KM-7

KM-7 "Valkyrie"
Type	Carrier multi-use
Place of origin	Huvakia
Service history
In service	1998 - Present
Used by	Huvakian Naval Air Force
Production history
Designer	United Imperial Aeronautics Volgoluft
Designed	2001-2003
Manufacturer	United Imperial Aeronautics
Produced	2001
Specifications
Weight	38,192 lb (17,324 kg)
Length	53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
Width	29 ft 6 in (8.99 m) folded
Height	22 ft 9 in (6.93 m)
Crew	4 (Pilot, Co-Pilot/COTAC, TACCO, Sensor Operator/TFO)
Armor	SPM-2: 7 mm (0.28 in)
Main armament	AGAC 30mm Reaper autocannon 6 underwing pylons 2 body hardpoints
Fuel capacity	1,933 US gal (1,610 imp gal; 7,320 l) of JP-5 fuel 2 × 300 US gal (250 imp gal; 1,100 l) drop tanks
Operational range	2,765 nmi (3,182 mi, 5,121 km)
Speed	429 kn (494 mph, 795 km/h) at sea level Mach 0.79

The KM-7 is a multiuse jet aircraft in use with the Huvakian Navy. The KM-7 Valkyrie is a 4-crew, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft in use with the Huvakian Navy that excels at anti-submarine warfare, airborne warning and control, mid air refueling, and a replinishment underway. In the late 1990s, the S-3B's mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial refueling. The Viking also provided electronic warfare and surface surveillance capabilities to a carrier battle group. A carrier-based, subsonic, all-weather, long-range, multi-mission aircraft; it carries automated weapon systems and is capable of extended missions with in-flight refueling. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "War Hoover" after the vacuum cleaner brand.

Design

The KM-7 is a conventional monoplane with a cantilever shoulder wing, very slightly swept with a leading edge angle of 15° and an almost straight trailing edge. Its 2 RM TF-34 high-bypass turbofan engines mounted in nacelles under the wings provide excellent fuel efficiency, giving the Viking the required long range and endurance, while maintaining docile engine-out characteristics.

The aircraft can seat 4 crew members (3 officers and 1 enlisted) with pilot and copilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) in the front of the cockpit and the tactical coordinator (TACCO) and sensor operator (SENSO) in the back. Entry is via a hatch/ladder folding down out of the lower starboard side of the fuselage behind the cockpit, in between the rear and front seats on the starboard side. When conducting missions other than the aircraft's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role, the enlisted SENSOs are removed from the crew. In tanker crew configuration, the KM-7B typically flies with a pilot and co-pilot/COTAC. The wing is fitted with leading edge and Fowler flaps. Spoilers are fitted to both the upper and the lower surfaces of the wings. All control surfaces are actuated by dual hydraulically boosted irreversible systems. In the event of dual hydraulic failures, an Emergency Flight Control System (EFCS) permits manual control with greatly increased stick forces and reduced control authority.

Unlike many tactical jets which required ground service equipment, the KM-7 is equipped with an auxiliary power unit (APU) and capable of unassisted starts. The aircraft's original APU could provide only minimal electric power and pressurized air for both aircraft cooling and for the engines' pneumatic starters. A newer, more powerful APU could provide full electrical service to the aircraft. The APU itself is started from a hydraulic accumulator by pulling a handle in the cockpit. The APU accumulator is fed from the primary hydraulic system, but can also be pumped up manually (with much effort) from the cockpit.

All crew members sit on forward-facing, upward-firing Douglas Escapac zero-zero ejection seats. In "group eject" mode, initiating ejection from either of the front seat ejects the entire crew in sequence, with the back seats ejecting 0.5 seconds before the front in order to provide safe separation (this was to prevent the pilots, who were more aware of what was happening outside the aircraft from ejecting without the rest of the crew, or being forced to delay ejection to order the crew to eject in an emergency; ejection from either rear seat would not eject the pilots, who had to initiate their own ejections, to prevent loss of the aircraft if a rear crewmember ejected prematurely. If a pilot ejected prematurely, the plane was lost anyway, and automatic ejection prevented the crew from crashing with a pilot-less aircraft before they were aware of what had happened). The rear seats are capable of self ejection and the ejection sequence includes a pyrotechnic charge that stows the rear keyboard trays out of the occupants' way immediately before ejection. Safe ejection requires the seats to be weighted in pairs and when flying with a single crewman in the back the unoccupied seat is fitted with ballast.