This is to be another in the series of 'ideal this and that' topics, thanks goes to Planeman for coming up with the idea. 
Lets kick it off with an illustration.
Now, keep in mind i couldn't be bothered to do a precise drawing. All the components on that image are not fully to scale. Obviously, the front and the side drawings are using a diff scale than the top and bottom drawings.
Anyway, Idea is this: To make a Q5 for the next century. Brand new plane but tailored to the same role - CAS and BAI missions with secondary ability for deep strikes and aerial self defence (fighter role if you will).
Now, I don't imagine that CAS in the next century will be done flying low as it was done before, with A10, su25 etc. Hence there is no integrated cannon. Great emphasis is on IR stealth, with a high bypass turbofan being buried deep inside the fuselage, with enough room in there to have channels take some cold air from the intakes around the engine and mix it with the exhaust (which is already cooler than usual small bypass turbofan engine) and then have all that air pass over the tail duct area where the heat would be absorbed by the fuselage, as much as possible. At the same time, first two meters of the jet plume would be fully shielded from below, offering even lower IR signature.
Engine removal would be done from above, with a (portable) crane. A large covering on the back of the plane would be removed, and through that hole the engine could be taken out and replaced with a new one. Sure, it is a little bit more complicated than rest of today's planes but it may be worth it. Alternatively, engine could perhaps be removed by detaching the back part of the fuselage, with the tail engine duct and the whole tail control surfaces. Then the engine could be yanked out from behind. (i still think first option is better)
Naturally, a plane in the 21st century couldn't go without lowering the radar signature, but as that may prove to be a bit too expensive, it is 'only' a secondary goal. Overall shape would be very clean, not dispersing the EM waves in too many directions, especially from the front section. Stuff like leading edges of wings and tail surfaces and intake edges could afford to have a not tot thick layer of RAM. With internal stores, that would give a plane considerately smaller rcs, though i imagine fuselage is not large enough to give enough space for intake ducts to curve around, fully hiding the engine face. Still, i would imagine 80% of the engine face would still be fully hidden.
Engine would be without afterburner, of course, making it some meter and a half shorter, lighter, which would enable the rest of the plane to be constructed in a more efficient and cheaper manner, having to cover only subsonic speed range.
The nose would house a relatively small multifunctional radar, probably working in 1cm wavelength band. That would make it hard to use it at long distances, so use of medium range AAMS would be more or less sacrificed for precision of radar against ground targets. Below the radar would be the telephoto IIR sensor/laser designator and rangefinder housing, which would come standard on every plane.
Right after the front landing gear is the central weapons bay. It wouldn't be very deep, and its size is tailored for 3 brimstone class missiles. (or SDB class bombs) Alternatively, a 30mm gun mount could be put into it, with the barrel being positioned on a side, protruding forward, alongside the front landing gear bay.
Two central body weapon bays would also be shallow, tailored for 4 more brimstone class missiles each, perhaps a bit more deeper than the 33cms that are needed for a brimstone. If needs be, larger AAMs could be carried, to be cued from other airplanes. Also, bombs of 500 kg class and under should fit in there nicely. (or 4 SDB class bombs in each bay)
Lets kick it off with an illustration.
Now, keep in mind i couldn't be bothered to do a precise drawing. All the components on that image are not fully to scale. Obviously, the front and the side drawings are using a diff scale than the top and bottom drawings.
Anyway, Idea is this: To make a Q5 for the next century. Brand new plane but tailored to the same role - CAS and BAI missions with secondary ability for deep strikes and aerial self defence (fighter role if you will).
Now, I don't imagine that CAS in the next century will be done flying low as it was done before, with A10, su25 etc. Hence there is no integrated cannon. Great emphasis is on IR stealth, with a high bypass turbofan being buried deep inside the fuselage, with enough room in there to have channels take some cold air from the intakes around the engine and mix it with the exhaust (which is already cooler than usual small bypass turbofan engine) and then have all that air pass over the tail duct area where the heat would be absorbed by the fuselage, as much as possible. At the same time, first two meters of the jet plume would be fully shielded from below, offering even lower IR signature.
Engine removal would be done from above, with a (portable) crane. A large covering on the back of the plane would be removed, and through that hole the engine could be taken out and replaced with a new one. Sure, it is a little bit more complicated than rest of today's planes but it may be worth it. Alternatively, engine could perhaps be removed by detaching the back part of the fuselage, with the tail engine duct and the whole tail control surfaces. Then the engine could be yanked out from behind. (i still think first option is better)
Naturally, a plane in the 21st century couldn't go without lowering the radar signature, but as that may prove to be a bit too expensive, it is 'only' a secondary goal. Overall shape would be very clean, not dispersing the EM waves in too many directions, especially from the front section. Stuff like leading edges of wings and tail surfaces and intake edges could afford to have a not tot thick layer of RAM. With internal stores, that would give a plane considerately smaller rcs, though i imagine fuselage is not large enough to give enough space for intake ducts to curve around, fully hiding the engine face. Still, i would imagine 80% of the engine face would still be fully hidden.
Engine would be without afterburner, of course, making it some meter and a half shorter, lighter, which would enable the rest of the plane to be constructed in a more efficient and cheaper manner, having to cover only subsonic speed range.
The nose would house a relatively small multifunctional radar, probably working in 1cm wavelength band. That would make it hard to use it at long distances, so use of medium range AAMS would be more or less sacrificed for precision of radar against ground targets. Below the radar would be the telephoto IIR sensor/laser designator and rangefinder housing, which would come standard on every plane.
Right after the front landing gear is the central weapons bay. It wouldn't be very deep, and its size is tailored for 3 brimstone class missiles. (or SDB class bombs) Alternatively, a 30mm gun mount could be put into it, with the barrel being positioned on a side, protruding forward, alongside the front landing gear bay.
Two central body weapon bays would also be shallow, tailored for 4 more brimstone class missiles each, perhaps a bit more deeper than the 33cms that are needed for a brimstone. If needs be, larger AAMs could be carried, to be cued from other airplanes. Also, bombs of 500 kg class and under should fit in there nicely. (or 4 SDB class bombs in each bay)
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