C vs. E/F

[Brett327]

EA-18G Shocker....woo hoo. He also passed right now the G is 4 g limited until further testing is completed due to wingtip loadouts and wing flutter. Interesting fact.

Thanks for the gouge.

I know next to nothing about the handling characteristics of the SH platform, but I suspect that a fully laden Shocker w/ 3 pods, a couple drops, a HARM (or two) and AMRAAM, isn't going to be zooming around at 7 Gs. EA is an ungainly endeavour. Anyway, better than half the Prowler fleet which is 3 G limited.

Brett

 

[Fly Navy]

EA-18G Shocker....woo hoo. He also passed right now the G is 4 g limited until further testing is completed due to wingtip loadouts and wing flutter. Interesting fact.

Looks like they're adding wing fences on the Growler to deal with the flutter. Just found that out today.

 

[Fly Navy]

Thanks for the gouge.

I know next to nothing about the handling characteristics of the SH platform, but I suspect that a fully laden Shocker w/ 3 pods, a couple drops, a HARM (or two) and AMRAAM, isn't going to be zooming around at 7 Gs. EA is an ungainly endeavour. Anyway, better than half the Prowler fleet which is 3 G limited.

Brett

Yeah, the FCS won't allow it to pull 7.5Gs at that weight. It automatically G-limits the aircraft based on weight.

 

[Brett327]

Yeah, the FCS won't allow it to pull 7.5Gs at that weight. It automatically G-limits the aircraft based on weight.

Kooky! How does it know? Is is based on stores sensed by the system plus fuel, or some such PFM?

Brett

 

[Fly Navy]

Kooky! How does it know? Is is based on stores sensed by the system plus fuel, or some such PFM?

Brett

Yeah, it inventories the systems on the jet, etc and knows how much it weighs. Pretty cool. It's not super accurate, but will definitely get you close. Trick is, it won't inventory some systems until they're turned on... for example, if the EW suite isn't turned on, it doesn't tally their weight.

 

[Brett327]

Yeah, it inventories the systems on the jet, etc and knows how much it weighs. Pretty cool. It's not super accurate, but will definitely get you close. Trick is, it won't inventory some systems until they're turned on... for example, if the EW suite isn't turned on, it doesn't tally their weight.

And here I am doing it old school, figuring gross weight while counting on my fingers in the break.

Brett

 

[Fly Navy]

And here I am doing it old school, figuring gross weight while counting on my fingers in the break.

Brett

Haha, we still do it manually when we sign for the book, that way we can cross-reference it to make sure the jet is correct. Usually works pretty close. The electric jet man, nothing like letting Hal drive.

Oh, you CAN still over-G the jet, and you can also over-ride the G-limiter in dire situations.

 

[Lawman]

Haha, we still do it manually when we sign for the book, that way we can cross-reference it to make sure the jet is correct. Usually works pretty close. The electric jet man, nothing like letting Hal drive.

Oh, you CAN still over-G the jet, and you can also over-ride the G-limiter in dire situations.

Given that it is the newest Jet in the Navy, are their any standardized, dont go over x-g's unless you have too rules currently in place on the Rhino. Seems like given the currant fiscal conservative nature the Military has been trying to inject into its self stretching aircraft life that extra few flights would make sense.

 

[Fly Navy]

Are you asking if they've FLE'd the Rhino? Nope, nothing prohibiting us from pulling the 7.5G's if we want em.

 

[Brett327]

Are you asking if they've FLE'd the Rhino? Nope, nothing prohibiting us from pulling the 7.5G's if we want em.

Out of curiosity (and this is mindless conjecture), I wonder if the materials science nerds have some kind of composite or otherwise advanced materials which aren't susceptible to the kind of cycling and repeated flexing deterioration which the structural members of our current generation of aircraft are plagued by, necessitating FLE type programs? If there an alternative to aluminum that might be cost effective in the long term?

Brett

 

[MasterBates]

Carbon fiber.

But god help you if you damage it. A minor tow mishap now, would be a class A with a stricken airframe..

You want a high stress, bent component? The 60 series tail rotor. It has no pivot or bearings. It uses Hydraulics to bend it to the pitch you need.

 

[nittany03]

And here I am doing it old school, figuring gross weight while counting on my fingers in the break.

Brett

Your pilots still thank you. :icon_tong

 

[MasterBates]

Voodoo. I don't trust it.. NOTHING that runs thru the slip rings on a 60 works with any semblance of reliability.

 

[Brett327]

Brett, MB...there was an article in this months "professional pilot" that discussed a new product in helo blades that automatically adjust their shape ...it was a really interesting article:

http://www.propilotmag.com/February/article4_feb.html

Interesting. I imagine that if they could get to the point where they could change the blade shape at will electrically, they could, in theory, dispense with the swash-plate and mechanical linkages to the blades altogether.

Brett

 

[MasterBates]

This is nothing new, as a control method.. Just electrical vice mechanical..

Servo flaps were used on the H-2, and pretty much every other Kaman product.

http://www.helis.com/howflies/servo.php