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Old 08-05-15, 08:05 PM   #21
NeonSamurai
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Join Date: Jan 2002
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I would picture it as being generally low flying and subsonic, preferably with the engines mounted midway in the body or wing roots and ducted to reduce IR emissions and decrease its sound signature. It probably should have super-cruise engines or some form of afterburner to give it the ability to popup and attack air or ground targets before disappearing back into the ground clutter, or to help it cover ground quickly when it has to.

I hadn't actually seen the A14 before, boy does it remind me of the Ho.229. Design wise I would see the plane having a somewhat similar shape for both stealth and other design reasons (payload, fuel capacity, etc.). Another design feature I would probably incorporate would be to remove the traditional glass cockpit and imbed the pilot cockpit flush inside the body of the aircraft, as the cockpit has always been a major source of trouble for decreasing the radar signature of a plane. The pilot would be able to see outside the plane using a camera network and helmet mounted display. I am uncertain though if it should be carrier capable or not, as that could just complicate the design due to the unique needs of Navy aircraft.

The key thing though is that this plane would have a rather small production run, as they would be too expensive and would not make sense as a replacement to more conventional craft.

As for the Nebo-M, only time will tell if it performs even half as well as claimed (wouldn't exactly be the first time Russia has exaggerated a platform's capability). I also would not be surprised if future developments in stealth technology can find a way around it, though.
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