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- Toni
- SuperModerator
- Pridružio: 18 Jun 2008
- Poruke: 31559
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U pauzi dok me nema, jedno meze  koje vidim da ste propustili. Testiranje Tajfuna sa P1E. Prvi deo teksta je šta je doneo P1E, šta donosi P2E, P3E... ali to je već pominjano.
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Citat:Because of International Trade in Armament Regulations restrictions, I was only able to evaluate an unclassified version of P1E. However, the simulator evaluation would still grant me the ability to realistically answer two test objectives: how effectively can the Typhoon, with a P1E baseline, fight within a simultaneous air-to-air and an air-to-ground scenario, and how easily can it ‘swing’ between these roles?
Replicated in the simulator, the Typhoon’s cockpit is wide, roomy and uncluttered. The hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls are easy to manipulate, and group 12 switches on the throttle – primarily for weapons and sensor control – and 10 on the stick, mainly for aircraft control and weapons release. The head-up display (HUD) has a field of view of over 40˚, and is the widest HUD I have ever evaluated. Directly below it is the ‘eye-level’ Multifunctional Information Distribution System datalink message display and control panel, and below that, the indications for the aircraft’s two Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines. The three principal head-down display screens are all 6 x 6” in size and each has sets of large, multi-mode push buttons along the screen base and sides. To the left hand side of the glareshield is the main data entry panel, and below that, the weapons control panel.
In the air-to-air mode, the left-hand side screen is typically used as a B-scope, showing a fused sensor picture, including radar, MIDS and infrared search and track (IRST) information in azimuth. The right-hand screen shows the air picture in elevation, while the central one acts as a tactical (real world) map.
I was highly impressed by the ease and rapidity with which targets could be identified individually after each had been broken out from within a group of even eight or more targets, and then assessed in terms of range and altitude and sorted in terms of hostile/unknown/friendly classification, placed in descending threat priority and then engaged in sequence. A stick-mounted mode button allows for instant toggling between radar-homing medium- and infrared-homing short-range air-to-air missiles and gun.
The HUD symbology (fast jet format) was very well mechanised, easy to scan and also easy to interpret, with the aircraft’s own flight and energy indications grouped primarily to the left and information on targets primarily grouped to the right. The display shows symbology of when the target is within missile capability range (aided by a ‘growl’ for infrared missile lock) and accompanied by HUD indications of ‘SHOOT’.
The Eurofighter’s IRST system is also seamlessly coupled to the radar to increase detection capability, and displayed against the target symbols for situational awareness as to which sensor (or both) had detection. I found the direct voice input function to be another superb piece of man machine interface. It takes some initial getting used to in terms of spoken format, but once mastered it is a very real combat aid for a pilot.
My only regret in the air-to-air mode was that the aircraft does not have an integral nose-mounted electro-optical sensor to complement the IRST for stealthy long-range visual target identification. BAE notes, however, that the system can be used in this context when a laser designation pod is fitted.
Engaging up to eight target aircraft was as simple as pulling the air-to-air trigger as many times. The Typhoon made the complex geometry of high/low/widely split air-to-air missile combat and the engagement of multiple, simultaneous targets, seem a very simple task indeed.
During the air-to-air scenarios, a further of the Eurofighter’s advantages was constantly evident; the aircraft has simply staggering levels of performance in terms of excess energy. For example, at around 5,000ft, at mid fuel weight, external combat fuel tanks and eight missiles, in full reheat at 530kt (980km/h) indicated air speed, with full back stick sustaining 9g in a level turn, the aircraft was still accelerating at approximately 2-3kt/sec.
In the air-to-ground mode, the left-hand screen is retained as an air-to-air picture, the middle screen as a tactical ground situational display with planned route and planned target map and the right-hand screen as the targeting and laser designation pod image, or swapped to/from the DASS display if required. The principal weapon type was the Paveway IV, with a typical ballistic launch envelope of the aircraft at around 20,000ft and 500kt. The Litening pod was also easy to manipulate to change the designation of the precise impact point at the target, and the display had superb image resolution. The pod was normally coupled to the radar, but could be decoupled to operate independently.
The HUD showed a rectangular ‘kill box’ when the selected weapon had the required probability of kill and a visual indication of ‘PICKLE’. I found the presentation of weapon combinations on the multiple mode keys – for target number, sequence, guidance modes, bombs per target etc – and the selection changes that needed to be made in case the target priorities changed prior to a planned attack on the left hand glareshield was not immediately intuitive, as I had never sat in a Typhoon cockpit before. However, once programmed it was then shown to be simple to engage up to four ground targets with up to six bombs using various guidance methods and effect options for each individual weapon.
Whenever required, given the air situation, with one push of a stick-mounted HOTAS key, the Typhoon was instantly reconfigured back into the air-to-air mode, and ready to engage airborne threats. This shows that the aircraft processes extreme lethality in either role.
The final part of the evaluation involved wearing the Striker 1 helmet-mounted display (HMD) system, which is planned to be superseded by the enhanced Striker 2. The combat advantages and increase in situational awareness that this level of advanced HMD bring to a pilot are truly revolutionary – so much so that it is hard to express the combat potential that it represents for the future of combat aircraft.
By wearing an HMD, a pilot is completely freed from using the cockpit displays, both head up and head down, and puts air and ground targets into their real spatial orientation, along with all the information linked to them. The technology also brings the ability to cue air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons off-boresight, simply by looking at a target. At the same time, it also allows an operator to retain full flight awareness.
Add to this mix future developments to the HMD such as colour symbology, 3D helmet audio, eye scan technology and improvements in direct voice input, then this display technology will be one of the key elements in not only the Typhoon’s own future combat effectiveness, but also when it is being flown within and controlling future mixed fleets of manned and unmanned combat aircraft.
My short simulator sessions easily answered my two set objectives. Anchored by P1E, the Eurofighter’s pending AESA radar, the Striker 2 HMD and the aircraft’s massive inherent energy performance, the Typhoon is now focused properly on its planned upgrade path to marry unmatched lethality in both the air-to-ground and air-to-air roles. Additionally, the Tranche 2 and 3 models can now ‘swing’ between either combat role and back again with the push of one HOTAS button, and be ready to fight instantly in that advanced configuration.
The P1E package properly baselines the Typhoon to fully realise its undoubted combat potential. The RAF is now fielding a true multi-role aircraft that can face any threat out to 2030 or beyond.
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