Fighter Aircraft

April 30, 2006 by Ultra Flight

Fighter Aircraft

What are the advantages of a single engine fighter aircraft such as the f-16 oppose to a twin Engine Aircraft?

Wouldn't 2 engines be faster and safer? Also if the f-16 can go around 1300mph why not put 2 of those engines on an aircraft? Could that push it up towards mach 3? Are speeds that high not really effective in a fighter?

Advantage of single engine over twin is simplicity and lower cost. Also, a bit of efficiency, as one large engine is usually more efficient that two engines of exactly half the power, all other things being equal.
This has nothing to do with speed. For supersonic flight, the most important aspect is aerodynamics related, essentially in the presence of a suitable engine air inlet (most of the thrust in a supersonic aircraft comes from the inlet, the engines is essentially a pump to relieve the internal pressure. This may sound weird, but that is the way it is).
If one wants to install double the power in an otherwise identical aircraft, the plane may be able to get to speed faster, but the top speed may not change that much, as it is usually dominated by other restrictions, materials for instance. The F-104, for instance, among a few other single engine supersonic aircraft, had to be restrained and throttled down at high speed, as it could have otherwise reached speed that the structure could not stand, mechanically and thermally.
Having two engines is somewhat like having two hoses pulling a carriage; the horses may go faster if the load is heavy, but with a light load, they would run at their top speed, and no more.

Flying at Mach 3 means first and foremost having an air intake able to supply an engine with the right air flow at that speed. Which in turns means that the air intake will not be that great at speed less than Mach 3. Unless it is a variable intake, which is a complex, heavy and costly solution.
And then you have to have an airframe (wing and fuselage) that could fly well at Mach 3, but also is able to fly reasonably well at 150 knots, because the plane still has to be able to take off and land at a reasonable speed.

Super high speed is not of a very good use for fighter. At Mach 3, evading a missile (turning) takes a couple of Zip code area. Moreover, since the airframe is basking in its own kinetic heating, it becomes an interesting infra-red emitter, which some missiles would have little trouble locking into (i.e. it is not only the engine that are emitting heat).
Mach 3 makes sense if you are sneaking above (spying), or dashing through (bomber) at an altitude where interception is unlikely. For dogfighting, what is needed is large wings and high thrust to weight ratio, to provide with quick acceleration and fast turn rate.

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Sport Pilot Store

Fly A Jet Fighter: Why you're safe when you are flying in a jet fighter as a non-pilot

As company specializing in arranging flights in fighter jets to non-Pilots, we find ourselves often confronted with interested clients worrying about the risks involved in flying jet. Everybody knows that jet pilots who regularly fly a fighter jet are athletes who spend a significant time of their work in gyms, strengthening both their body and their mind. Why, people ask, can john doe also fly in a fighter jet and even control the aircraft himself without such training and background?

The answer has a simple and a more complex part. Let's explore the simple part first. Basically, clients who pay to fly a fighter jet are, of course, not alone in the air. A seasoned test pilot or instructor will fly the fighter jet, and it's him who is flying the jet in crucial parts of the flight such as taking off or landing the jet fighter. Also, should there be an emergency such as a bird-strike or a technical failure while clients fly a jet fighter, it's the pilot's duty to land the aircraft safely. Still, the normal part of a sortie - that is, the jet flying in blue sky under good weather conditions - represents an ideal scenario to fly in a fighter jet. During such parts, there is not much skill needed to keep the aircraft going, hands down.

The complete picture, however, is not that simple and also consists of a more complex part: A huge portion of the skills of a fighter jet pilot is defined by his ability to fly a fighter jet in bad conditions. Such bad conditions of flying jet range from bad weather conditions to real hands-on combat situations. To fly in a fighter jet when you're the only man on the controls and your life depends on your skill can't be compared to a joyride in good conditions, where no external factors endanger the flight in the jet fighter.

So, when clients who pay to fly in a fighter jet are on board, most of what makes flying jets risky - most notably severe weather conditions and combat situations - is not present. Client's safety is the most important, and that is why private clients are only flying jet if all external factors give no reason to demand the pilot from reaching his limits. This, however, does not mean that clients will fly with unskilled pilots or that flying Jet Aircraft would normally not require skill. Pilots who fly a jet fighter are the elite who prevailed over a huge competition with other men who also wanted to make a living by flying a jet fighter. Consequently, flying jet as a non-pilot is safe for two reasons: The pilot who's flying the jet fighter is highly skilled, and the flight is being carried out under very favorable conditions.

About the Author

David M. Allen is an aviation specialist arranging flights in jet fighters for interested individuals and businesses. He's working with MiGFlug.com / FlyFighterJet.com and specializes in the US/UK market. He likes to share the article related to fly fighters, mig flights, mig 29 flight and flying fighter.

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