J-20... The New Generation Fighter II
- Thread starter Asymptote
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Yes external loads can be carried with internal... F-22 is a large fighter remember.
pugachev_diver
Banned Idiot
Isn't it smaller than the F15?
Only by a little bit. It's a good deal heavier than the F-15.
What has the F-22s size relative to the F-15 got to do with anything?
Question for you guys who know more than I do. Is it possible that a stealth aircraft could be fitted with a 'stealth drop-tank' on a pylon without drastically affecting the radar signature? It wouldn't be conformal, but it could be shaped in a way that could deflect radar. Is that possible?
Of course. LM looked into a stealthy weapons pylon that could hold munitions without compromising stealth... basically stealthy weapon bays. You could easily build a similar drop tank.
Who knows. We've seen more spectacular loadouts on fighters...
kwaigonegin
Colonel
the question is not if it's possible because of course it is! with enough R&D and $$$ you can make a GE refridgerator stealthy too!!.....but the question is why? is it worth the trouble and expense for lil or no return?
a 5th gen and future generation stealth planes are design specifically with stealth in mind which includes primarily the shaping itself, RAM coating, saw tooth edges, other active devices etc. The entire shape of the plane is also engineered specifically to produce the desired tolerances of the "stealth" specifications but within practical reason to things such as cost, maneuverability, usability etc.
Sure you can bolt on an external stealth fuel tank, pylon, hardpoints etc (after million$ of research) BUT it may not be practical because for one it wouldn't be very efficient. There's a reason why fuel tanks are cylindrical tear drop and shape the way it is because it is efficient, maximizes fuel capacity, cheap to build (and drop) not to mention it can be use by almost all planes.
A stealth drop tank HAS to be specifically built only to a very limited amount of airframes, may possibly induced high drag (since the initial plane design does not take into account external objects) and may not even be very efficient. A box shape type with a lot of sharp angles etc is NOT an effiicient design to carry large amount of liquid relative to it's size. I would imagine due to it's limited usage and interoperability with other airframes it would be VERY expensive to make and not practical.
A highly expensive, advanced stealthy fuel tank would also have to be carried by the plane ALL the way home even after it's empty! The last thing you want to do is to drop a fuel tank that essentially has the same design characteristics, exotic materials and stealth "secrets" as the plane carrying it to enemy hands!!
Last but not least there's this invention call In flight refueling
hope that makes sense!
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Three different 2001
I am not sure if that indicated 3 different planes. But maybe it is in illusion, the intakes look set further back on the third photo than they do on the second.
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