Posted on 01/07/2019 8:27:46 AM PST by gaijin
Some speculate this testbed aircraft might be a more modern, low-cost, stealthy option for a ground-attack platform similar to the A-10.
No one knows the reason for the extreme dihedral of the wings, a feature not made clear by the photo at left, maybe some freepers can do some meaningful speculation.
The video at link shows this feature in quite some detail.
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Sometimes called "Son of Ares", this aircraft is built around the GAU-12 25 x 137 mm (see photo at right), so this round is not nearly the monster carried by the Warthog.
From appearances, this newer, single-engine a/c can probably not withstand a whole lot of the punishment that the Warthog shrugs off.
But this one is stealthy and experts speculate it might instead be armed with a directed energy weapon.
I believe no one is asserting that this non-production testbed could be an outright REPLACEMENT for the A-10.
But I still thought this was interesting and wanted your thoughts, especially the purpose of the extremely unusual dihegral angle of the wings, which is made clear in the video.
For strafing ISIS’ columns of machine-gun equipped Toota pickups, or Iranian picket boats.
We already had the hardware for that..... and didn’t
Looks like a Burt Rutan design.
My dad and I built a VariEze in the 80s together. Fun.
I think they’re thinking about ground support in an AO featuring a foe with a lot of sensors and MANPADS, ergo the interest in stealth.
CHINA..?
I love the Long-EZ..!
Dang, the gph at cruise is like 5 gph, poor man’s DREAM..!
And looks cool as hell, too, like the VariEZe.
Burt Rutan already has a fibreglass, two-engine A-10 alternate flying. Not quite as capable (lower payload, less range/less flight time), but survivable.
Seems like another in the USAF lonnnnng series of “Let’s “study” another design to try and create a perfect airplane for everybody, rather than decide on a “good enough” plane for each job, or just build enough airplanes already flying.”
It’s not an emotional attachment. It’s a low-speed, durable platform perfectly suited to close ground combat support. They are also relatively inexpensive and reparable.
If you could make it stealthy, great. A jet version of the A-10, in my opinion, wouldn’t work very well. If you could make turbofans stealthy, awesome.
This is another one where you scratch your head and ask, “OK, which congress-critter’s family is going to cash in here?”
Looks like something you'd see in Manga, or maybe Star Wars.
Note the SINGLE offset engine on ONE side only (something very innovative and Rutan-centric compensated for the engine offset).
agree 100%
Why the wing DIHEDRAL..?
I don’t get it.
There must be some special purpose.
“no one knows why extreme dihedral of the wings”
Well, probably to put something heavy on the aircraft and keep the center of balance.
For example, a big f-—g gun.
Older vid of ARES doing nutty stuff back in the day, very funky old music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG9LlHcX8lg
Shows a/c diving in, strafing then egressing, etc.
Not to hijack, but the timing of China and Russia publicly unveilling their hypersonics is interesting.
Here’s hoping we have an elegant answer for that. I live next to a naval base. I don’t see any evidence of it.
Are you referring to Scaled Composites' ARES from the early 1990s??
If so, it was a single engine aircraft.
You may notice that this project was dubbed "Son of ARES"?
I hope it has a bathtub.
Hmmmm. ““OK, which congress-critter’s family is going to cash in here?”” Is it possible that’s the hang up with building the wall? Surely one of the assclowns has family ties to construction companies.
Plus the ammo to run through it. The A-10 is little more than the 30mm Vulcan plus ammo stores with wings, an engine, and fuel.
Thank you.
Post 11 - Neat video
thanks
Big difference between one engine and two.
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