Saab celebrates 'supercruise' test success for Gripen Demo

Flight International ^ | 22/01/09 | Craig Hoyle

[sukhoi-30mki]

Saab celebrates 'supercruise' test success for Gripen Demo

By Craig Hoyle

Saab's Gripen Demo aircraft has passed a significant milestone in its ongoing test programme, with the two-seater having on 21 January demonstrated its "supercruise" performance for the first time.

Company test pilot Magnus Ljungdahl says the aircraft was flown to a speed of more than Mach 1.2 at 28,000ft (8,540m) above the Baltic Sea, and adds: "Without using afterburner I maintained the same speed until I ran out of test area." The sortie was conducted from Saab's Linköping test centre.

Saab says the supercruise event forms part of a test campaign that will see the Gripen Demo (pictured below during an earlier test flight) flown at supersonic speeds carrying a variety of loads.

The current test aircraft is intended to de-risk new technologies for a Gripen NG model already being promoted to potential future buyers including Brazil, Denmark and Switzerland. These include the demonstrator's General Electric F414G engine and an active electronically scanned array radar that should enter flight-testing later this year.

"To show potential customers that Gripen can supercruise is an important milestone", says Gripen International marketing director Bob Kemp.

[sukhoi-30mki]

© Stefan Kalm/Gripen International

[Freeport]

Good for them.

However, when they start dirtying that airframe up with weapons pylons and ordinance, supercruise is history.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Yo-Yo]

Using Saab's criteria, the F-16 can also supercruise.

[ko_kyi]

OK, aero-freepers. I have a question for you:

What is the big deal about supercruise? Does going Mach 1.2 give some enormous advantage over going .9? Is it that any non-supercruising opponent needs to use afterburner to keep up with you?

[Freeport]

Supercruise is the ability to go super sonic without the use of an afterburner.

After-burning is the injection of fuel directly into the exhaust nozzle of an aircraft; bypassing the compressor, burner, turbine core.

By reheating the exhaust gas from the turbine, a considerable amount of thrust is added to the engine without damaging the internals or having to carry a larger engine in the first place.

The reheating allows the aircraft to go supersonic where it would not be capable of otherwise.

The drawback is that the process consumes huge amounts of fuel and generally leaves a visible light and infrared signature visible for tens or hundreds of miles in any given direction.

Also, a typical aircraft can go to afterburner power for a few minutes at a time; maybe 20 minutes if they run their tanks dry, or until the exhaust tube melts.

Having the supercruise option allows you to enter from a farther standoff range or exit a battle space at supersonic speeds without the associated exhaust signatures and fuel burn.

While Saab can do it in a clean configuration, the only aircraft that go into battle with it is the F-22 to date.

So while the Saab may not be able to supercruise to a fight, it can dump it's pylons after weapons release and hall it back home that way.

This is the short, very short, answer.

[WesternCulture]

Thanks for the ping!

Hope you’re well and that the measures of the Obama administration won’t bring about too much of damage to Texas.

(- Keeping in mind Obama’s not exactly a warm friend of free trade and western Sweden’s dependence of trading with America, I hope for the same thing regarding my corner of the world.)

Regards from Sweden to Texas!

[sukhoi-30mki]

I believe the Eurofighter and the new Gripen (according to SAAB) can supercruise with an air to air payload.

[Yo-Yo]

I believe the Eurofighter and the new Gripen (according to SAAB) can supercruise with an air to air payload.

Well, the title of this thread "Saab celebrates 'supercruise' test success for Gripen Demo" sort of implies that the new Gripen can supercruise...

;^)

[Freeport]

They can claim all they want, but aerodynamics and engine thrust are against them.

At 22,000 lbf, it's not going to push a loaded aircraft supersonic without reheating.

Also, the F-22 has a 35,000 lbf class engine, all it's weaponry internal and it does supercruise on the high side of Mach 1.5.

Clean, with maybe a couple of wing tip mounted missiles, I'll buy. A couple of 2,000 bombs or external fuel tanks? No.

[myknowledge]

The Raptor can actually maintain supercruise speed for no more than five minutes.

e.g. Mach 1.82 supercruise speed ~1960 km/h, 540 m/sec.
Multiply that by 300 seconds = 5 minutes.
= 162000 / 100
= 162 kilometers

Therefore, your F-22 Raptor can supercruise at Mach 1.82 for 5 minutes, maximum supercruise performance, and you have opened 162 kilometers.