BAU Barracuda

BAU Barracuda
File:BAU Barracuda.png
Role	Tactical strike/reconnaissance
Manufacturer	BAU Systems
Designer	Belfras Aerospace United
First flight	15 april 1962
Introduction	22 january 1964
Status	In service
Primary users	Royal Air Force See Operators
Produced	1965 - Present

The Belfras Aerospace United Barracuda is a supersonic, medium-range strike and reconnaissance aircraft that also fills the roles of strategic bomber, electronic-warfare and interdictor in it's various versions. Developed in the 1960s by BAU, it first entered service in 1964 with the Royal Air Force.

The Barracuda helped pioneer several technologies for production aircraft, such as variable-sweep wings, afterburning turbojet engines, and an automatic terrain-following radar system for low, high-speed flight. The Barracuda was designed to penetrate a well-defended forward battle area at low altitudes and exceptionally high speeds whereupon it would attack pre-designated high-value targets with nuclear or conventional weaponry. It was also intended to be used as a high-altitude, high-speed stand-off reconnaissance plane for surveying enemy locations and movements.

Design

The Barracuda is an all-weather strike/reconnaissance aircraft, capable of conducting low-level and high-level operations with relative ease as a result of it's purpose-built design. It is capable of conducting low-level penetration missions to attack a high-value target with a wide range of weapons and performing high-level reconnaissance or stand-off operations with an extensive electronics variant and a long-rang missile complement.

The Barracuda is an all-weather strike/reconnaissance aircraft, capable of both low-level penetration of enemy defenses and high-level stand-off for active or passive reconnaissance measures.

Powered by Sentennei ESL-230 reheated turbojets, the plane is capable of making speeds in excess of Mach 2.35 at 40,000 ft or Mach 1.4 at sea level. This gives the Barracuda a comfortable combat range of 1,390 kilometers. To assist the plane in these roles, variable-geometry wings or 'swing-wings' were included in the design, making it one of the first effective warplanes to feature a variable-geometry wing set up. Concerns with the length, the space for electronics, and the width of which the plane was to be made resulted in a side-by-side seating arrangement inside of an enclosed escape capsule. In the event that the crew needed to eject, the entire module would separate and cushion the landing, either deflating after landing or remaining inflated as a buoyancy aid in water.

A large weapons bay exists underneath the bull of the Barracuda which is capable of carrying munitions, a removable cannon, and additional fuel tanks. In it's nuclear strike role, the Barracuda previously utilized two nuclear missile, meant to be launched from a high-level stand-off range to it's intended target. The cannon, which was calibered for 20mm explosive rounds, is operated on a gimbal by the co-pilot with over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. When not in use, the cannon docked with the fairing base above it, and then detached with an aerodynamic fairing remaining on the cannon to allow it to better withstand high speeds. After incidents during tests of the cannon, a chute was developed that would extend at the same time as the cannons deployment. The gimbal of the cannon has a minimal angle as a result of the construction, usually calling on the pilot to approach the target head-on at a suitable altitude, although in some situations pilots were reported to have put their plane into a temporary dive, allowing the co-pilot a top-down attack angle to the target. The weapons bay was able of being outfitted with a rotary bomb-rack for holding conventional bombs or a dual-rack for long-range air-to-air missiles.

Each wing of the Barracuda is outfitted to hold four underwing pylons, and initially came developed with two over-wing pylons, stationed at the base of the variable-geometry wing and intended to be outfitted with short-to-medium range air-to-air missiles. The four underwing pylons rotate to align with the fuselage, with each pylon capable of carrying various bombs and missiles, with later versions capable of branching off, with each pylon capable of holding four smaller bombs or missiles, provided that the pylon remained within it's weight limit of 2,300 kg (5,000 lbs). Fuel systems are installed at each pylon, allowing the usage of external fuel tanks to be fitted at any of the stations. Two additional pylons exist underneath the engines and can support light-to-medium ordnance, provided they do not obstruct the weapons bay from opening. Despite this possibly extensive load, concerns have been raised over possible incidents should the wings be fully swept back when the plane is carrying quad-mounts at the outer pylons, possible resulting in them launch into or colliding with ordnance at a deeper pylon. As a result, planes carrying such ordnance on the outer pylons were often prohibited from fully sweeping their wings, either by modification at the cockpit or by a hazard warning that would flash up during sweeping back. The most modern use of the outer pylons has been to house small electronic radomes

For electronic purposes, the pylons of the Barracuda are also useful for the attachment of radar pods, allowing for the plane to launch a wider variety of missiles without requiring an extensive retrofit. The weapons bay and the ten other pylons (two under both engines and four under each wing) allow the Barracuda to bring 18,900 kg of weapons and equipment into the war-zone. The Barracuda is often seen equipped with at least two visible external tanks to allow the plane to maintain it's possible range during deployments. The inclusion of technologies such as the Sentennei ESl-230, variable-geometry wings, and an escape capsule were all mostly new technologies at the time the Barracuda began production, with the escape capsule being improved in 1965 for use aboard the S.1, a shortened variant intended for use aboard carriers - an idea abandoned in favor of a purpose-built aircraft for the Royal Navy.

Variants

SR.5

The SR.5 is the primary Strike/Reconnaissance airframe of the BAU Barracuda.

E.4

The E.4 is the eleventh rendition of the electronic warfare variant for the Barracuda. Originally designed in 1975 to replace the aging Valkyrie E.5, the Barracuda E.4 was designed to function as a penetrating electronic jamming aircraft armed with anti-radiation missiles in order to fulfill a Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission.

The primary variance of the E.4 is the equipment utilized and the restriction in weapon space. The primary weapons bay of the E.4 was filled with electronics for the Huginn jamming system, with an attached transmitting pod under the weapons bay and at the top of the tail.

Operators

Belfras

• Royal Air Force

Anikatia

• Anikatian Air Force

Specifications (SR.5)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 26.36 m ()
• Wingspan:
  
  • Spread: 20 m (65.61 ft)
  • Swept: 10.25 m (33.62 ft) ()
• Height: 5.63 m (18.47) ()
• Empty weight: 24,850 kg ()
• Loaded weight: 36,200 kg ()
• Powerplant: 2 × Sentennei ESL-230 turbojet

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.35 at 40,000 ft (Mach 1.4 at sea level)
• Range: 4,650 km ()
• Combat radius: 1,400 km () ;
• Service ceiling: 40,000 ft ()

Armament

• Max. capacity = 18,900 kg
• Hardpoints = 10 × in total (8× under-wing, 2× under-fuselage) plus ordnance in weapons bay
• 1 × 20mm gimbal-operated 6-barreled gatling cannon capable of being mounted in weapons bay.
• Guided, free-fall, and smart bombs.
• Stand-off, long-range air-to-ground/air-to-air missiles