Daesŭngri DS-10
| Daesŭngri DS-10 Chamsae | |
|---|---|
| |
| The first prototype, L15, on display in 2004 | |
| Role | Lead-in fighter trainer |
| National origin | Menghe |
| Manufacturer | Daesŭngri Aircraft Corporation |
| First flight | 2003 |
| Introduction | 2007 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Menghe |
| Produced | 2006-present |
| Number built | 300+ |
The Daesŭngri DS-10 (Formal designation: 대승리 10호 훈련기 / 大勝利九號訓鍊機, Daesŭngri Illyŏng-ho Hunryŏngi, "Daesŭngri No.10 Trainer Plane;" Short designation 대승-10 Daesŭng-illyŏng "Daesŭng-10"), officially nicknamed Chamsae (참새, "Sparrow") is a twin-engine trainer aircraft developed in Menghe during the early 2000s. It made its first flight in 2003 after a development period spanning the late 1990s and was introduced to service in 2007.
As an advanced lead-in fighter trainer, the DS-10 is meant to help cadets transition between propeller-driven ab initio and basic trainers and actual combat aircraft like the SR-8 and DS-9. The main variant, DS-10G also has a secondary combat capability, allowing it to be used as a light attack aircraft with limited self-defense capability. Its export variant, the DS-10JG, has improved radar and ECM equipment and is marketed as a low-cost fighter for small airforces.
Development
Menghe's interest in a new advanced trainer originated in the early 1990s, shortly after the country's economic opening. At that time, the mainstay of the Menghean trainer fleet was the DS-2N2, a tandem-seat variant of the Daesŭngri DS-2. While available in large numbers, the DS-2N2 had a number of shortcomings that limited its use as a trainer aircraft. Many of these problems stemmed from the DS-2's sometimes-temperamental engine, which could be challenging for new pilots to manage and was prone to failures after extended use. The in-line cockpit also left the instructor with a very limited field of view ahead, making it difficult for him to fly the plane directly if he had to take over. Accumulating safety concerns, some related to the engine and others to flaws in the airframe, contributed to an accident rate averaging two crashes per year in 1988 through 1996.
In 1993, Menghe attempted to address these problems by negotiating a purchase of thirty-six Hawk T1 trainer aircraft from New Tyran. Originally, the Menghean Ministry of National Defense planned to place additional orders, but met resistance from instructors who felt that the Hawk T1 could not adequately simulate the performance of newer fighter aircraft like the Sŏngrim SR-8. The Air Force also came under political pressure to develop a domestically-built trainer, rather than relying on imported models from a non-allied country.
The Daesŭngri and Sŏngrim aircraft design bureaus both began work on their own advanced trainers in the mid-1990s, with the latter opting for a cheaper subsonic jet while the former aimed for better performance. Daesŭngri's prototype made its first flight in 2003, impressing Ministry of Defense observers with its speed and agility. The Air Force soon adopted it for service as the Daesŭngri DS-10.
Design
The Daesŭngri DS-10 is specially designed as a lead-in fighter trainer, giving pilots their first experience flying a jet aircraft before they move on to operational conversion trainers. With this goal in mind, it is designed to simulate the performance of Menghe's other fighter aircraft, the Daesŭngri DS-9 and Sŏngrim SR-8. It is one of a few trainers able to reach transonic and supersonic speeds. The fly-by-wire controls also allow the instructor to adjust the plane's maneuverability to more closely match the trainee's destination aircraft, or to reduce the risk of loss of control in early training.
Other fighter-like functionality comes in the form of glass cockpit for both the trainee and instructor, and a trainee heads-up display which can be programmed to simulate the HUD of any Menghean combat aircraft, including the DS-5M. To prepare trainees for combat aircraft, the DS-10's nose-mounted radar is capable of air-search, ground-search, and terrain-following modes, though its range in all modes is relatively short and it does not support radar-guided missiles. To further enhance training, the DS-10's onboard computers and datalinks can simulate targets and missile threats for multiple aircraft. Compatibility with the training variant of the Keikŏ HMD was added in 2017, further enhancing augmented-reality training.
Thrust is provided by two Mengjin TE-298 turbojet engines, each of which generates 4500 kilograms of thrust. These engines are equipped with afterburner capability, allowing the aircraft to reach speeds of Mach 1.3 in level flight.
In times of war, the DS-10 can be pressed into service as a light attack aircraft. It has a total of seven hardpoints: one on each wingtip, two under each wing, and one under the fuselage. All hardpoints are rated for loads of up to 600 kilograms, and the plane is capable of carrying up to 3,000 kilograms in total.
An onboard targeting computer used in training allows for the accurate aiming of unguided bombs, and the centerline hardpoint can be used to mount a Maenun targeting pod for guided munitions. For defense against enemy missiles, the DS-10 carries a built-in chaff and flare dispenser at the base of the tail, and it can be equipped with radar-warning and jamming pods.
The single-piece tandem canopy is hinged, and opens to the side. Both the trainee and instructor have zero-zero ejection seats.
DS-10JG Stingray
The DS-10JG is a specialized variant which first appeared in 2013. It has a single-seat cockpit and an enlarged nose cone with an improved air-to-air radar system, allowing it to fire radar-guided air-to-air missiles like the YGG-7 Hwasal. It also has an aerial refueling probe, which the base variant lacks. Unlike the DS-10G, which is optimized for use as a trainer, variant "JG" is a dedicated multirole with no independent trainer capability.
Although neither the Army nor Navy have shown much interest in the DS-10JG, Menghe's Gunsu International Arms Export Company has marketed it abroad under the nickname "Stingray." The design is particularly promising for small, lower-income countries, as it is cheaper and easier to maintain than a large 4th-generation jet fighter. Because it is based on the DS-10 and retains many of the same internal systems, the DS-10JG also allows for faster training and streamlined maintenance for countries that also operate the DS-10G.
Service
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After the DS-10 was accepted for service, the Menghean Army - which had recently taken over Menghe's stock of fixed-wing aircraft from the Menghean Air Force - placed an order for 24 units.
The type was warmly received by trainees and instructors alike, and was a particularly distinct improvement over the aging DS-2HR. Pilots noted that the digital glass cockpit and heads-up display were much easier to work with than the old trainers' analog instruments, and that the DS-10's overall performance envelope was more forgiving for new pilots. The Army placed further orders, and the Navy ordered the plane for its land-based units. As of 2018, the DS-19 has nearly replaced the DS-2N2.
Currently, Menghean DS-10s serve within the 12th and 14th Training Wings, based in the Eastern and Southern Military Districts, respectively. Here, it is relatively far from the militarized border with Maverica. If a major war were to break out, however, the Menghean Army could convert the 12th and 14th Training Wings into front-line formations piloted by instructors and reserve personnel, who would use them as ground-attack aircraft to support the Army's operations.
During the Innominadan Crisis, the Menghean Army did mobilize one regiment from the 12th Training Wing to support the Menghean intervention in Innominada. There, DS-10s flown by reserve pilots performed close air support missions from early October onward, after the Innominadan Army's air-defense capabilities had been effectively destroyed. The DS-10 gained a respectable combat record during this conflict, flying hundreds of sorties before the operational regiments were returned to training duties, but did not have the opportunity to prove itself against a parity opponent with fighter aircraft and an organized SAM network.
Operators
Menghe: 180 (20+ more awaiting delivery)- Template:Country data Ummayah: 24
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Crew: 2 (trainee and instructor)
- Length: 12.45 m (40 ft 10 in) excluding probes
- Wingspan: 9.32 m (30 ft 7 in) without missiles
- Height: 4.41 m (14 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 23.45 m² (252.4 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 4,700 kg (10,361 lb)
- Loaded weight: 7,450 kg (16,424 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 10,890 kg (24,008 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Mengjin MJ-298 afterburning turbofan, 42.58 KN (9,572 lbf) each (afterburning)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,850 km/h (Mach 1.5)
- Stall speed: 170 km/h (105 mph)
- Ferry range: 3,000 km (1,800 miles) with external tanks
- Combat radius: 500 km (310 miles)
- Service ceiling: 15,000 m (52,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 210 m/s (41,300 ft/min) afterburning
- Wing loading: 317 kg/m² (65.07 lb/sq ft)
- G tolerance: +9.0, −3.0
- Thrust/weight: 1.16 (afterburning, loaded weight)
Armament
- 7 hardpoints (total of 3,000 kg)
- 1 per wingtip
- 1 under fuselage
- 2 under each wing