US F/A-XX and F-X 6th Gen Aircraft News Thread

[gelgoog]

I think it will be 2 crew. And should be Mach 2 capable. It is supposed to be a replacement for the F-22 Raptor. I doubt it will have worse specs in any major metric. I agree that it will likely have no gun at all. Should be capable of carrying long range air to air missiles internally. Maybe even cruise missiles.

It might have some form of optical cloaking since a lot of people have been working on that for years. But if that happens I doubt it will be Mach 2 capable. Should have some sort of onboard laser system to defend against air to air missiles.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Currently the USAF is trending away from two seat. The F15EX will enter service with a rear seat but in practice it’s stated the back seats empty. The F/A-18 E/F same deal. Until the J20 tandem seater none of the Fifth generation fighters have had a back seat.
Given computerization and automation likely to be available upon entry into service for NGAD as well as the USAF recruitment issues, it seems likely to me that the preference would be manned optional with a single seat. A virtual back seater taking much of the more tedious tasks.

 

[anzha]

Currently the USAF is trending away from two seat.

You're not wrong, but I cannot help but feel this aircraft appears to be intended to do a lot more than merely a fighter or interceptor. Swimming in Silicon Valley, proverbially, I am very skeptical of the AI hype and it's abilities. I can be wrong[*], but I doubt anything of that sort will be in the first iteration of the NGAD.

*. I have been wrong before and will be again.

 

[anzha]

fwiw:

061 0207110F NEXT GENERATION AIR DOMINANCE..... 2,326,128 1,775,528
.................................. Project 646007: Program [-550,600]
deferment.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

You're not wrong, but I cannot help but feel this aircraft appears to be intended to do a lot more than merely a fighter or interceptor. Swimming in Silicon Valley, proverbially, I am very skeptical of the AI hype and it's abilities. I can be wrong[*], but I doubt anything of that sort will be in the first iteration of the NGAD.

*. I have been wrong before and will be again.

NGAD will have some multirole capabilities for the USAF. However its primarily mission to replace F22A means that it’s a hunter above all else.
Next it doesn’t need to be smart AI.
The main argument for tandem seats in NGAD would be to have the second seater managing sensors and drones. But that’s thinking right out of the Third and very very early fourth generation like the F4 Phantom and F14 Tomcat.
Thing is given that NGAD is supposed to be manned optional and would have an advanced datalink. It seems to me like that second seater could be in the cockpit of another NGAD with his jet basically slaved to his wingmen. Close fights between fighters are unbelievably rare and doctrine is not to operate fighters without wingmen. Already today Fighters operate like this with some with active radar well others are passives in a formation sharing data. Allowing active fighters to target well passive make the kill.

 

[TK3600]

I am going to guess it will be roughly J-16 sized, which is larger than F-22.

There are a lot of expectations, but ultimately US cannot take too much risk on it. They need it ASAP, and too much fancy design go against that. They will scale back the ambition and deliver what they can. It will most likely be incremental improvement of F-22 updated to today's requirement.

1. Larger airframe to accomodate new missiles, and greatly extended fuel range.
2. New combined cycle engine and updated airframe that takes advantage of it.
3. Much larger radar, likely on par with J-20 or bigger. Podsibly integrated EW functions on all plane, not limited to dedicated aircraft.
4. Possibly a twin seater (unsure if variant or standard) to take advantage of loyal wingman concepts.
5. It will be called 6th gen but there will not be any revolutionary features. The engine is the only interesting part. Stuff like no 'control surface' likely remain a meme.
6. It will be digitally engineered. But this speak more about the industry improvement than plane itself.

 

[Gloire_bb]

Currently the USAF is trending away from two seat. The F15EX will enter service with a rear seat but in practice it’s stated the back seats empty. The F/A-18 E/F same deal. Until the J20 tandem seater none of the Fifth generation fighters have had a back seat.

USAF never was enthusiastic about 2 seats in the first place.
Some of their platforms - not primary - were two-seaters, but the only primary TACOM one was the F-4, which was a navy plane outright forced onto them - and the second seat for them was always just the "another guy".
The 2-seater lover always was the navy...and their current exclusive single seater, much like the F-4 from the example above, was forced onto them with no option to refuse.

 

[SlothmanAllen]

There was an interesting post from Bill Sweetman, formerly of Aviation Week, a while back documenting some developments he believed were related to NGAD. One of them was that Martin-Baker has shown a reclined ejection seat which he speculated is for increased pilot comfort due to longer mission time expected of NGAD.

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[TK3600]

There was an interesting post from Bill Sweetman, formerly of Aviation Week, a while back documenting some developments he believed were related to NGAD. One of them was that Martin-Baker has shown a reclined ejection seat which he speculated is for increased pilot comfort due to longer mission time expected of NGAD.

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I think the cockpit will be flatter to improve stealth. That is the reason.

 

[SlothmanAllen]

I think the cockpit will be flatter to improve stealth. That is the reason.

Another interesting thing would be the cockpit layout. Would the main displays be in line with where your head sits on the seat? In that case, it seems like there would be little room for a glass canopy.