Glasic International Aircraft Eagle

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GIA Eagle
Korea Airforce 20130802 09.jpg
Role Air Superiority and Strike Fighter
National origin Tír Glas
Manufacturer Glasic International Aircraft
Designer Feagh O’Connor
Lonan Casey
First flight 1976
Introduction 1980
Status In production and service
Primary users Tír Glas
Menghe
Dayashina
Rajamaa
Number built >1,000
Unit cost
~$80 million (2018 - Black Eagle)

The Glasic International Aerospace Eagle (Glasic: Iolar, lit. 'Eagle') is a twin-engine, twin-tail multi-role combat aircraft. Designed as a direct replacement for the Phantom (Glasic: Fantaise lit. Phantom). The Eagle unlike the Phantom was originally designed to be operated by a single person, rather than the pilot and systems operator arrangement formerly employed. Conflicting opinions during the design phase lead to the aircraft being easily convertible between single or twin occupancy, initially with only a change in canopy but more recently simply by adding or removing a fuel tank or cockpit as required. The type's main employment is now that of a strike fighter in the air interdiction and close air support roles; the Eagle however still retains all of its counter-air prowess, being widely regarded as the premier air-combat aircraft amongst aviation analysts.

Design and development

Origins

Initial development

Initial requirements for what would result in the Iolar can be traced back as far as the mid 1960s with requirements for an aircraft or aircraft to complement and eventually supplant the Fantaise in the air defence role and the Píoráid in the aerial interdiction role. Eventually the two competing requirements were combined into a single requirement in the hope to lower procurement costs by sharing development work. An official request for information was put out in March 1970 to Glasic industry and select foreign companies. Ten companies responded, soon being whittled down to four. These were Kelleher, Devaughn, Clarke White and the newly formed Government Aircraft Factories. Between these four companies some three hundred concepts were worked through, many with variable-geometry wings, most were too large. The Air Force redrafted requirements to better define the required aircraft which resulted in a further set of refined proposals more in line with the Fantaise / Píoráid replacement.

The initial versions of the Iolar were the single-seat Iolar A and twin-seat Iolar B, the A being fielded as a dedicated air defence aircraft whilst the B began to supplant both other fighter bombers and the Píoráid.

Description and role

The Eagle as it is known outside of Tír Glas has in its original form an all-metal semi-monocoque fuselage with large cantilevered, shoulder-mounted wings. The wing's planform broadly equates to that of a cropped delta but featuring a cranked trailing edge. The wing's feature a relatively moderate sweep-back angle of 45 degrees with simple ailerons and trailing-edge flaps, leading-edge flaps were not incorporated into the final design, primarily due to low wing-loading combined with a fixed leading edge of varying camber. The airfoil of the wing varies between 6% at the root to 3% at the tip.

In its original form the empennage was of combined metal and composite honeycomb construction resulting in extremely thin and strong tailplanes and rudders. The horizontal all-moving tails feature much the same construction providing roll control in certain flight regimes. A dorsal air-brake is fitted aft of the cockpit, again of composite construction.

The Eagle's manoeuvrability is due in equal parts to low wing-loading and a high thrust-to-weight ratio, further enhanced since 1995 by the introduction of 2D thrust vectoring. As-built the Eagle could obtain an altitude of 9,100m in just over a minute, in certain situations the aircraft is able to accelerate vertically due to a surplus of required thrust, this is often seen during air-show displays where the aircraft from rotation pulls up into a 90 degree climb.

Although the A model flew as a single seater and had systems designed around use by a single person later Eagles have returned to the pilot and systems operator pairing, offloading tasks from the pilot, allowing them to concentrate on flying and manoeuvring the aircraft.

Further developments

The A and B models were replaced in production in 1990 by the C and D which featured a number of changes and improvements over the older aircraft including an extra 905kg of internal fuel, conformal fuel tanks as standard, and an increase in maximum takeoff weight via new landing gear to 31,000kg, this increase allows for a full weapons load, conformal and external tanks to be simultaneously utilised. The C and D aircraft or CDs as they colloquially became known were the first to be fitted with the improved AI.90 Dhampir radar, developed from the AI.75 the AI.90 introduced a variety of changes geared toward improving reliability and easing maintenance.

Throughout the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s a Technology Insertion and Capability Upgrade Programme known as TICUP (pronounced teacup) was undertaken, providing the Eagle with an upgraded central computer derived from that introduced with the Goshawk allowing for easier integration of newer sensor and weapon systems. Also incorporated in the TICUP programme were improvements to the electronic warfare system resulting in minor external changes, enhancements to the AI.90 and upgraded engines fitted with digital engine controls, providing quicker throttle responses, reduced wear, and lower fuel consumption as well as combined thrust-reversing and thrust vectoring nozzles.

From 2008, Glasic Eagles began to be re-manufactured into (in GIA's terminology) Eagle Es and Fs, known simply as Fs among ground crew and pilots. The re-manufacturing process entailed the replacement of the existing wing structure with a co-cured composites pioneered in the Goshawk combined with Super Plastically Formed / Diffusion-Bonded (SPF/DB) titanium in high stress areas. The same treatment was applied to the tail surfaces, both vertical and horizontal whilst the forward longerons were replaced with titanium versions.

Additionally further engine improvements were undertaken, incorporating features found on Morris Foley's experimental TF120 and derivative TF118 engines. These included a variable-cycle core from the TF120 and long-chord blisk fan derived from the TF118 giving a higher capacity pressure ratio, resulting in 89kN vs 78kN dry thrust and up-to 160kN in reheat.

Sensors also received attention during this process. The AI.90 was supplanted by an AESA the AI.21 'Bruxa' co-developed by Brennan-Brown (BB) and the Masoka Group (MkG), a helmeted-mounted-display In the form of Anglian Aerospace's Striker and latterly Striker II.

A nose-mounted combined infra-red search and track and navigational FLIR similar to Sieuexerr's FSO system was incorporated to allow passive identification of air and ground targets as well as aiding adverse weather navigation. Finally an all-digital electronic warfare system known as Dewdrop was integrated, replacing the 1980s/90s vintage system with a lighter-weight but more capable set of systems.

Since 2015 GIA have been proposing further upgrades to the Eagle to keep it relevant through to 2045. Based partly upon the earlier Black Eagle proposal including low-observability features such as canted tail-fins, intake blockers and implementation of radar-absorbing material in specific areas. Improvements to the aircraft's combat ability including twin-adapters to increase the number of beyond-visual-range missiles carried to twenty-two. Further improvements consisted of re-arranging the aircraft's cockpits with large-area displays, replacing the majority of analogue and smaller multi-function displays.

As of 2019, production is set to continue to 2025, nearly 50 years after the type's first flight.

Operational history

The largest operator of the Eagle is, perhaps oddly the Republic of Dayashina Air Force with some 500 aircraft on the books, closely followed by the Royal Glasic Airforce with 490.

The Eagle has been involved in numerous conflicts since its introduction most notably the 2019 invasion of Vyzhva. During the 1980s Eagles were involved in numerous shoot-downs of Vyzhvan aircraft along the de-militarised zone in Tír an Crainn. They have also been used in strikes on Vyzhvan weapons facilities during the 1990s and early 2000s.

More recently Glasic Eagles have been employed on long-distance reconnaissance missions over the periphery of Fyrland.

Vyzhvan War

The ARTG began deploying Iolar CAT.3, CAT.4 and LC.3s to mainland Vinya in preparation for Operations Carman and Geas in late 2018. Reconnaissance missions were flown on and off over the months leading up to the invasion. On the evening of February 14th 2019 Iolar CAT.4s took off from bases in Tír an Crainn and Tír Tairngire to attack targets in Vyzhva, armed with standoff missiles before the invasion proper commenced. During the ground campaign Iolars were used in the counter-air role, policing Vyzhvan airspace against any aircraft not destroyed on the ground as well as in direct support of ground forces, destroying bunkers complexes and other fortifications with guided bombs and rocket fire. Iolar pilots were responsible for the destruction of 28 of the 36 aerial kills during the campaign, mostly from beyond visual range. Of the 80 aircraft were lost during the campaign, 12 were Eagles, 10 from ground fire, one due to mechanical failure and one to friendly fire.

Variants

GIA production designations

Eagle A
Initial single-seat aircraft, provisions for conformal fuel tanks or sensors
Eagle B
Twin-seat version of Eagle A, otherwise identical.
Eagle C
Improved single-seat aircraft, modifications to and reinforcement of airframe, cockpit canopy changed to utilise the twin-seat canopy regardless of rear seat occupancy.
Eagle D
Twin-seat version of Eagle C, otherwise identical.
Eagle E
Further improved single-seat aircraft, co-cured composite wing and tail structures, also introduced a fly-by-light system pioneered on the Goshawk allowing outer-wing hardpoints to be reintroduced. The Eagle E also introduced the option for canted tail surfaces on new-build aircraft or through remanufacture, reducing weight and radar cross-section.
Eagle F
Twin-seat version of Eagle E, otherwise identical.


Glasic Air Force variants

Eagle C.1
Initial production model, single-seat air superiority fighter. Built from 1976 until 1990
Eagle CA.2
Initial production model, twin-seat strike fighter Built from 1976 until 2000
Eagle CAT.2A
Interim twin-seat aircraft, built and re-manufactured between 2000 until 2008
Eagle CAT.3 (Golden Eagle)
Improved version, both single and twin-seat, built and re-manufactured between 2008 and 2015
Eagle LC.3
Electronic warfare conversion, converted from a mix of C.1s and CA.2s between 2008 and 2010
Eagle CAT.4 (Black Eagle)
Improved CAT.3s remanufactured with canted-tails, upgraded cockpit systems and intake blockers

Menghean variants

See also: Songrim SR-8
Eagle M (GIA designation - White-tailed Eagle)
50 airframes built for export to Menghean specifications
SR-8G
Initial production model, twin-seat multirole fighter. Built from 1999 until 2006
SR-8N
Improved twin-seat model with TVC and new electronics. Built from 2006 until 2017
SR-8D
Improved single-seat model for dedicated air superiority missions. Built from 2013 until 2018
SR-8R
Improved twin-seat model with RCS-reducing modifications. Built from 2017 until present

Republic of Dayashina Air Force variants

See also: Mitsuna Type 80
GIA designation - Imperial Eagle
Type 80 A
Initial export, C.1 built to Dayashinese specifications
Type 80 B
Initial production model, twin seat multirole fighter, built 1980-2002
Type 80 K
Improved model, both single and twin seat, electronics refit and upgrade, built and re-manufactured 2008-2015
Type 80 K+
Equivalent to Eagle E/F with canted tails and internal weapons carriage

Rajaan Air Force

GIA designation - Eagle Owl

Ostenlandische Luftwaffe

GIA designation - Little Eagle

Operators

Tír Glas Tír Glas
  • Royal Glasic Air Force operates 330 aircraft, most of which are to Eagle E/F standard
Menghe Menghe
  • Menghean Army Aviation operates 49 Iolar-Ms and 406 Songrim SR-8s
Dayashina
  • Republic of Dayashina Air Force operates 500 Mitsuna Type 80s, all up Type 80 K and K+ standard
Hallia
  • Hallian Air Force operates...
Shijuku
  • Shijukunese Air Force operates 60 Mitsuna Type 80s, all up to Type 80 K standard

Specifications (Iolar CAT.4)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 or 2
  • Length: 63.75 ft (19.43 m)
  • Wingspan: 42.83 ft (13.05 m)
  • Height: 18.5 ft (5.63m)
  • Wing area: 608 ft² (56.48 m²)
  • Airfoil: Root: NACA 64A006.6; Tip: NACA 64A203
  • Empty weight: 28,000 lb (12,700 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 44,500 lb (20,185 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 81,000lb (36,741kg)
  • Internal fuel: 13,850 pounds (6,280 kg)
    CFT fuel: 9,500 pounds (4,300 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Morris Foley TF.110-160 Afterburning turbofan
    • Dry thrust: 20,010 lb (89 kN) each
    • Thrust with afterburner: 36,000 lb (160.15 kN) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed:
    • At sea level: Mach 1.2 (920 mph, 1,480 km/h)
    • At altitude: Mach 2.5 (1,920 mph; 3,090 km/h) 40,000ft, 60% fuel, four MRAAM, four SRAAM
  • Combat radius: 500 nmi (926 km) with 6,510kg war-load on a hi-lo-hi profile
  • Ferry range: 3,100 nmi (5,742km) with three drop tanks and conformal tanks
  • Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
  • Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 112 lb/ft² (546 kg/m²)
  • Maximum g-load: +9/-3g

Armament

Avionics

  • Helmet-Mounted Display
  • Striker helmet mounted display
  • Radar
  • Targeting Pods
  • Electronic Warfare
    • Dewdrop internal electronic-warfare system
      • Laser warning receivers
      • Radar warning receivers (Emitter location capable)
      • Infrared warning receivers
    • Gorgain internal countermeasures system
      • Towed RF decoys
      • Multiple 55mm countermeasure dispensers
      • Internal DRFM jammers
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