Continental Imperator
| Continental Imperator | |
|---|---|
| |
| Imperator without camouflage. | |
| Role | Strategic Bomber |
| Designer | Thessalona-Loweport Engineering |
| First flight | 15 July 1952 |
| Introduction | 20 September 1956 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user |  Belfras ArthuristaSee Users |
The Continental Imperator is a long range strategic bomber developed by Thessalona-Loweport Engineering for service with the Republic Air Force and Commonwealth Air Force. The aircraft was designed to provide a sturdy strategic platform capable of delivering heavy conventional or nuclear payloads to targets. Early versions of the aircraft had a bomb bay capable of holding 21,000 lbs of ordnance and quickly became the bomber of choice for the two air forces.
At a length of 32.40 meters and an impressive wing span of 37 meters, it isn't the largest bomber nor the fastest, maxing out at 729 mph. However with the modern variants trading a bomb bay for six heavy-duty pylons capable of holding a wide array of ordnance and a stead-fast safety record that's stood the test of time, the platform was given a life extension that saw existing models refit with modernised equipment and a whole new model brought about.
A new model of the Imperator was introduced in 2005, being five feet longer, one foot taller and a ten foot larger wingspan. Massive improvements on the engine, fuel storage and electrical systems made the new model, dubbed the Imperator B.4, almost an entirely new aircraft. The new model is capable of conducting long duration missions hauling almost three fighter jets worth of ordnance to conduct stand-off operations or air support tasking as necessary. The safety of the aircraft was vastly improved with ejection seats for all crew-members, improved fire safety mechanisms and improved amenities in the kitchen and lavatory areas of the habitation section.
Brought into service in 1964, the Imperator began it's life as part of the Arthuristan nuclear force and the Belfrasian strategic air command, ensuring it saw quick service in both the nuclear and conventional service.
Design
Overview
The Imperator was built with an unusual and radical shape at the time. A long, sweeping delta wing that had four in-built engines at the time was a stark change in design for military aircraft. The design called for the separate construction of major parts such as a two-part wing construction and attachment of the tail wing along with rear superstructure as one piece. The central structure was constructed as one piece, however, and consisted of a cockpit and workspace for crewmembers and support staff along with two bunks, a kitchen and lavatory as needed. The habitation area is sufficiently pressurised and given an extra padding of armour to increase survivability. Behind the habitation area of the aircraft sat the compartment for the storage of up to 21 1000 lb bombs that would be removed in later versions.
The engines of the aircraft were held within each wing with maintenance hatches allowing access to the entire engine with relative ease. The large sweeping wings contain bladders for fuel storage and reinforcement structures for the mounting of armaments under each wing. A single tail fin features two rudders that in normal operations work as a single rudder, but when breaking will deploy in opposite directions to increase drag. When undergoing rudder trim for weight/thrust compensation, the rudder in the direction of the trim needing to be off-set will deploy as much as is necessary whilst the other will remain stowed. When the trim is set, the rudder will still operate as one.
As previously mentioned, the habitation area of the aircraft is pressurised with an additional layer of armour that also acts as isolation for cold climates. The habitation area of the plane consists of two decks. A primary operations deck raised above the second where the crewmembers ejection areas and workspaces exist and a second deck consisting of two bunks, a kitchen and a lavatory.
The plane requires a five man crew, the pilot, co-pilot, navigator officer, weapon systems officer and electronic warfare officers. The pilots are seated at the front with navigator immediately behind to the right. The console the Navigator operates at has space for the Weapon Systems Officer to work at as well. A console at the back of the compartment has room for the Electronic Warfare officer. Long duration flights call for the addition of a relief pilot, who operates from a second seat at the EWO's console when not sleeping. Seating for the crew have come a long way since the Imperator first came into service, where the seats were essentially cushions with safety harnesses attached. Modern seats are designed for long duration use, feature anti-G force harness and come with parachute/oxygen facilities. In the event of an ejection, hatches above each seat will jettison and the seats will fire through the hatches. If crew are below deck during ejection, they are capable of leaving the aircraft through the boarding hatch on the bottom.
The aircraft features a long refuelling nozzle at the front of the nose and during long-duration missions will refuel this way through an airborne refuelling tanker.
Avionics
Originally the Imperator was designed with a simple VHF/HF Transmitter for communications and a Belthrop Doppler radar system. Design developments throughout the B.1 phase saw the inclusion of a modulating frequency radio to allow for better communications in rough conditions and several gyroscopic readers to help pin-points the planes positions for the navigator. Eventually as the B.2 was brought out in the late 1970s the first GPS trackers were fitted to allow for pin-point positioning of the aircraft.
The internal consoles of the plane has also seen a major refit. A digital glass framework with touch-sensitive screens and secure mouse architecture has replaced old, outdated computers. Multi-function displays allow for a wider variety of uses per console and design influences from Republic Navy warships allow for expedient repairs and maintenance to take place. The cockpit also has glass multi-function display systems and an improved anti-glare reinforced window that helps protect the pilots from blinding sun-glare and an improved HUD system hooks into the SmartHUD system, allowing for ease-of-use for pilots.
A remnant of the previous plane, the ISR-21 DDS, makes a new appearance in the upgraded ISR-22 Decoy Deployment System. The ISR-22 is a mixture of a countermeasures suite and an electronic warfare suite in usage with the Republic Air Force. It's a highly modular system consisting of an array of antennaes for Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Missile Approach Warning systems (MAW), Laser Warning Receivers (LWR) and a towed/launched decoy system (T/LDS).
The TSR-22 includes an advanced electronic support measures and radar-warning receivers (ESM and RWR respectively). The RWR system is designed to detect enemy radars using digital receiver antennas which are located along the long, sweeping wings of the Imperator. These passive radars are used to identify emitting radars and other RF signatures such as radios or data systems. The data from the RWR is combined with the ESM system to try and identify the radar detected and thus the platform that is detecting the Imperator. Once this has been done, it appears on the multi-function displays in the cockpit or on the digital 'moving plot map' of the navigator, allowing for the crew to see a 360° picture of the area around them. The system has been rated as advanced enough to detect threats ahead of time to allow the pilots to avoid threat zones as necessary.
The Laser Warning Receiver (LWR) of the ISR-22 counters the threat of laser guided weapons. They detect lasers pointing at the aircraft and analyse the direction and location of the source.
The Electronic Countermeasure suite of the ISR-22 utilises a modular digital radio memory generator and a constantly modulating emitting platform to allow for directed or overall jamming of incoming missiles or their launch platforms. In-service upgrades of the B.3 platform bombers have seen new antennas installed, increasing frequency range.
The Missile Approach Warning System tracks missiles fired toward the Imperator, with directors being located on each wing tip and on the rear of the plane, giving a wide angle of vision. The MAW utilises an active low-wave radar for detection. Since they are active, they are able to detect radar guided missiles and passive weapons such as infra-red guided short-range missiles. Stress tests of the software have allowed them to detect numerous missiles in all weather conditions and to continue tracking even after the missile has stopped it's engine. Once the missile has been detected, it appears on appropriate screens identified to it's guidance system. If necessary, the MAW will activate countermeasures such as the T/LDS.
The Towed/Launched Decoy System (T/LDS) of the platform takes the form of four chaff/flare launchers and two active towed decoys stowed in the wings. The countermeasures are controlled either manually in the cockpit or automatically by the Missile Approach Warning System. The Imperator is capable of holding up to 400-500 chaff/flare cartridges to a total weight of 15 kg. The system is capable of firing countermeasures in a number of patterns to try and seduce a number of incoming missiles. The countermeasures utilised by the Imperator include a standard 55mm IR decoy, a high-burn chaff/flare system, and BriteCloud, an advanced decoy system that protects aircraft from anti-air missiles. The BriteCloud detects incoming missiles and mimics the target signature to seduce the missile into intercepting a programmed decoy that jettisons from the aircraft to gather as much distance as possible.
The T/LDS also consists of two active towed decoys that are deployed from the wings on 150 meter long kevlar cables with a fiberoptic link and power-line inside. They are capable of being jettisoned or retracted as necessary and when deployed emits high-level jamming/seduction signals. The idea behind this equipment is to fool missiles with 'Home On Jam' (HOJ) systems that causes the missile to focus on the jamming signal. The system is automatic and, when the missile has been confirmed as seduced will jettison the decoy that has enough back-up power to maintain seduction until impact.
Controls
Originally controlled with a cockpit set-up style reminiscent to prop-style aircraft, with analog dials, flight controllers worked by powered flight controls. Modern versions of the aircraft feature a fully digital flight control system, with a glass cockpit interface and a fly-by-wire control system that conducts minor corrections as necessary. A modernised autopilot system will also follow set waypoints by the pilot, allowing for a simple hands-off operation of the aircraft for long flights.
The fly-by-wire software is coupled with the centralised engines to automatically correct for weight differentials with payloads and to compensate for potential off-balanced expenditure of the payload, where one wing may weigh more than the other. Usual automated compensation involves drawing fuel from the opposite wing to compensate or simply changing engine throttle/rudder trim. The airframe includes four elevons per wing for a total of eight. Typically the inboard surfaces are for elevator control with the outboard surfaces being utilised for aileron control, although the fly-by-wire software can override this if necessary for improved manoeuvrability. The lifting surface of the wings is large enough to omit flaperons. A single vertical tail on the back of the aircraft features two rudders that sit side-by-side and in typical usage operate as a single rudder, although during breaking will deploy in opposite directions for maximum drag. The aircraft is fitted with six airbrakes which dynamically deploy to correct for weight/airspeed balances as necessary. The tail section of the aircraft also holds a two-stage parachute for breaking upon landing. A second parachute is held as a reserve but also is utilised in the event of a second landing occurring without time to repack the first, which can jettison in such scenarios.
The engines of the Imperator are positioned within the wings and close to the main body of the aircraft, centralising thrust with a minor upward off-set that can be adjusted on the fly to compensate for payload weight and weight drop-off during flight. Because of the centralised nature of the engines and the maximum power of each individual engine, the plane is capable of losing an engine in flight and needing only minimal changes in thrust and rudder trim.
The Imperator is outfitted with four Zeus 520 Turbofan engines, each producing 18,000 lbf. The engines were designed with an emphasis on durability and efficiency over long durations. The engines are paired on both sides of the main body of the aircraft and feature a narrow-angle vector control to assist in maneuvers when necessary.
Variants
- Imperator B.3C
- The old B.3C version, introduced in 1987, still sees active service today. The B.3C is five feet shorter, one foot lower and has a 10 foot shorter wingspan than the new B.4 airframe. The mid-life upgrade for the B.3C saw the introduction of the B.4's engines, an improved fuel storage system, and glass cockpit mainframes. The primary reason for the B.3C's continued usage is the bomb-bay capable of holding up to 21 1000 lb bombs, an eight-round rotary launcher for missiles or a singular air-launched ballistic missile.
- Imperator B.4
- The B.4 is the current primary design of the aircraft and was introduced in 2005. The upgrade saw sweeping refits and redesigns to the vehicle, including advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, a larger airframe to hold more fuel and ordnance and more powerful engines. It builds on the B.3 by lacking a bomb-bay in exchange for six hard points to hold a variety of missiles. The design is capable of long endurance flights and was used as a platform for the MMR.2 and K.3 designs.
- Imperator K.2
- The K.2 air-to-air refuelling variant of the B.3C saw it's bomb-bay exchanged with additional fuel containers that, when empty, can be jettisoned if required. Weapon systems officers aboard were exchange for load masters that would supervise refuelling from three hose units, one on each wing and one under the main carriage.
- Imperator K.3
- The new K.3 design, designed off of the B.4 has a significantly larger fuel payload and flight time. It's already significnatly improved fuel payload can be complimented with fuel drop-tanks that feed into the three refuelling hoses aboard.
Operational History
Belfras
Arthurista
Users
Specifications
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- Crew: 5 (Pilot, Copilot, Weapon Systems Officer, Navigator, Electronic Warfare Officer)
- Extra room for relief pilot and Crew Chief for long-duration patrols.
- Length: 32.40 m
- Wingspan: 37 m
- Height: 8.35 m
- Empty weight: 37,200 kg
- Maximum takeoff weight: 155,000 kg
- Powerplant:
- 4 x Zeus 520 Turbofan (Governed 18,000 lbf static)
- Ram-Air Turbine Primary Power Unit
- Engine-driven Auxiliary Power Unit
- Maximum speed: Mach .95+
- Range: 10,250 km (6,370 mi)
- Service ceiling: 60,000 ft
- Avionics:
- BriteCloud Radar Decoy System
- SABR-E Scaleable Multi-Function AESA Radar
- ISR-22 Decoy Deployment System
- Thunderbolt Combat Interface
- Attached Targeting pods
- Armaments:
- 6 external hardpoints for mixed ordnance:
- Air-Launched Ballistic Missile:
- Cruise Missiles:
- Air-to-Ground Guided Missiles:
- Air-to-Air Missiles: