Posted on 03/11/2016 3:08:45 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
It is one of the oddest plane designs ever created - a tiny propeller-driven craft with twin tails and two pilots sitting almost on top of each other.
However, Boeing and a South Africa's Paramount Group firm hope the wacky design, currently used to patrol borders, could be turned into a low cost fighter plane.
The two firms plan to add missiles and a slew of sensors to the advanced, high-performance, reconnaissance, light aircraft, which has been named Mwari after an all-seeing mythological being in Southern African folklore.
The advanced, high-performance, reconnaissance, light aircraft (AHRLAC) is a high-wing aircraft, with stadium seating for the pilot and sensor operator and tops out at 310 mph.
The duo will strap the planes with weapons and use Boeing’s mission systems, which will allow this military variant to hunt insurgents, poachers and respond to low-intensity conflicts.
This announcement was unveiled at the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi this week, as both firms motioned to expand their 2014 agreement to cooperate on an advanced mission system for AHRLAC.
Boeing will use its capabilities to design a mission system that will integrate the avionics and payload systems on the safety-and-security variant of the AHRLAC, as well as the weapons on the military version, which has been named Mwari after an all-seeing mythological being in Southern African folklore. 'Through AHRLAC, we'll not only bring a flexible, persistent and affordable aircraft to the international market, but we'll also be developing world-class technology in Africa,' Jeffrey Johnson, vice president, Business Development, Boeing Military Aircraft, said.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3486266/The-oddest-fighter-plane-ve-seen-Radical-low-cost-twin-tailed-design-manoeuvrable-rival-helicopters.html#ixzz42akQTLVP Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The advanced, high-performance, reconnaissance, light aircraft is a high-wing aircraft, with stadium seating for pilot and sensor operator and tops out at 310 mph. The duo will strap the planes with weapons and use Boeing’s mission system, which will allow this variant to hunt insurgents, poachers and respond to conflicts
pterodactyl airways, funny. Throw a couple of gay and transgender military personnel in this and you have a sitcom
Don’t give them. ..any ideas
Looks like an old OV 10 Bronco.
Does the thing launch spears?
John Denver had one. It’s deadly.
“low cost fighter plane”
What happened to the Mohawk? Appears to me it met the desired requirements far better than this pos.....
The thing looks like what the Gyro Captain flew in the Mad Max movies.
The media is in constant confusion about fighter planes. The think every military aircraft is a fighter plane.
At the very best, that is an ultra-light attack aircraft. A poor man’s attack helicopter without the heavy cannon.
it's been done...P-38 anyone?
If property equipped and deployed, this would be a damn good addition to the Border patrol fleet.
But wait.
THAT is what It was designed for in the first place.
“wacky design, currently used to patrol borders”
It worked great then; it should work now.
This new design is single engine, though, without the troop/cargo space behind. Probably can't carry as much ordnance, either.
John Denver had a Long-Ez.
They are NOT deadly! Denver took off without being familiar with the homebuilt LongEze he'd just purchased. He had problems with switching to reserve fuel after he ran out on the main tank.
A fuel selector valve with vise grips as a temporary handle was the problem, not the design of the aircraft.
Dick Rutan (flew the Voyager aircraft around the world non-stop) and Mike Melville (Pilot of SpaceShipOne and holder of Astronaut wings) flew their two LongEzes around the world, 30,000+ miles, in 80 days.
Over 700 are registered in the US.
The OV-10 is a great plane for what it was designed to do. And looks cool, too.
We’re flying a couple Broncos over Iraq right now.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/09/why-is-america-using-these-antique-planes-to-fight-isis.html
“They think every military aircraft is a fighter plane.”
And every ship is a battle ship!
That was a Transavia PL-12 Airtuuk, a crop duster made in Australia.
One of the finest engineering designs ever.
Light weight
Inexpensive to produce
Very little instruction required before use
Works every time!
OV-10 Broncos completed 120 combat missions over 82 days last year
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