MV-84 Blackraven
The M-84 Blackraven is designed as a STOVL jet transport aircraft, capable of supersonic speeds of up to Mach 1.6 (1200 mph), high payloads sufficient to carry a full sized APC (between 23 and 35 tons), and is naturally radar resistant making it a stealth aircraft. Similar to the Dornier Do 31 in conception, or a vertical take-off transport jet aircraft, the vehicle instead uses two F-135 engines with ducted lift fans, to achieve similiar vertical take off and landing capabilities as the F-35, relying on the proven features of the vehicle to serve as it's basis. While expensive, at nearly 120 million dollars per aircraft (in comparison to 80 million dollars for an F-35), it is within the price range of the similarly constructed and designed
CH-53k helicopters (at 125 million dollars per aircraft), but offers a slightly heavier payload and a substantially longer range and speed, as well as stealth features. The vehicle is designed to fly between 600 and 1200 mph, and features a variable wing geometry like the F-14 Tomcat or B-1 Lancer to increase it's aerodynamic efficiency at lower and higher altitudes, as well as a wider wing surface area like the F-22 or F-35C catobar, giving it slightly greater lifting capacity, especially in long take-off. Designed less for maneuverability and more for raw transport capability, it travels at approximately the same speeds as the F-35, but is not as agile, being less maneuverable in flight. It shares many of the same features of the F-35, including reduced maintenance costs, the same lightweight and high strength materials which are also inherently resistant to radar, ease of parts replacement and parts commonality with the F-35 (a major feature of the F-35), and the same flight controls and electronics as well as security features as the F-35, such as flares and infrared camera to detect oncoming missiles. The vehicle can be flown completely unmanned, and thus like the F-35 this electronic system assists the pilot greatly in operation. Designed as a high payload vertical take off transport aircraft, it's high speed and stealth capabilities assist in this and make it particularly useful for special forces. The vehicle is intended to be flown either short distances, or with mid-air flight refueling, to compensate for the large weight of the fuel, and to take off on a short or long run way, and land with a rolling vertical, so as to maximize the payload on take-off. The vehicle is not able to hover as efficiently as helicopters and is meant primarily to take off from a run-way and land vertically, only capable of taking off vertically after it's payload has been reduced upon being removed from the vehicle. If vertical flight is intended on take-off, it's payload is substantially reduced.
The VTOL capability drastically changes the performance of the aircraft, allowing it to full fill roles traditionally only available to helicopters, yet with the same enormous strength, speed, and range afforded to jet engine aircraft. The role of the vehicle is that of a medium strategic airlifter, capable of dropping off medium sized armored personnel carriers and light tanks that normal helicopters are incapable of, fulfilling the role similiar to that of a Mil-26. The vehicle, while expensive, offers capabilities far beyond that of ordinary cargo aircraft, including vertical take off abilities, supersonic speed, radar and infrared stealth capabilities, as well it's raw payload, capable of transporting between 23-35 tons, enough to carry a full sized APC or light tank. The speed of the average helicopter is around 160-200 mph, while the speed of the V-22 is approximately 300-400 mph, and in comparison the speed MV-84 is capable of cruise speeds of over 600 mph, and a maximum speed of 1500 mph, nearly 3-6 times faster than a helicopter. The payload capacity of helicopters typically varies between 5-20 tons, and is approximately 10 tons of useful load for the V-22, while it is between 23 and 35 tons, or nearly double that, for the MV-84 allowing it to carry full sized APC's. It's stealth capabilities due to a lack of rotors is much higher, and it's higher altitude helps makes it harder to target and hit with antiaircraft weapons (up to 60,000 feet, in comparison to 20,000 to 40,000 feet for other VTOL aircraft). Finally, the vehicle possesses the same vertical landing and take off abilities, while being larger, faster, and more powerful. In extreme cases, the vehicle can travel up to 1500 mph (with a reduced payload), delivering up to an entire platoon of soldiers 6 times faster than a helicopter would, and giving extremely fast response capabilities. If placed at the center of a warzone, such as in Afghanistan or Iraq, it can reach the edges of the country in a less than an hour even with preparation (with 30 minutes of flight time or less), providing immediate medical aid, reinforcements, evacuation, or firepower in short periods of time. Alternativley it can be used to transport a full sized APC, giving airborne troops the advantage of armor and firepower when they land over just raw speed.
The F-35 program's maintenance concept is to allow any F-35 to be maintained in any F-35 maintenance facility, and that all F-35 parts in all bases will be globally tracked and shared as needed; as the MV-84 shares parts commonality with the F-35, there is substantial overlap between these two programs. The commonality between the different variants has allowed the USMC to create their first aircraft maintenance Field Training Detachment to directly apply the lessons of the USAF to their F-35 maintenance operations. The aircraft has been designed for ease of maintenance, with 95% of all field replaceable parts "one deep" where nothing else has to be removed to get to the part in question. For instance the ejection seat can be replaced without removing the canopy, the use of low-maintenance electro-hydrostatic actuators instead of hydraulic systems and an all-composite skin without the fragile coatings found on earlier stealth aircraft. The F-35 Joint Program Office has stated that the aircraft has received good reviews from pilots and maintainers, suggesting it is performing better than its predecessors did at a similar stage of development, and that the stealth type has proved relatively stable from a maintenance standpoint. This reported improvement is attributed to better maintenance training, as F-35 maintainers have received far more extensive instruction at this early stage of the program than on the F-22 Raptor. The F-35's stealth coatings are much easier to work with than those used on the Raptor. Cure times for coating repairs are lower and many of the fasteners and access panels are not coated, further reducing the workload for maintenance crews. Some of the F-35's radar-absorbent materials are baked into the jet's composite skin, which means its stealthy signature is not easily degraded. As the MV-84 is based on the F-35, naturally it shares in these features, and thus this reduces maintenance times and costs in a similiar function.
The engines are placed closer to the wings, rather than in the middle of the aircraft, as in the F-35. Due to the position of the turbines, being close to the body of the vehicle, the frame can still easily handle the stress of the vertical take off and makes extra room for both fuel and weapons, while still functioning similarly to the F-35, with slightly greater control given the additional vector points for short take off, or 4 instead of 2. The exact rate of climb is classified, but it is roughly equal to the F-35. Unlike the F-35, the vehicle is intended to be more efficient as a sub-sonic aircraft, using a variable wing geometry which changes the wing profile at different speeds, which reduces fuel consumption drastically, both due to reduced aerodynamic drag and lowered speed. However, as it much heavier, and suffers somewhat as a result of a less aerodynamic design, it's range is marginally shorter despite this. The vehicle suffers somewhat aerodynamically as a result of it's size, being designed to carry a complement similiar to the V-22 or CH-53, or between 30 and 50 soldiers or a single large vehicle. The vehicle uses gyro stabilization software and hardware similar to that on the V-22 and other similar vehicles, giving it performance more akin to a helicopter than to jet aircraft despite the high speed. The thrust vectors are semi-flexible and can vent the exhaust in a variety of directions, giving it a degree of
super maneuverability, which assists dramatically in being able to land. As well, the two engines can work against each other to provide additional stabilization, giving it a slightly easier time taking off and landing.
Despite the similarities with the F-35, the average vehicle has a larger radar cross section, lacks a number of it's features, and lacks the agility and precision of the F-35. While expensive, particularly compared to aircraft in the same field of operation, it's payload by comparison is significantly larger, and far outclass equivalent aircraft, such as the
V-22 or
Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, with similar price ranges. The vehicle's payload capacity is similar to the C-130 Hercules, as it's role, as the C-130 is known for landing in to difficult terrain that is not accessible by ordinary aircraft, and the purpose of the VTOL aircraft is to do the same. The vehicle, in it's standard configuration, can carry 30-55 soldiers, or can carry a single heavy APC or light tank, at around 30-35 tons. The vehicle due to it's smaller size is not capable of carrying as many men as the C-130, but can carry vehicles and equipment the C-130 is expected to carry given a similiar payload capacity. The vehicle utilizes the same
AGM-114 millimeter wave (MMW) radar seeker, as on the Apache, and so it can engage just as many targets in that respect, and can operate the same weapon systems as the Apache (4 missile pods, 16 hellfire, 4 pods of hydra etc.). Also, like the apache, it can be outfitted with a 30mm M230 cannon. Unlike the Apache, this can be replaced by the 40mm bofors chaingun or twin Bk-27 revolver cannons, and it sports an additional two GAU-19 .50 caliber miniguns with 2000 rounds each. In this way each aircraft is essentially a gunship as well as a cargo aircraft, and has substantially better transportation capabilities, but given the limitations of armor and maneuverability it is primarily used to assist other dedicated gunships. The Bk-27 cannons are considered to be the best general purpose for the aircraft, being useful for ground attacks and piercing the armor of APC's, use against helicopters and as an anti-aircraft weapon, being used in all of these roles by the Typhoon fighter among other aircraft. It's small size, simplify, and high rate of fire of up to 1700 RPM, as well as high energy at 160,000 or more joules vs. 100,000 joules for the 25mm and 50,000 joules for the 20mm vulcan gives it superior armor penetration capabilities, and an ease taking on a wide variety of threats. At a mere 200 pounds and being very small profile, it is an easy replacement for many similiar weapons, and with a cobalt chrome barrel reduces problems associated with overheating. The aircraft typically carries equipment designed for both helicopters and fighters, and is similiar to the AH-64 in this way. Despite it's heavy weapons, it is not meant as an attack aircraft specifically, and these measures are largely meant to be defensive or to support ground forces during flights or before landing.
EnginesThe vehicle possess two F-35 engines, which are more powerful and capable of vertical take off and landing. The vehicle uses two
F-135 engines, over the Pratt & Whitney
F119 engines for the F-22. The F-119 produces 35,000 lbf (160 kN) of thrust, while the F135 produces 40,000 lbf (180 kN) of thrust. The vehicle can travel at over 1200 mph and can carry up to 140,000 pounds if taking off at a full load, however with short take off it can only carry 120,000 pounds. The engines are essential to the design of the aircraft, being of the few functional, full sized aircraft engines capable of both high speed performance and vertical take-off. Like a helicopter, it is capable of short take off and vertical landing, landing outside of a runway and off of smaller launching points such as carriers or small ships, dramatically enhancing it's capabilities. Typically the vehicle is expected to take off from a longer runway, and then land vertically, after some fuel has been consumed, and take off after it's payload has been dropped. The vehicle is not efficient ate hovering, and thus is designed only to land vertically and take off after dropping off it's payload, as it cannot lift off vertically or along a short distance with it's full payload. Given the naturally shorter range of the aircraft and the tremendous variation in it's weight given the configuration, it is expected that mid-air flight refueling will be common on longer distance missions, which will be reduced after it delivers it's payload. The vehicle despite it's high power is limited in it's capabilities of vertical take off, and thus it's payload can vary between 15 and 35 tons depending on it's mission profile. The vehicle may carry between 18 and 26 tons of fuel, which makes up nearly a third of the vehicle's weight in full capacity. As the weight of fuel is a substantial amount of the payload capacity of the vehicle, often times far less fuel is carried, which results in a shorter range of the aircraft, or it flies slower to be more efficient. Mid-air flight refueling is necessary to maintain its heaviest payloads, but is generally only used in the beginnings of a conflict. The vehicle typically has a short take off, and then transitions to a rolling vertical landing, only capable of short take off after it has dumped its payload.
Flight control CharacteristicsDual flight mechanics software allows for the use of both engines at the same time to land; this process is largely automatic, and the plane will use an array of sensory data to attempt to land in the most ideal manner possible; still, it is possible for a pilot to manually effect landing, although this is smoothed out, much as in the F-22, which flight prediction software. It is possible to pilot the aircraft without even having a pilot, and landing and take off are largely automated to avoid pilot error. This is somewhat similar to the V-22, which needs advanced flight control software to balance to the two wings. Since the engine turbofans are present on the wings, this is somewhat more similar to how the V-22 operates, however, these are closer to the body of the aircraft than in the V-22. The enhanced range and speed over the V-22 are significant and notable, as well as the carry payload. These advanced software and hardware are required due to increased complexity and danger of flying the aircraft, and due to it's hybrid role possess a mixture of both forms of electronics.
ElectronicsThe vehicle utilizes all of the F-35's electronic features and radar systems, as well as the
AGM-114 millimeter wave (MMW) radar seeker, similar to the tracking system in the Apache Helicopter, allowing the vehicle to identify and engage targets with the AGM-114 missile and other weapons.The vehicles shares similar electronic capabilities with the F-22, although some features are lacking or dumbed down. The F-22 has a threat detection and identification capability comparative with the RC-135 Rivet Joint. The F-22's stealth allows it to safely operate far closer to the battlefield, compensating for the reduced capability. The F-22 is capable of functioning as a "mini-AWACS", however the radar is less powerful than dedicated platforms such as the E-3 Sentry. Because of it's shape and purpose, most MV-62's do not possess stealth capabilities, however a limited number intended for special forces or search and recovery teams do possess stealth capabilities, at a significantly greater cost. Being subsonic, the vehicle already possesses a number of innate stealth capabilities, and with the design basis of the F-35 and F-22, various radar, infrared, and noise counter measures are already designed into the aircraft. The vehicle also can be used to scan for mines or IED's, which prepares the soldiers for landing beforehand, and is used in tandem with more sophisticated systems, such as drones.
