TAI displayed images of three different potential single seat concept designs: a single engine, conventionally laid out aircraft; a single engine aircraft, equipped with canards; and a twin engine, conventionally laid out fighter.
All three concepts feature elements traditionally associated with fifth generation aircraft, including a design optimised for low radar cross-sectional density, internal weapons bays, and the ability to super cruise, Huseyin Yagci, TAI's chief engineer on the F-X programme told IHS Jane's at IDEF.
According to Yagci, the two single engine concepts will have a maximum take-off weight of between 50,000 lb and 60,000 lb, while the twin engine aircraft will have a maximum take-off weight of between 60,000 lb and 70,000 lb.
The future F-X fighter is intended to eventually replace Turkey's Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, and other aircraft, and will augment the country's planned buy of 100 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft. The F-X is, however, intended to be optimised largely for an air-to-air role and is expected to be able to outperform the F-35 in this role, Yagci stated.
Since the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) awarded TAI a 24-month concept design phase contract for the F-X programme in 2011, TAI has worked its way through more than 30 different concept designs before narrowing the field to a final three. These three concepts, alongside associated feasibility studies will be presented to the Executive Committee (EC) of the SSM in December, which is chaired by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, which will make a decision on if and how to pursue future development of the programme.
The EC may in December narrow the selection to a single design; however, Yagci and Ediz Tarhan, programme manager for F-X at TAI, believed that this would be unlikely. "It is possible that a single choice is made by the EC, but I don't think so," Tarhan stated. However, TAI does expect that the EC will make a decision on whether "to go or not go" on further development of the programme.
The main reason behind Tarhan and Yagci's belief that no single concept choice will be selected is down to the fact that neither the twin engine nor single engine designs have yet finalised their choice of engine - which will be purchased, or possibly co-produced, from a foreign supplier. While it was possible that the engine selections may be decided by the time of the EC meeting in December, both TAI experts believed the process would likely take up to a year and that the EC would be unable to judge concept design performance, as this would not be finalised until an engine was chosen.
Work to select a foreign engine supplier began in earnest at the Farnborough 2012 International Air Show, where TAI met with potential partners, Yagci stated. This work has continued with supplier visits to TAI in Turkey, with Yagci stating that further meetings had taken place at IDEF. TAI has cast the net wide for a potential engine supplier, with Yagci confirming that they were also looking at NATO suppliers and non-NATO engines, including Russian designs.
Part of the programme analysis includes potential international co-operation in the F-X fighter, with TAI identifying three different models for such co-operation. The first, and preferred model for Turkey, would see a foreign partner agree to jointly fund the F-X programme, based on a common set of requirements, Yagci stated. The second model would see Turkey partner with a nation with similar levels of defence industrial ambition, with degrees of joint development, build, and export responsibility shared between Turkey and its partner or partners. Meanwhile, the third model would see Turkey partner with a country or company highly experienced in aircraft design, which could then provide technical assistance for the programme.
A degree of international co-operation has already taken place on the F-X concept design, with Sweden's Saab involved in a technical consultancy capacity. TAI placed a tender for this work at the end of 2012, with Saab winning out over an Italian company, two US companies, and two other consultancy companies, receiving a contract for the project work in June 2012, TAI told IHS Jane's . However, this work was only "a small element" of the programme and will draw to a close when TAI's 24-month F-X contract from the SSM expires on 29 September.
Turkey's requirements for the performance of the F-X fighter have evolved since that original award. Yagci stated that the original set of requirements that TAI received for the programme, were higher than was physically possible to do with a manned aircraft, either now or likely in the future. These demands were then eased with a second set of requirements, before a third set of requirements added elements such as the avionics and electronic warfare (EW) suite into the equation. TAI is now working on a fourth set of Turkish requirements for F-X, which it received at the end of 2012, and includes an integrated logistics solution.
Source - IHS/Janes
All three concepts feature elements traditionally associated with fifth generation aircraft, including a design optimised for low radar cross-sectional density, internal weapons bays, and the ability to super cruise, Huseyin Yagci, TAI's chief engineer on the F-X programme told IHS Jane's at IDEF.
According to Yagci, the two single engine concepts will have a maximum take-off weight of between 50,000 lb and 60,000 lb, while the twin engine aircraft will have a maximum take-off weight of between 60,000 lb and 70,000 lb.
The future F-X fighter is intended to eventually replace Turkey's Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, and other aircraft, and will augment the country's planned buy of 100 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft. The F-X is, however, intended to be optimised largely for an air-to-air role and is expected to be able to outperform the F-35 in this role, Yagci stated.
Since the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) awarded TAI a 24-month concept design phase contract for the F-X programme in 2011, TAI has worked its way through more than 30 different concept designs before narrowing the field to a final three. These three concepts, alongside associated feasibility studies will be presented to the Executive Committee (EC) of the SSM in December, which is chaired by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, which will make a decision on if and how to pursue future development of the programme.
The EC may in December narrow the selection to a single design; however, Yagci and Ediz Tarhan, programme manager for F-X at TAI, believed that this would be unlikely. "It is possible that a single choice is made by the EC, but I don't think so," Tarhan stated. However, TAI does expect that the EC will make a decision on whether "to go or not go" on further development of the programme.
The main reason behind Tarhan and Yagci's belief that no single concept choice will be selected is down to the fact that neither the twin engine nor single engine designs have yet finalised their choice of engine - which will be purchased, or possibly co-produced, from a foreign supplier. While it was possible that the engine selections may be decided by the time of the EC meeting in December, both TAI experts believed the process would likely take up to a year and that the EC would be unable to judge concept design performance, as this would not be finalised until an engine was chosen.
Work to select a foreign engine supplier began in earnest at the Farnborough 2012 International Air Show, where TAI met with potential partners, Yagci stated. This work has continued with supplier visits to TAI in Turkey, with Yagci stating that further meetings had taken place at IDEF. TAI has cast the net wide for a potential engine supplier, with Yagci confirming that they were also looking at NATO suppliers and non-NATO engines, including Russian designs.
Part of the programme analysis includes potential international co-operation in the F-X fighter, with TAI identifying three different models for such co-operation. The first, and preferred model for Turkey, would see a foreign partner agree to jointly fund the F-X programme, based on a common set of requirements, Yagci stated. The second model would see Turkey partner with a nation with similar levels of defence industrial ambition, with degrees of joint development, build, and export responsibility shared between Turkey and its partner or partners. Meanwhile, the third model would see Turkey partner with a country or company highly experienced in aircraft design, which could then provide technical assistance for the programme.
A degree of international co-operation has already taken place on the F-X concept design, with Sweden's Saab involved in a technical consultancy capacity. TAI placed a tender for this work at the end of 2012, with Saab winning out over an Italian company, two US companies, and two other consultancy companies, receiving a contract for the project work in June 2012, TAI told IHS Jane's . However, this work was only "a small element" of the programme and will draw to a close when TAI's 24-month F-X contract from the SSM expires on 29 September.
Turkey's requirements for the performance of the F-X fighter have evolved since that original award. Yagci stated that the original set of requirements that TAI received for the programme, were higher than was physically possible to do with a manned aircraft, either now or likely in the future. These demands were then eased with a second set of requirements, before a third set of requirements added elements such as the avionics and electronic warfare (EW) suite into the equation. TAI is now working on a fourth set of Turkish requirements for F-X, which it received at the end of 2012, and includes an integrated logistics solution.
Source - IHS/Janes