Mitsubishi FS-X (Fighter Support X)
Mitsubishi FS-X
Role:
Single-seat support fighter.
DESIGN FEATURES:
New co-cured composite wing of Japanese design, with
greater span, root chord and area than that of F-16;
tapered trailing-edge; slightly longer radome and
forward fuselage to house new radar and other mission
avionics; longer mid-fuselage and shorter jetpipes;
increased-span tailplane; addition of brake-chute;
adoption of increased performance engine. Wing
leading-edge sweepback 33 degrees 12'; incidence 2
degrees 30'.
STRUCTURE:
All-composites co-cured wing; fuselage, tail and other
structures also to use advanced materials and structure
technology, including radar-absorbent material.
Mitsubishi to build forward fuselage and wings;
other Japanese airframe companies involved include Fuji
(upper wing skins, wing fairings, radome, flaperons,
engine air intakes and tail unit) and Kawasaki
(fuselage mid-section and engine access doors).
Lockheed Fort Worth providing rear fuselage,
leading-edge flaps, avionics systems and some test
equipment.
POWER PLANT:
One General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan (129.0 kN;
29,000 lb st with afterburning). Max internal fuel
capacity 4675 litres (1235 US gallons; 1028 Imp
gallons) (reduced to 3978 litres; 1051 US gallons; 875
Imp gallons in TFS-X). Max external fuel capacity
(both) 5678 litres (1500 US gallons; 1249 Imp gallons).
ACCOMMODATION:
Pilot on McDonnell Douglas Escapac rocket-powered
ejection system. Complete with US Navy life support
system on the A-7E/H. Escape system provides a fully
inflated parachute three seconds after sequence
initiation; positive seat/man separation and
stabilisation of the ejected seat and pilot. Boron
carbide (HFC) cockpit armour.
AVIONICS:
Include Yokogawa LCD multi-function display and
Shimadzu holographic display; Mitsubishi Electric
active phased-array radar; mission computer; inertial
reference system; Mitsubishi Electric integrated EW
system.
ARMAMENT:
One internal M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm multi-barrel gun. Five
external stores stations (one on centreline and two on
each wing); Frazer-Nash common rail launchers, to be
built and installed by Nippi, will be configured
initially for Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missiles;
armament eventually expected to include Mitsubishi
AAM-3 air-to-air and XASM-2 anti-shipping missiles.
Aircraft Measures:
Length: 15.27 m (50 ft 1{1/4} in)
Height: 4.97 m (16 ft 3{3/4} in)
Wingspan: 11.13 m (36 ft 6{1/4}in)
Max Weight: 22,100 kg (48,722 lb)
Aircraft Performance:
Maximum Speed: 1147 knots
Service Ceiling: 15,240 m.
Thrust: 29,000 lb w/afterburner