Global 6th Generation Fighter Aircraft Projects

[BON PLAN]

Isn't the recent updated design a Tailless-Caret-LEVCON for FCAS? They seem to be going for tailless version.

Indeed.
If I remember well there was a picture of such a configuration shown in ONERA wind test chamber.

 

[vampyrbladez]

NGAD might be a single engine design based on the XA100 (200 KN) with numbers ~300 units with target price of ~$100-150 Million/aircraft.

Previous plans for a large twin engine NGAD with 2 x XA102 (156 KN) engines with numbers ~200 units has been effectively scrapped due to cost concerns ($300 Million/aircraft).

In the AETP program, GE Aerospace built the XA100 and Pratt & Whiteny built the XA101, but the Pentagon opted not to use either one for the F-35. The knowledge gained from inventing adaptive engine technology won’t be lost; both companies are tweaking it for the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program to power the Air Force’s next fighter. But the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is under review and will likely change. Senior leaders at the conference said they are contemplating a single-engine version of the NGAD, of which fewer than 300 are likely to be built. That may weigh against carrying two contractors into production.

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The ‘stinger’ tail is also of interest as it points to a single engine design with a 2D exhaust, similar to what is seen on the F-22, although with a lower lip extension. This would make sense design-wise as it is a common attribute of low-observable aircraft as it reduces/masks the infrared signature of the aircraft from most perspectives sensors would be looking at it, and it can provide a surface to spread and actively cool the exhaust after it exits the nozzle. Whether this aircraft concept, or NGAD in general, will have thrust vectoring remains unclear, but there is a possibility it will, although extreme maneuverability really wouldn’t be the primary driver for the inclusion of such a system.

Skunk Works Teases Tailless NGAD Fighter Design In New Ad

The aircraft in question measures roughly 65 feet long and 50 feet wide — about the size of a Su-27 Flanker — and has wings that are reminiscent of Concorde, with its elegantly curved ‘ogival’ leading edge. Even the mystery aircraft wing’s trailing edges are curved, leading to almost scimitar-like wingtips that may be turned upward. Overall, the wings have a flowing, almost organic appearance.

The aircraft has no discernable tail surfaces with what is likely its exhaust extending to the rear and blended with the curved trailing edges of the wings, providing something of a rear apex. Its forward fuselage tapers into what is most likely a pointed nose. There is no doubt about it, this is a fluid-looking design that would likely be very impressive to view close up.

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GE Aerospace has finished a fourth round of testing on the XA100 adaptive cycle engine “to gather additional data and advance this next-generation technology for future combat aircraft.” the company said on May 8.

Last November, GE said that it had performed third phase testing of the second XA100 at its Evendale, Ohio plant outside of Cincinnati over the summer.

The following month, GE “completed a major design review” of the second engine, the XA102, which “will now continue toward a prototype engine test” as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program (NGAP), the company said on May 8.

GE Continues Work on XA100 for Future Combat Aircraft – May 8

The engine-makers have already developed and tested variable-cycle engines (VCE) for two thrust requirements—a 45,000-lb. powerplant suited for the Lockheed Martin F-35 and a lower-thrust variant for NGAD—and say they are prepared to be adaptable.

Despite the platform-level uncertainty, Gowder asserts that a portfolio with two adaptive turbofans of different sizes offers an advantage as the Air Force determines final requirements for the NGAD platform. Having two options redefines the term “adaptive” to apply to sizing the engine for thrust, too.

GE’s XA100 “is actually a much larger engine, but it’s certainly available,” she says. “The XA102 kind of scales down. Whichever way they land on their requirements, we believe we have technology that’s relevant.”

GE, the main driving force behind the service’s two-decade investment in adaptive propulsion, has emphasized the inherent flexibility of the VCE three-stream engine technology as NGAD platform requirements evolve. “We’re as anxious as anyone to see which way they go,” GE Defense and Systems CEO Amy Gowder tells Aviation Week. “We stand ready for the government to figure out their form factor.”

Pentagon NGAD Uncertainty Pressures Adaptive Engine-Makers To ‘Adapt’

As noted aerospace journalist John A. Tirpak has pointed out, “Making NGAD less costly could mean sacrificing range and payload, possibly going from two engines to one, a counter-intuitive solution that could be possible only if the Air Force had a stealthy Next-Generation Air-refueling System (NGAS) that could evade adversary’s missile systems.” Secretary Kendall has mentioned a smaller less complex engine (i.e., less power, speed, maneuverability and range). This suggests scrapping the revolutionary adaptive cycle engine because of its cost. If so, performance levels would likely be even closer to an improved F-35. Moreover, China will be given the opportunity to catch up in engine technology, an area in which it has seriously lagged.

Implications of the Air Force’s Suspension of NGAD