight: 26,581 lb (12,057 kg)
• Gross weight: 38,192 lb (17,324 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 52,539 lb (23,831 kg)
• Fuel capacity: * Internal fuel capacity: 1,933 US gal (1,610 imp gal; 7,320 L) of JP-5 fuel
• External fuel capacity: 2 × 300 US gal (250 imp gal; 1,100 L) drop tanks
• Powerplant: 2 × Toledo Aeronautics TF34-100 turbofan engines, 9,275 lbf (41.26 kN) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 429 kn (494 mph; 795 km/h) at sea level
• Maximum speed: Mach 0.79
• Cruise speed: 350 kn (403 mph; 648 km/h)
• Stall speed: 97 kn (112 mph; 180 km/h)
• Range: 2,765 nmi (3,182 mi; 5,121 km)
• Combat range: 460.5 nmi (530 mi; 853 km)
• Ferry range: 3,368 nmi (3,876 mi; 6,238 km)
• Service ceiling: 40,900 ft (12,500 m)
• Rate of climb: 5,120 ft/min (26.0 m/s)
• Wing loading: 68.5 lb/sq ft (334 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.353

Armament

• Up to 4,900 lb (2,220 kg) on 4 internal and 2 external hardpoints, including:
  • 10 × 500 lb (227 kg) bombs
  • 2 × 1000 lb (454 kg) bombs
  • 2 × 2000 lb (908 kg) bombs
  • 6 × cluster bombs
  • 6 × 324mm lightweight torpedoes
  • 6 × mines or depth charges
  • 2 × depth charges
  • 2 × air-to-ground guided missiles
  • 2 × air-launchable anti-ship missiles
  • 1 × land attack cruise missile
• The underwing hardpoints can also be fitted with unguided rocket pods or 300 US gal (1,136 L) fuel tanks.

Avionics

• KG/APS-116 sea search radar, maximum range 150 nmi (173 mi, 278 km)
  • Upgraded on W-1B to RI/APS-148 AESA Radar
• OR-89 forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera with 3× zoom
• RI/ARS-2 sonobuoy receiver with 13 blade antennas on the airframe for precise buoy location (sonobuoy reference system)
• RI/ASQ-81 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD)
• RI/ALR-47 electronic support measures (ESM) emitter-location system, with boxy receiver pods fitted to the wingtips, to locate adversary communications and radar transmitters
• KG/ASN-92 inertial navigation system (INS) with Doppler radar navigation and TACAN
• Up to 60 sonobuoys (59 tactical, 1 search and rescue)