Oxidentale Jet Works Mi-14 Harpy Eagle
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| Mi-14 Harpy Eagle | |
|---|---|
 Single seat and twin seat Mi-14 variants in flight. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Multi-role Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Oxidentale Jet Works |
| Status | In production |
| History | |
| Introduction date | Mid 2007 |
The Oxidentale Jet Works Mi-14 Harpy Eagle (Mi - Mimbuku or 'Spear" in Reze) is a 5th generation fighter developed by Oxidentale Jet Works, a consortium that was incorporated by Santh Corp of Sante Reze, Falcus Designs of Orun Redisus, XXX of The Mutul, and XXX of Itayana in order to develop new generation advanced aircraft. The Mi-14 was the first new 5th generation fighter to be developed in Oxidentale in order to introduce new market alternatives to the UFC F-29 Hurricane, the other major 5th generation fighter in Ajax. The fighter has been deployed extensively in the SR AIRFORCE and has been delivered to several squadrons in the Royal Redisan Air Force as well with more planned for introduction by 2023. The program is divided amongst corporations with santh corp holding a 40% stake and the remaining 60% divided amongst other participants. Falcus Design's funding was primarily acquired through the government of Orun Redisus.
History
Operational History
Design
Overview
The Mi-14 is a fifth generation multirole combat aircraft that is considered a third generation stealth technology under the Royal Redisan Air Force Technology Classification System. It is the first aircraft in any of its respective national air forces to introduce full Supermaneuverability, supercruise, stealth, and sensor fusion. It incorporates cropped-delta wing technology borrowed from older Reze aircraft designs with modern high performance control surfaces such as leading-edge flaps, flaperons, ailerons, rudders on the canted vertical stabilizers, and all-moving horizontal tails (stabilators); for speed brake function. The twin R320 three spool turbofans are closely spaced and incorporate pitch-axis thrust vectoring. Each engine produces 20,000 kg of thrust each and allows the aircraft to reach speeds of mach 2 under full afterburner.
In order to facilitate multiple mission roles, the aircraft comes with both internal weapons bays and external hardpoints, which can be unloaded or effectively removed which allows extreme control over sources of parasitic drag. The aircraft is fully equipped to perform air to air combat at heights of 54,000 feet which provides a significant improvement on deployment range of air to air missiles and additional effective range for JDAMs. The higher operational altitude also improves the operation of sensors and weapons systems. The airplane's structure contains a significant amount of high-strength materials to withstand stress and heat of sustained supersonic flight. Respectively, titanium alloys and bismaleimide/epoxy composites comprise 42% and 24% of the structural weight.
Armament
The Mi-14 is equipped with a powerful suite of weapons to give it the ability to comfortably fulfill many missions profiles. The primary armament load for the Mi-14 is carried in three external weapons bays, one large central bay and two smaller bays at the base of each wing. The main bay is split along the center of the aircraft and can accommodate five air to air missiles and two additional missiles can be stored in the smaller bays for additional engagement. The bays are all modular, allowing rapid reconfiguration for different payloads. Larger weapons take up more space, allowing less to be carried, while smaller payloads allow for more to be carried. Each bay is equipped with a hydraulic system for rapid operation of the bay doors, which only need to be open for a second to launch weapons. Hydraulic arms quickly actuate and release the weapons. Four additional hardpoints can be removed or added for external weapons loads, electronic warfare pods, recon pods, and extra fuel tanks as necessary.
A Reaper XM 30 mm revolver cannon is located in the left wing root behind a retractable door. The determination of a powerful main armament was made early on for capable dogfighting. The design team was displeased with the performance of the previous models, which had been extensively tested aboard other aircraft. It was improved upon and deployed as the reaper XM. The gun has six barrels and is capable of up to 6,000 rpm. The revolver design also allows the weapon to fire rapidly, preventing any individual barrel from heating up excessively. Though the aircraft carries limited ammunition for the cannon, it was determined that the speed at which encounters happen would rapidly see ammunition depleted regardless.
Avionics, Controls, and Cockpit
The aircraft was specifically to be designed to a 5th generation standard with numerous new and potent computing systems for operations. A digital fly by wire control system with artificial stability control ensures the pilot has plenty of assistance in flying the aircraft with a full load. Initially, the prototype featured a helmet with a full internal display, which came with each aircraft and was a permanent part of the cockpit. The helmet displays targeting readouts, aircraft mechanical and electrical information, and has the capability to take feed from several night vision and thermal cameras. The helmet is also capable of monitoring pilot vital signs with attachment pads for several medical sensors on the pilot's arms. This system allows the pilot and those on the ground and in aircraft around him to monitor their comrade's vital signs. The production variant included a detachable main wiring harness for the helmet to allow the helmet to be disconnected since the initial design proved impractical. An integrated specialty flight suit with its own wiring harness was developed in 2016 to replace the built in vital signs monitoring pads. Initial prototypes proved difficult to fly as several configurations were tested and it was eventually decided that a conventional HOTAS setup would provide the best functionality for pilots.
In the event of the aircraft being shot down or the pilot becoming incapacitated, the aircraft is equipped with a full ejection seat system. The cockpit glass cover first ejects with a small explosive that removes the linkage. A rocket motor then removes the cockpit from the aircraft. The seat then is ejected out with it's own rocket engine and the pilot can either eject from the seat or utilize the seat's own parachute. Basic survival gear is present within the seat's storage compartment. An emergency radio transmitter within the seat can also be activated if the pilot is within recovery area. The restraints in the seat can secure the pilot and provide a relatively safe landing in the event the pilot becomes incapacitated and unable to function.
All instruments within the aircraft export data to the M21A Data Processing Computer. It was developed in conjunction with several computer manufactuerers rather than developing it in house. Having the specialists produce the system resulted in a much better computer infrastructure than would be possible otherwise. The M21A is assigned with the monumental task of processing all data from the aircraft. It can coordinate with other nearby M21A units and share data. The device is also capable of linking, via encrypted satellite signal, to a ground basec computing systems in the home country provided it can reach a satellite comm system. This role can be filled by various naval or air options as well as land based. This allowed the pilot to access data from other various systems. Incoming data is sifted by the M21A and information is compiled into several basic categories. The system can prioritize data as well. For example, a warning about an internal failure takes precedent over a long distance contact on radar.
Navigation is handled by a GPS system that operates off of navigation satellites. Navigation parameters are displayed on one of the primary cockpit displays. Navigation telemetry is considered secondary to combat and aircraft status data and is thus not displayed in the helmet system by default but can be brought on the helmet display if the pilot desires it. Two Litton LN-100F ring laser gyroscopes assist in providing the aircraft with unprecedented navigational capacity on its own apart from satellites if the aircraft is cut off. This lessens the workload of the pilot significantly by looking at the ground below and alerting him when necessary. Navigation data can also be gathered from naval vessels and land radars.
Electronic warfare is handled by an all new system. A EWP-5B low band tactical jamming pod mounted on the belly is designed to throw of missile tracking systems by jamming many low frequencies. Two XB-22A wide and low band receivers (one on each wingtip) combine with the EWP-5B to form a web of defense against air to air threats. A EW-1E Electronic Warning System alerts the pilot of tracking locks. An infrared jammer mounted under a radar transparent dome on the underbelly provides defense against IR missile guidance. It was decided that a new approach to countermeasures and defense would be needed for a hard countermeasure system. Traditional chaff would be replaced with an active disposable radar decoy device. The DD372 decoy system was developed specifically for deployment on the aircraft. The system deploys small pods in the shape of chaff pods which provide significant amounts of radar interference. As of 2017, the infrared strobe was swapped out for an active directional infrared interference module which improved performance significantly
An entirely new mechanically steered radar is featured aboard the aircraft, the LRDD45F Active Detection Array. This is a very large radar, with a detection radius 200-230 km against 1m^2 targets. It can sweep 50 degrees and has a tracking range of 25 km against objects from the size of a basketball and larger. It combines with the ability to track up to twenty two targets. The radar is one of the most developed part of the avionics. Specifically shaping the radar around the aircraft allowed it to be constructed in a smaller package, slightly reducing the size.
A WM-1G Weapons Management System (WMS) is standard within every aircraft. The system provides ample abilities and handles targeting. It also has an emergency weapons jettison protocol. Manual targeting is available as well as a backup countermeasure. The system can be displayed inside the pilot's helmet displays to provide an unprecedented degree of targeting capabilities for the pilot Friend/Foe identification was also integrated into the system. A new rendition of the software was released in 2019 along with new hardware taking advantage of virtual reality programming. Tests on a new helmet design began in 2021 that allows a pilot to be able to interact with the outside world in real time and see a full unhindered 360 degree view of the world around them and see real time radar pinging and targeting on the helmet display. This system further required the integration of several high speed camera pods mounted at various points of the aircraft and additional processing upgrades to provide a full view.
To integrate all of the avionics and data crunching, the SN37R Central Avionics Data Processing Computer (CADPR) is aboard the aircraft. This computer has the massive job of coordinating everything with a microprocessor on the plane. The system divides every computer into a bank, these banks have an individual processing system aiding the main computer by gathering and sending the data in manageable packages for the CADPR. The autopilot links to the CADPR before linking to the GPS system to provide a system in between the GPS and the autopilot. It pilots the aircraft by satellite. A EN3D Engine Monitoring Computer is specifically designed to monitor the various aspects of the engine, but this was thrown in as sort of a redundant backup. Overall, the module avionics system was maintained from the Na-5 to allow easy upgrades in the future.
Propulsion
Initial engine considerations were a point of debate. Earlier engines such as the R220 and R230 were considered but in the end it lost out to an upgraded platform for stealth, based on the AA50 large aircraft engines, designated as the R320. The output was kept mostly the same as the parent engine design but added some new features to make such a design more viable for use on a smaller aircraft. The aircraft is configured for short take off landing or STOL which marks a departure from the long distance takeoff of the bomber the parent engines propel. A nozzle that can decrease the size of the opening to increase speed is standard as with the design as it is on most modern jet engines. An emergency oxygen intake vent and an electrical igniter to avoid flame-out are present to prevent the engine from suffering from high stress failure. The turbines themselves are titanium-nickel alloy to save weight and allow for greater handling of heat. Blown flaps and thrust reversers are standard. The engine's insides are constructed of lightweight titanium and carbon fiber. The fuel sprayer layout is three sprayers in a row, which spray at a carefully monitored and adjusted rate by the EN3D (see Avionics and Controls). The engine is further optimized with a third compressor to account for the gas expanding in the combustion chamber and saves some of the engine's performance. Past experience with jet engines indicated to the design team that a low bypass afterburning turbofan would achieve optimal performance.. A 3-D thrust vectoring system and bucket thrust reversers round out the engine's capabilities.
Variants
| Variant | Notes |
|---|---|
| Xi-14-M1 | Initial prototype variant that first flew in 2005. Several key modifications were requested by various partner nations before production approval. |
| Xi-14-M2 | Second prototype that flew in late December of 2006 incorporating requested changes. Accepted for production starting early 2007. |
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1-2
- Length: 20 m (66 ft)
- Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft)
- Height: 4 m (13 ft)
- Empty weight: 20545.5 kg (45,200 lbs)
- Max. takeoff weight: 71,907.5 kg (158,196.5 lbs)
- Powerplant: 2 × R320 three spool turbofans , 20,000 kgf (44,093 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 2+
- Cruise speed: Mach 0.9
- Combat radius: 1,200 km (746 mi)
- Ferry range: 3,240 km (2,013 mi)
- Service ceiling: 19 km (62,336 ft)
Armament
- Cannons: 1x 30 mm cannon
- Missiles: 8x various air to air missiles
- Other Ordinance: Additional ground attack munitions as required in different configurations.
Operators
See Also
Comparable Aircraft