I challenge you!

Think you know a bit about military technology???? Do ya? DO YA?!!???! Well, here's a chance to dazzle us with your ingenuity, or at least have fun trying.




Take up the challenge! teams or individuals welcome.

lmao.

Holy shit. Is this some kind of joke? Were not billionaires, you know.

Lol. Design, on paper not bloody build it. lol. It's a thoughts exercise

Here's mine. I call it, the Imperial Cruiser (plays Empire theme song) :rofl:



edit: damn! I forgot to add control surfaces... oh well let's pretend it's a spacecraft

man, those PDE's might have a hard time with no intakes

still better than my design, though:


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I thought PDWE don't need intakes? ... oh well, Imperial Cruiser... Mark II



(+Empire music)

Ger_Mark, nice design. I didn't know you were an aerospace engineer for MBB though, lol. But yes, the Lampyridae project demonstrates the viability of stealth for a compariatively low cost design. Take up the challenge, come up with your own design concept.

My own thoughts and research is taking me towards this basic configuration although it is far from finalised:

It combines a facet covered core structure with semi-radar-transparent composites on key external surfaces (particularly the wings and tail) to allow improved aerodynamics. I hope that will allow me to use conventional aerodynamics to create lift rather than having to resort to the highly swept wing of the F-117/Lampyridae. It has no radar, minimal windows, with all access panels/openings on rearward sloping areas.

Current config:


Here's a diagram of the above configuration showing the fuselage facets:

Note that if two surfaces are the same colour, that means that they are facing the same way. This repetition of angles is common to all stealth aircraft from the F-117 to the F-22 and basically reduces the directions from which a full radar return is given (essentially perpendicular to the surface).

A cool feature is the weapons bay and main landing gear sharing the same doors. This would have some aerodynamic cost but assists stealth by radically reducing the number of external openings. Unlike the F-22 which has in the region of 300 access locations, nearly all the routine access areas would be behind these large weapons bay doors. This means that non-routine access areas could be taped up with RAM tape along the joins further reducing RCS.

Another (unique?) idea is to build the frontal facets out of single sheets of composite so as to allow no external rivets at all. Because composites are semi-transparent to radar, which is generally not good for stealth, the inside of the composite layer would be glued to a faceted metal surface.The window would be an area with a transparent film of metal (probably gold) applied to the inside of the composite. This means that there would be no external window frame at all, making stealth much easier.