Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!amdcad!amdcad!military From: Andrew.Stevens@prg.oxford.ac.uk (Andrew Stevens) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: European fighter designs Message-ID: <1991May15.060829.3052@amd.com> Date: 14 May 91 12:32:46 GMT Sender: military@amd.com Organization: Oxford University Computing Laboratory, UK Lines: 37 Approved: military@amd.com From: Andrew Stevens Many thanks to Carolo Kopp for posting the fascinating article detailing the design philosophies behind the current and previous generation of US fighter aircraft. Would anyone care to comment in similar terms -- philosphy and performance -- on the contemporary European designs? I would be particularly interested in any comments people would care to offer on: The Tornado Air Defence variant This is, *as I understand it*, a very peculiar beast. I.e. the Tornado was optimised as a strike aircraft the primary concerns being high subsonic low altitude performance. The fighter variant is thus handicapped by relatively low acceleration and so-so turning and supersonic performance. This aircraft in particular looks very vulnerable given the widespread deployment of the latest soviet models. The EFA program As a caricature this seems to boil down to an F16-but-better project. I.e. a lot of emphasis on agility - but extended supersonic performance and low observability do not seem to figure much. Recent Mirages What kind of design philosphy (apart from low-cost!) do the pre-rafale Dassault designs embody? -- Andrew Stevens Programmming Research Group JANET: Andrew.Stevens@uk.ac.oxford.prg Oxford University Computing Laboratory INTERNET: Andrew.Stevens@prg.ox.ac.uk 11 Keble Road, Oxford, England UUCP: ...!uunet!mcvax!ukc!ox-prg!as OX1 3QD