F.9/42 Bantam

Martin & Handasyde Bantam
Role	multirole fighter/naval fighter
National origin	Willink
Manufacturer	Martin & Handasyde
First flight	14 March 1989
Introduction	1991
Status	In service
Primary users	Willink Sumer Franberry Cazelia
Produced	1991-
Number built	50,000+

The Martin & Handasyde Bantam is a single engine multirole fighter aircraft and carrier-borne strike fighter designed by Willinkian defense contractor Martin & Handasyde for service with various Willinkian naval and air units. Conceived of as a replacement for the Questarian Shrike as the principal fighter aircraft carried by Willinkian aircraft carriers, and designed with the limitations in mind posed by Willink's Megaloprepís-class aircraft carriers, the Bantam was designed around manageable cost, multirole flexibility, and effective performance; the success of the airframe later led to its popular adoption by various air units in Willink, as well as export contracts to Sumer, Franberry, Cazelia, and other nations. The Bantam has maintained an important niche in Willinkian service, both as a flexible carrier fighter and lightweight, rugged, maneuverable multirole fighter aircraft, its most recent block upgrade occurring in 2018.

Design

Overview

The Bantam employs a blended delta wing configuration that seamlessly integrates with the fuselage for aerodynamic and structural efficiency. The delta wing is moderately swept (60 degrees) with rounded, beveled leading edges to reduce drag and improve lift characteristics at high angles of attack. The wing-fuselage blend ensures smooth airflow over the fuselage, enhancing structural integrity and reducing drag. The aircraft is fitted with close-coupled canards, positioned just ahead of the main wings and close to the fuselage atop the intakes. The intakes are side-mounted, S-duct style, positioned below and slightly aft of the cockpit. The aircraft is equipped with a combination of traditional and advanced control surfaces, all managed by a quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire system.

The primary airframe is composed of carbon-fiber composites, with aramid fiber reinforcement in high-stress areas such as the wing roots and landing gear mounts. Aluminum-lithium alloys are utilized in secondary structures for their light weight and ease of manufacturing. Radar-Absorbent Materials (RAM) is incorporated into the outer skin, especially around the intakes, leading edges, and nose cone, to reduce radar cross-section. High-strength titanium is used in critical load-bearing structures and engine mounts to ensure longevity in the harsh naval environment. The fuselage employs a semi-monocoque structure for strength and weight efficiency. Adhesively bonded panels replace many traditional rivets, reducing drag and improving stealth characteristics.

The design of the Bantam provides advantages in agility, STOL performance, durability, flight characteristics, and adaptability. Its blended delta wing and close-coupled canards work in harmony to deliver exceptional agility, particularly in high-alpha maneuvers and dogfighting scenarios. The Bantam’s aerodynamic design also provides excellent flight performance, balancing speed, range, and maneuverability. The delta wing’s low supersonic drag ensures efficient high-speed flight, while the side-mounted intakes guarantee consistent engine airflow during high-G maneuvers. Meanwhile, its semi-stealth characteristics, including radar-absorbent materials and S-duct intakes, reduce the aircraft’s radar cross-section, offering survivability in contested airspace. The airframe’s composition, combining carbon-fiber composites, aramid reinforcements, and aluminum-lithium alloys, strikes a balance between lightweight construction, structural integrity, and damage tolerance. This durability enhances operational reliability, particularly in harsh naval and expeditionary environments.

The Bantam’s adaptability is a hallmark of its design philosophy, with multirole capability allowing effective transitions between air-to-air combat, anti-ship strikes, ground attack, and electronic warfare missions. Though its payload is smaller than some contemporaries, its advanced avionics, modular weapon systems, and ease of operation make it a versatile and cost-effective platform popular in both domestic and export use.

Avionics and flight controls

The Bantam employs an Arelion R90X Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The R90X is mounted on a gimbal system that provides ±60° mechanical azimuth and elevation movement. This, combined with the AESA’s intrinsic electronic steering capability, enables the radar to achieve a total field of view exceeding 120° in all directions. The gimbal also allows continued target tracking while the aircraft maneuvers aggressively, minimizing blind spots. The T/R modules are based on GaAs semiconductors, which were state-of-the-art at the time. GaAs offers superior electron mobility compared to silicon, allowing for higher frequencies and better power efficiency in radar systems. Each module includes MMICs to combine multiple functions like amplification, switching, and filtering into a compact package. This integration minimizes size and weight while improving reliability. The radar array’s physical structure combines lightweight, high-strength materials with cutting-edge electronics to meet operational demands, particularly for carrier operations and multirole adaptability.

Low-dielectric constant composites are used for the antenna substrate, chosen for their low dielectric constant and loss tangent, ensuring minimal signal loss during transmission. The array's frame is constructed from titanium alloys, offering a balance of lightweight construction, corrosion resistance (critical for carrier-based operations), and structural integrity. Layers of aluminum or copper mesh are integrated to shield the radar from external electromagnetic interference (EMI). Integrated aluminum or copper heat sinks dissipate heat generated by the high-power T/R modules. High-performance liquid cooling systems use lightweight, corrosion-resistant alloys (aluminum-lithium) for the piping to handle thermal loads. The radome is designed to withstand high-speed aerodynamic stresses while maintaining minimal radar signal attenuation. Materials including kevlar composites and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers are layered with radar-transparent coatings for durability. The Arelion R90X's T/R modules enable several advanced operational modes, including beamforming, varying the phase and amplitude of signals across the T/R modules, permitting the radar to dynamically steer and shape its beams without physically moving the array. The modular design allows simultaneous operation in multiple modes (e.g., air-to-air and air-to-ground) by allocating different beams to different tasks. GaAs-based amplifiers ensure efficient signal generation, critical for the radar’s long-range performance. The radar's gimbal mount extends its field of regard well beyond the 120° typical for fixed AESA arrays, allowing tracking over a broader azimuth range and extending tracking timelines.The radar’s design accounts for high levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI) typical in naval environments and ensures reliable operation during takeoff, landing, and high-vibration conditions.

In general, the R90X is capable of detection ranges of large aircraft at ~300 km, 4th generation fighter aircraft at ~150km, low-RCS aircraft at ~80 km, large to medium-sized vessels at ~250-350km, and land targets at ~50-150km. The R90X AESA equips the Bantam with advanced tracking capabilities, leveraging its digital beamforming and high processing power. The radar can handle multiple functions simultaneously, such as target tracking, search, and jamming. For its time, it was one of the most capable systems in terms of multitarget tracking. The Bantam can simultaneously track up to 20 targets in air-to-air mode, and engage up to 8 targets simultaneously using active radar-guided missiles. It is further capable of tracking 10 ground targets while scanning for others using ground-moving target indication (GMTI) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modes, or track and classify up to 6 naval targets simultaneously, assisting in anti-ship missile deployment. The radar can utilize sea-skimming detection modes, which reduce clutter and enhance the ability to detect low-profile targets near the waterline, such as fast missile boats or low-altitude cruise missiles.

The Bantam's Integrated Electronic Countermeasure Suite (IECS) enhances survivability against modern air defense systems and adversarial fighters. Functionality includes jamming, deception, active protection, and passive protection; the system produces false targets and confuses enemy radar by replaying altered or amplified signals, employs frequency hopping and delay tactics to mimic multiple false targets, incorporates radar warning receivers (RWR) and missile approach warning systems (MAWS) to detect and respond to threats automatically, including flare/chaff deployment. The IECS complements the aircraft’s low observability by employing emissions control (EMCON) strategies when operating in contested airspace.

The Infrared Search and Track (IRST) and Laser Sensor Suite complements the radar by providing passive detection and targeting capabilities. Mounted on the fuselage just forward of the cockpit, the IRST sensor passively detects and tracks heat signatures from aircraft and missiles. It operates in the mid- to long-wave infrared spectrum. This system permits BVR tracking of stealthy or radar-jamming adversaries without revealing the Bantam’s position, tracks both afterburning targets and low-signature threats, such as cruise missiles, and integrates with the radar and datalink for enhanced situational awareness. The Datalink System enables seamless communication and coordination with allied forces, supporting network-centric warfare.

The quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire (FBW) system is vital for maintaining the Bantam's agility and pilot confidence, particularly given the aircraft’s inherently unstable aerodynamic design. The FBW employs four independent and segregated control loops (three electronic and one mechanical backup). This ensures that the system remains operational even if multiple channels fail. Advanced algorithms provide automatic stability augmentation, allowing the pilot to focus on mission objectives rather than controlling instability. Integrated with the autopilot and mission computer, the FBW allows for advanced flight modes like terrain-following and automated carrier landings.

The cockpit is fully digital, featuring three large multifunction displays (MFDs) with touch-sensitive controls and programmable layouts. Displays provide radar and sensor data, flight and navigation information, and weapon status and targeting information. Backup analog gauges for critical flight parameters are retained for redundancy. The Bantam employs a HOTAS setup, enabling the pilot to control radar modes, weapon systems, and flight functions without removing their hands from the throttle or control stick. The Bantam is equipped with the ISNE Aetos HMCS (Helmet-Mounted Cueing System), which projects critical data directly onto the visor, allowing the pilot to maintain heads-up awareness. This system permits visual display of targeting cues, missile lock status, and navigation information. The pilot can designate targets by simply looking at them, enabling agile engagement with high-off-boresight weapons like the ISNE Cheiron. Integrated night vision capability allows seamless operation in low-light environments.

The avionics suite integrates information from the radar, IRST, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and other sensors to provide the pilot with a single, clear tactical picture. A basic voice command system enables the pilot to change radar modes, switch MFD layouts, or initiate ECM functions through vocal instructions. The system features a ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system (INS) paired with GPS for accurate navigation. The Bantam’s avionics suite and cockpit design make it a pilot-friendly, highly capable multirole fighter. Its radar and sensor systems provide superior multitarget engagement capabilities, while its HMD and data fusion technologies ensure excellent situational awareness and combat effectiveness.

Propulsion

The Bantam is powered by a Handasyde TF-110 thrust vectoring turbofan, capable of producing 22,000 lbs of dry thrust and 34,000 lbs with afterburner. The TF-110 employs a combination of advanced materials to withstand the high thermal and mechanical stresses encountered in modern turbofan operation. These include single-crystal nickel superalloys for high-pressure turbine blades and vanes, ceramic matrix composites for the turbine shroud and nozzle components, titanium-aluminum alloys in the low-pressure compressor blades and fan assembly, and carbon-fiber reinforced polymers in engine casings and other non-heat-critical components.

The TF-110 operates on the turbofan principle, combining a high-bypass fan for efficient subsonic thrust with a powerful core engine for supersonic performance. A single-stage, high-bypass fan provides efficient thrust for subsonic cruise and takeoff. The low-pressure compressor further compresses incoming air for delivery to the core. Multi-stage axial compression increases air pressure, optimizing the fuel-air mixture for combustion. Advanced lean-burn technology minimizes emissions and enhances fuel efficiency. High-pressure and low-pressure turbines extract energy from the high-temperature exhaust gases to power the compressors and fan. For supersonic flight, the afterburner injects additional fuel into the exhaust stream, significantly boosting thrust.

The engine features a multi-axis thrust vectoring nozzle capable of ±20° deflection in both pitch and yaw axes. This allows for precise adjustments to the aircraft's trajectory, improving maneuverability in close-quarters combat and at high angles of attack. Advanced electro-hydraulic actuators, controlled by the flight computer, ensure rapid and precise nozzle movements. The system integrates with the aircraft’s fly-by-wire controls for seamless pilot input translation. The nozzle components, constructed from CMCs and coated with thermal barrier materials, can withstand extreme exhaust temperatures while maintaining structural integrity.