The 'Machete' that could replace the A-10 Warthog: Radical lightweight metal foam attack plane with a PROPELLER
- Machete is a concept for a new light-weight attack plane for the US Air Force
- Designed with a metal foam instead of the traditional armor
- Will be single engine, single seat planes and offered in 2 variants
- Other models for air-to-air combat and advanced training could also be released
Known as the 'flying gun', the A-10 Warthog plane was a hero during Operating Desert Storm – but has since been deemed vulnerable and costly to operate.
Now, a Minnesota-based startup has unveiled designs for a new attack plane called the 'Machete' that consists of a new metal foam developed in conjunction with the US Department of Energy.
The metal foam is lightweight and strong - and is capable of stopping bullets and other projectiles in much less space than traditional armor, while the plane boasts the same 30mm cannon as the Warthog it could replace.
The Machete is still in the concept stages, but is set to be released in to variants - the propeller-driven SM-27 and the jet-propelled SM-28. And the startup has also thrown around ideas for Machete models to be used in air-to-air combat and advanced training
Each of the planes cost an average $26.6 million dollars to manufacture and weighs about 12 tons without armament – and it can carry 13 tons of weapons while airborne.
The Warthog had its first air-to-air victory in 1991 when it shot down a helicopter with the GAU-8 cannon.
Although the A-10 is deemed 'one of the most important US assets' its time has come to be replaced with a new and modern model.
Stavatti, an aerospace startup, resurrected an old proposal of the Machete that was first marketed in 2009, reports David Axe with War is Boring.com.
The Machete is still in the concept stages, but is set to be released in to variants - the propeller-driven SM-27 and the jet-propelled SM-28.
And the startup has also thrown around ideas for Machete models to be used in air-to-air combat and advanced training.
Both the SM-27 and SM-28 will be designed as a single-engine, single-seat plane, which will be fitted with the same GAU-8 cannon its predecessor, A-10, used in its early 1990s victory.
The first A-10s Warthog (pictured) hit the sky in 1972 and entered the front lines five years later – a decade later manufacturing of the planes came to a halt. Light attack planes could replace the A-10s in big missions – as these planes cost over $10,000 per flight hour.
'Machete is a big project around here,' said Chris Beskar, Stavatti's CEO.
The Machete was first discussed when the Air Force was toying with the idea of purchasing some 100 light attack planes that could replace the A-10s in big missions – as they cost over $10,000 per flight hour.
However, the Air Force's taste for light-weight planes diminished after 2009 when Congress mandated budget cuts.
The military branch even went so far to retire the remaining A-10s, but Congress stepped in in an attempt to save the Warthog fleet – stating A-10 cuts are to be delayed until after 2021.
But last year, the idea of light weight planes resurfaced.
A-10: THE UGLY WARTHOG
It is the ugliest aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal.
The A-10, often called a warthog, was designed to destroy Soviet tanks and troops on the ground.
Officially the Thunderbolt II, it was quickly nicknamed the Warthog for its unusual looks,
It was specifically designed around its main weapon, a 30mm cannon which fires 4,000 rounds a minute.
The plane can fly low and slow, coming down to 50ft to shoot at or drop bombs on enemy positions.
The A-10, often called a warthog, was designed to destroy Soviet tanks and troops on the ground.
ts top speed is just above 400mph but it can go as slow as 150mph and 'loiter' for hours above targets making it an effective deterrent as well as an attack plane.
The Warthog is covered in 1,200lbs of titanium armor, making it invulnerable to attack from anything but heavy weapons.
Even when hit it is designed to fly home on one engine, with no tailfin and half a wing missing.
On board the single-seater the pilot has at his controls the cannon, which is accurate to 4,000ft, and fires depleted-uranium shells, as well as Maverick air-to-surface missiles, 500lb free fall bombs, and Hydra air-launched rockets.
Despite USAF attempts to retire the fleet, it is expected to remain in service into the 2020s. At one stage when the Air Force suggested retiring its more than 300 A-10s the Army indicated it would take them over as soldiers are so keen on its close support capabilities.
It is believed that the Air Force is on the market for about 20 'OA-X' light weight combat planes and is looking to purchase them in the near future.
Even US senator John McCain has supported the idea of taking on new light attack planes – he proposed the military branch should acquire 300 models.
And Gen. Dave Goldfein, the Air Force's chief of staff, said McCain's proposal was a 'great idea.'
However, because the Machete is still a concept drawing, the plan would not be available in time to fulfill the OA-X need.
But Beskar said he believes the plane 'could be contender for a broader acquisition of attack planes', reports Axe.
Stavatti unveiled designs for a new attack plane called the 'Machete' that consists of a new metal foam developed in conjunction with the US Department of Energy. The metal foam is lightweight and strong - and can stop bullets in much less space than traditional armor can
He stressed the design has evolved and is more advanced than its early 2009 beginnings.
'It's basically doubled in weight' to 30,000 pounds, Beskar explained, which is close to the same weight as an A-10.
Adding the new metal foam into the design allows the plane to stop projectiles in a lesser amount of space than the traditional armor.
'We could stop the bullet at a total thickness of less than an inch, while the indentation on the back was less than eight millimeters,' said Afsaneh Rabiei, an engineering professor at North Carolina State University, who tested the metal foam.
'To put that in context, the [National Institute of Justice] standard allows up to 44 millimeters indentation in the back of an armor.'
The composite material is built like a sandwich: Between two pieces of aluminum, each just two millimeters thick, is a 25-millimeter-thick layer of the “foam,” actually a low-density, sponge-like composite of magnesium, silicon, and copper, and aluminum. And like a good sandwich, there’s no glue. The layers are held together by metallic bonding, the electrostatic attraction of negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions.
The result is a material that’s 20 percent lighter than traditional fiberglass, which is commonly used on high-speed train cabs. That’s a big advantage when the goal is to move faster and more efficiently. Even better, it doesn’t come at the cost of a weaker train. “The outer shell is so stiff that you need no ribs inside,” says Dr. Thomas Hipke, head of lightweight construction at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology, which helped to design the prototype train cab. Peel tests of aluminum foam—in which force is applied to pull apart the layers of the material—destroy the foam interior instead of breaking the bonds between the layers, demonstrating the strength of the bonding.
That strength matters a lot when you’re traveling at 150 to 200 mph, fast enough to keep up with a jet at takeoff. While crashes are rare, high-speed trains are regularly hit by small objects, which can cause trouble. “Aluminum foam has a very high and comfortable impact resistance, especially for small impacts like stones, bottles or just birds,” says Ralf Uhlig of Voith Engineering Services, which was involved in the construction of the prototype cab. Collisions with our feathered friends are relatively frequent and can pose real dangers to passengers. In 2013, a high-speed train en route to Beijing was forced to stop after a bird strike cracked the train’s exterior.
The comparably cushy substance makes the inside of the train safer in a collision, too. Crash tests with human dummies have confirmed the material efficiently absorbs energy and protects passengers from “secondary impacts”—i.e., slamming into the wall or a seat back when the train lurches unexpectedly. Tests run by the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C. showed packing seat backs with aluminum foam reduced head injury values by 80 percent in an 8g impact.
Aluminum foam was invented back in 1968, but the longstanding drawback for industrial applications has been the difficulty of shaping the material without relying on expensive tooling. Now, engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute and Voith Engineering Services have demonstrated aluminum foam surfaces can be formed economically using embossing tools: The contours of the material are set during the foaming process, rather than conventionally stretching the material around a blank of the desired shape. “We save approximately 60 percent on tool costs,” says Dr. Hipke. Train cabs assembled from aluminum foam are expected to be built within the next year.
An unmanned helicopter that is INVISIBLE to radar
- The X-01 Hornet was debuted at an arms exhibition held in Abu Dhabi
- Drone will be fully customisable for a range of military and civilian applications
- Could include radar jamming systems, missile launchers and machine gun
- Radiation detection equipment and sophisticated cameras could also be used
The future of warfare could see soldiers removed from the front lines of battle and replaced by unmanned drones.
Now, the development of an unmanned helicopter that will be invisible to radar could be a step towards achieving this aim.
The X-01 Hornet drone will be fully customisable, supporting a range of military and civilian applications, from aerial fire support to detecting dangerous levels of radiation.
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The X-01 Hornet drone will be fully customisable, supporting a range of military and civilian applications, from aerial fire support to detecting dangerous levels of radiation
And its front mounted electro-optical infrared camera, while useful for reconnaissance, could even see it used in filming Hollywood blockbusters, according to its creators.
The prototype X-01 Hornet was unveiled at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) arms show in Abu Dhabi, held on Monday.
Its creators, Serbian firm Engine Development and Production (EDePro), say it is designed to carry a variety of equipment, for use in military campaigns and civilian operations.
Options include radar guidance and jamming systems, surveillance apparatus and even weaponry - including four fibre optic guided missiles and a 12.7 mm machine gun.
Serbian arms manufacturer Engine Development and Production unveiled its prototype unmanned helicopter, that will be invisible to radar, at the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi
Options include radar guidance and jamming systems, surveillance apparatus and even weaponry - including four fibre optic guided missiles and a 12.7 mm machine gun
The Hornet, which is 6.75 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 2.65 metres high, will be constructed from carbon fibre, lightweight steel and aluminium.
A Phoenix-250 DF turboshaft engine producing 180 kW of power will drive a 7.6 metre diameter, twin-bladed rotor.
Its creator Dr Predrag Matejic told Jane's the Hornet will have a top speed of 112 miles per hour (180 km/h) and cruising and 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
It should have a flight duration of up to four hours and be able to fly as high as 13,000 ft.
The aircraft will weigh 400 kg when empty, in addition to carry further equipment up to 350 kg.
The standard fuel load will be around 200 litres.
EDePro aim to begin testing on the vehicle in the coming months, with transmission system and gearbox testing planned for mid-2017, and hovering tests scheduled September and October.
About the project lead engineer Dr Predrag Matejic said: 'Every unmanned helicopter is unique in itself, because in the hovering phase every helicopter is unstable.
'It's easy to manage that instability when you have a pilot inside, because a pilot is able to counteract that instability.
'But in the case where you don't have a pilot, you need to have good automatic control systems.'
Top Gunski! Moscow releases video of its latest fighter jet boasting it can destroy the best that Britain and America have to offer
- The Russian Military of Defence is seeking export buyers for its new fighter jet
- China has agreed to by 24 of the Sukhoi SU-35s fighters for around $2 billion
- The Sukhoi is faster and larger than the Eurofighter Typhoon used by the RAF
- Although the new Russian fighter is not stealthy like the American F-35
The Russian Ministry of Defence has released a video of its latest fighter jet in an effort to drive foreign export sales.
The Kremlin wants foreign governments to buy its latest Sukhoi-35s jet instead of a western aircraft.
As part of the sales drive, the Russian Air Force released footage of a test pilot taking its Sukhoi Su-35s for a spin.
Russia is trying to find international buyers for its new SU-35s fighter jet, pictured
The Russian Ministry of Defense released video of the aircraft in action
Russia has already orders for 24 SU-35s from China as well as a contract for technical support
The super sonic jet is being sold as a multi-purpose single-seat fighter with both speed and agility.
Unlike the F-22 and F-35, the Su-35s is not a stealth fighter and relies far more on dog fighting skills like older aircraft such as the F-16.
Several cameras have been fitted to the aircraft in the video as it performs a range of high-energy manoeuvres.
According to Jane Defence Weekly, China has already purchased 24 SU-35s worth an estimated $2 billion.
The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 2.25 at 36,000 feet - approximately 1,500mph - and carry 8,000kg in weapons with a range of around 1,000 miles.
Russia claims the aircraft is better than the west's fourth generation aircraft, such as the US F-16 and French Rafaele and even the RAF's Typhoon interceptor.
The Su-35s is fitted with a 30mm cannon for air-to-air dog fighting as well as the capability of carrying rockets, missiles and bombs.
The Russian jet is faster than the Eurofighter Typhoon, pictured, which is used by the RAF
The Russians claim the SU-35 can defeat the F-16 and even the new US F-35 stealth jet
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