Myth Buster: About MTOW of AMCA
The Empty weight of F-35A is 13,199 kg and its Maximum Takeoff Weight is 31,800 kg. So it can carry a total load (Internal+External) of 18,601 kg (MTOW-Empty Weight). But this figure differs if it is calculated another way. F-35A can carry 8,382 kg of internal fuel, 1,360 kg of internal weapons in its bays and 6,800 kg of external weapons or fuel drop tanks in its under-wing pylons. Hence, if we add these 3 figures, we will get a total carrying capacity of 16,542 kg. As you can see, there is a difference of 2,059 kg between 1st figure and 2nd figure. But let’s take it as 16,542 kg.
ADA has planned to set both internal weapons capacity and internal fuel capacity at 4 tons. We have to calculate its capacity of carrying external weapons or fuel drop tanks in its under-wing pylons. Let’s first take its MTOW to be 36,000 kg (As per Wikipedia). AMCA’s empty weight is 14,000 kg. So it can carry a total load of 22,000 kg (MTOW-Empty Weight). But I have taken the smaller figure of F-35A which is 2 tons less than 18,601 kg. So for fair comparison, let’s decrease its total load capacity (Internal+External) by 2 tons. Now it is 20,000 kg.
You can see if MTOW of AMCA is 36 tons, then it can take 3,458 kg more weight than F-35A (20,000-16,542). But here lies the doubt. As said before, AMCA can carry 4 tons of internal weapons and 4 tons of internal fuel. Taken this into account, its external under-wing capacity should be = 20,000-(4,000+4,000) = 12,000 kg, which is 5,200 kg more than F-35A’s 6,800 kg. It is definitely weird and physically/structurally impossible. If we take two medium 5th generation fighters of almost same empty weight, the external capacity can’t be differed by more than 5 tons. If engineers construct AMCA’s wings with some advanced & super strong CFC materials, still we will not get close to 12,000 kg.
Whereas, if we take MTOW of AMCA as 29,000 kg, then it can carry a total load (Internal+External) of 15,000 kg (MTOW-Empty Weight). Let’s make it 2 tons less which is 13 tons. Now its external capacity will be = 13,000-(4,000+4,000) = 5,000 kg. This figure is more acceptable than 12,000 kg for a medium stealth fighter. If we increase its MTOW to 31,000 kg, then 5,000 kg will be increased to 7,000 kg, which is more than that of F-35A. Therefore, Wikipedia should edit Max. takeoff weight section of AMCA and make it 31 tons for practically feasible.
||Thanks for reading and your patience||
