Falcus Designs Me-510

Falcus Designs Me-510
Falcus Designs Me-510
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Falcus Designs
First flight	1959
Introduction	1960
Retired	1985 (Front line regiments) 1990 (Reserve regiments)
Status	retired
Primary user	Royal Redisan Navy, Royal Redisan Air Force

The Falcus Designs Me-510 was a jet fighter produced by Falcus Designs in 1959. It was the last Falcus aircraft to be produced before Anacom Industries bought the Falcus Designs corporation in 1967 and continued the development of the Me line with the Me-520. The aircraft officially left service in 1985 in Orun Redisus but continues to be used by successor states and third world nations.

Development

With the wild success of the Fe-440, Regarius Falcus had introduced a new era of warfare to the world where aircraft development could far exceed the parameters piston engines would have set. Development began in 1951 and several subsequent prototypes were constructed from 1952 onward. The FEX-1 emerged in 1953. It was a swept wing aircraft with the R201 turbojets, which were derived from the R113 turbojets featured on the Gu-18. The R201 engines quickly proved inferior and were swapped with the R203 engines in the FEX-2. Initial improvements on control systems and avionics continued through a series of five units and eventually ended up with R210 engines, which were the final in a series that saw gradual improvement through testing. The FEX-5 was eventually developed into the Me-510A. This aircraft first flew in 1950 and entered service in 1959.

Design

The Me-510 was the first successful Orun aircraft combining fighter and interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. The characteristic layout with the shock cone and front air intake did not see widespread use outside Tarsas and finally proved to have limited development potential, mainly because of the very small space available for the radar.

Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the Me-510 had a short range. This was not helped by the poor placement of the fuel tanks, which caused the airplane's center of gravity to shift rearwards once two-thirds of the fuel had been used. This had the effect of making the plane statically unstable to the point of being uncontrollable, resulting in an endurance of only 45 minutes in clean condition. Additionally when more than half the fuel was used up, violent maneuvers prevented fuel from flowing into the engine, thereby causing it to shutdown midflight. The issue of the short endurance and low fuel capacity would not be fixed until the ME-510C, which debuted in 1964 and would slowly take the place of all other variants in service. This variant also fixed issues with center of gravity and increased the range to 250km.

The delta wing, while excellent for a fast-climbing interceptor, meant any form of turning combat led to a rapid loss of speed. However, the light loading of the aircraft could mean that a climb rate of 235 m/s (46,250 ft/min) was possible with a combat-loaded Me-510 not far short of the performance of later aircraft. Given a skilled pilot and capable missiles, it could give a good account of itself against contemporary fighters. Its G-limits were increased from +7Gs in initial variants to +8.5Gs in the latest variants. It was replaced by the newer variable-geometry Me-520 and Me-560 for ground support duties. It would not be until much mater that it would finally fall out of use with front line squadrons.

The Me-510 was exported widely and continues to be used. The aircraft's simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of early Orun military designs. Later designs would be much more complex. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots; this in turn enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools. While technologically inferior to the more advanced fighters it often faced, low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of nations buying low budget military hardware. Several firms have begun to offer upgrade packages to Me-510 operators, designed to bring the aircraft up to a modern standard, with greatly upgraded avionics and armaments.

Variants

Block 1 Aircraft

• FEX-1 - Initial prototype of a swept wing aircraft designed around the R201 turbojets derived from the R113 turbojets that were being utilized for the Gladeus Gu-18. These were further supplanted by the R203 turbojets that were to go on the FEX-2. Work was halted in order to solely work on the FEX-2.
• FEX-2 - Further development featuring R203 turbojets.
• FEX-3 - Testbed for R205 turbojets. First to feature the delta wing design.
• FEX-4 - Featured R207 turbojets and additional avionics upgrades.
• FEX-5 - Featured the final R210 turbojets and plausible avionics configuration worked out. Brought into line with budget requirements from previous aircraft.
• Me-510A - Initial approved production edition of the FEX-5. Ten aircraft were built and entered service with the 56th Interceptor Regiment in Southwestern Orun. Production was halted in late 1959 to concentrate on superior Block 2 aircraft.

Block 2 Aircraft

• Me-510A2 - Improved A variant with R213 engines. It carried 2160 liters of fuel in six internal fuel tanks and featured mountings for drop tanks. A total of 124 airframes were produced until 1960 when the B variant emerged.
• Me-510B - Upgrade released to solve major issues with the A2. Featured greater stability controls and upgraded avionics. Just under 370 airframes were produced before orders were halted due to mounting issues with the center of gravity.
• Me-501C - Introduced in 1964 to replace A and B variants, the C designation was given to a redesigned Me-510 with a modified fuel tank layout and weight adjustments. This fixed the main issues of previous variants, which would become unstable midflight. The range was also increased to 210 kilometers. All previous variants were slated for upgrade or replacement by C aircraft by late 1964.
• Me-510Cn - Specifically developed aircraft designed for the concept of tactical nuclear strike introduced in 1965. Only seven frames were produced and placed into service near front line divisions until 1967 when they were replaced by superior craft.
  • Me-510Cna - Naval strike variant with provisions for antishipping missiles. Between 1966 and 1968, 40 airframes were produced. The 510Cna was one of the last variants to leave service.
  • Me-510CEx - Reduced technology export variant introduced in 1968. Exported to other states. Many still remain in service today and have undergone upgrade to 510Dex standard.
• FEX-6 - Experimental STOL aircraft produced in 1969. Two airframes were tested but the concept never saw production.
• Me-510D - Standard airframe upgrade featuring additional avionics improvements and slightly improved R213U engines. Produced from 1968 to 1970 before Block 3 was released.

Block 3 Aircraft

• Me-510E - Initial Block 3 airframe introduced in 1971 featuring the current armament rather than the dual 23mm cannon pods of prior variants. Two additional pylons complemented the prior two and a small missile bay was added directly behind the central pylon. Avionics were improved and solely purpose designed for air to air warfare, removing the ground attack role that previous generations were capable of. Further enhancements include an upgraded radar system and increased precision within the hydraulic systems.
  • Me-510Ex - Upgraded export variant with minor Block 3 upgrades compared to the E variant.
  • Me-510Ex2 - Full export version of the E variant introduced after 1975 when the F was released.
• Me-510F - Dedicated interceptor with stripped down systems and reduced weight for increased speed. The R213T tuned engines were used, which consumed twice as much fuel for a significant output boost over the R213U. Used for dedicated short range interception over coastal waters and around borders and major cities. Featured significantly heavier armament in the form of two 40mm main cannons. Only 34 were built.
  • Me-510Fz - Zero Length Launch aircraft with a slight speed increase over the base F variant. Twenty frames were specifically built for defense of the capital.
• Me-510G - Final production variant entering service in 1980. Included a significantly upgraded avionics package and brand new R301 engines. The G was the most technically complex Me-510 produced and introduced more electrical systems to replace hydraulic ones. This meant it strayed from the technical simplicity of its predecessors and as such, only five hundred airframes were produced between 1980 and 1985 when the Me-510 was finally retired from front line divisions. Despite production halting in 1985 and the production and development facility for the Me-510 closing down, the G variants would see five additional years of service in reserve units up until 1990 when they were retired and sold for export.
  • Me-510Gn - Naval attack aircraft produced in small numbers for coastal patrol and reconnaissance duties. The last aircraft to leave service in March of 1990 was a Gn variant.
• FEX-7 - A proposed variant for post 1985 production that was to be called the Me-510H. Featured additional electronic systems as well as completely new R310 engines. It was presented before an Officer Committee in 1985 but was ultimately rejected. Only three airframes were produced and these were the last to leave the gates of the Falcus Aero Works facility before it was closed down by Anacom in 1986. Production and development of future Me aircraft was moved to the newly built Falcus ME Works facility.

Modernization Packages

• Me-510S - Upgrade package offered by Anacom Industries to export customers to keep 510E and G airframes viable. Features the new R501 Venus turbofans and a modernized radar to fire modern ordinance. Entirely new avionics consisting of a redesigned cockpit system and advanced dual HUD display are standard. Increased flight stability controls, flight control systems, and further improvements to existing electrical and hydraulic systems bring S variants on par with many modern contenders. Though government subsidized production and development of the Me-510 ended in 1984; small scale development, production, and support services are still offered by Anacom Industries to those that still use the aircraft.
• Me-510Su - Package introduced in 2010 that converts C and D variants into close air support and ground attack roles. Hardpoints were strengthened for heavier ordinance and the armament was swapped for a 40mm rotary cannon in a forward mounted pod. Increased reliability R503 Venus II turbofans allow the aircraft to survive lower altitude fighting.

Specifications

Specifications ME-510D

Data from <

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)
• Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 6 in)
• Height: 4 m (13 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 23.0 m² (247.3 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,846 kg (12,880 lb)
• Gross weight: 8,825 kg (19,425 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Falcus Designs R210 Turbojet, 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf) thrust dry, 69.62 kN (15,650 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: 2,175 km/h (1,351.48 mph)
• Maximum speed: Mach 2.0
• Range: (internal fuel) 1,210 km (751 miles)
• Service ceiling: 17,800 m (58,400 ft)
• Rate of climb: 225 m/s (44,280 ft/min)

Armament

• 1x internal 30 mm reaper cannon, plus 5x modular hardpoints. Later models contained external bays and additional hardpoint configurations.

Other data

• Landing speed: 350 km/h (190 kts), usually with brake parachute

Operators

• Orun Redisus
• Yisrael