Amérifighter EF-20
| Amérifighter EF-20 Cascabel | |
|---|---|
 AC/A-20 in Inyurstan Jungle/Grassland camo | |
| General information | |
| Type | Heavy Strike Fighter |
| Manufacturer |  Incorporaçion Estavez-Colon(IEK)
 Aeroespacial Acevedo-Chavez |
| Status | In service |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2001-present |
| Introduction date | 2003 |
The Amérifighter EF-20 Cascabel, also called the "AC/A-20 Crotaléa" in Inyursta (both meaning "Rattlesnake" in English), is a 4th Generation strike fighter developed primarily by Inyursta, Gran Cuscatlan and Langenia. It is intended to serve as both a deep-strike penetrator and capable air-to-air combatant, with a wide variety of compatible weapons and software to give it a versatile edge on the battlefield.
Development
Research and development on the EF-20 began after the lighter air-superiority fighter the AC-88 Taipan had already entered service with the Inyurstan Air Force. Like the F-15, the AC-88 was designed with complete air-to-air combat in mind, and followed the logic of "not a pound for air-to-ground". Inyurstan military designers began conceptualizing a heavy strike strike fighter based on the Taipan.
In 1998, Cuscatlani officials were brought in on the project as well, seeking a replacement for their own EF-10 Condor multirole fighters. Industrias Sobberias designed and provided the multi-purpose MATADOR radar for the aircraft. They also proposed the idea of making the aircraft an export fighter. Aerospace Acedvedo-Chavez, a Langenian aerospace firm, was later permitted to produce the EF-20 domestically and assist with trial flights.
Design
Body
At it's core, the EF-20 uses the same main frame as the AC-88, but externally the canards have been removed and the single-fin replaced with a double-fin conformation. The total surface of the wings have been increased to allow for heavier loading at the cost of more drag at high speeds. Powering the EF-20 are domestically (Inyurstan & Cuscatlani) produced copies of the Nihonese Kojima K50 engines - an advanced series of multimode engines adapted for air-to-air combat. In theory, they allow the EF-20 to achieve supercruise; however, supercruise has not been tested nor is it advised due to the heavier airframe.
Avionics
The Cuscatlani MATADOR radar is a multimode Passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA) capable of detecting 3m2 airborne targets at around 280km in a 45o search arc with the capability to adjust beam/search arc width. A secondary chin-mounted Inyurstan AEQ/GS-2 is applied for detection of moving ground and seaborne targets, but is also capable of surveillance, targeting, RFI cued, terrain profiling. It is also equipped with the CAT EYE infra-red search & track (IRST) for passive targeting and tracking of both aerial and surface targets.
Both SEAD and self-defense capabilities are provided by the Sevât-M Counter-Emissions System capable of identifying, locating and targeting enemy emissions sources at long distances; as well as integration and automatic control of the LIDACS-III Counter-Measure Suite.
Armament
In place of the AC-88's lower-caliber, higher rate-of-fire 23mm "Venom" cannon; the Amérifighter is equipped with twin 27mm RK-27 "Warlord" autocannons, with a 1,100RPM per barrel allowing for a combined 2,000RPM+.
The EF-20 boasts an extremely diverse array of compatible missile, bomb and rocket systems.
Variants
Standard Variants
EF-20A Standard, 1-seat variant
EF-20B Two-seat variant
EF-20C1: Single-seat variant without conformal fuel tanks for increased aerodynamics.
EF-20C2: Two-seat variant without conformal fuel tanks.
Carrier-Capable
EF-20S1: Naval variant with folding wings and tail hook. Single seat.
EF-20S2: Naval variant with two-seats.
EF-20S-C1: Naval single-seat variant without conformal fuel tanks.
Other
EE-20E2: Two-seat EW variant
EX-20 PEO: (Plata D'Ordinance Éxperímental) Used by Inyursta for air-launched weapons testing.
Specifications
Crew: 1-2
Speed: Mach 2.25 (mph; km/h)
Combat Radius: 1,285km
Range: >3,000km
Payload: 16,000lb (1,600kg)
Gun: x2 RK-27 "Warlord" 27mm autocannon
Hardpoints:
- x3 Undercarriage
- x8 Underwing
Armament: