Rafale 2018 Thread: Europe's best Eurocanard

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

12 years 3 months

Posts: 3,106

Not manned combat aircraft, Canadian/UK aircraft industries were linked. Canada bought/or licensed produced many US aircraft as well.

Member for

12 years 6 months

Posts: 374

and the automatic ground collision avoidance system.

I thought it already had this system for nuclear delivery. Can anyone clarify?

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

I thought it already had this system for nuclear delivery. Can anyone clarify?

No it has a twin follow ground system using both numeric maps and SAR radar, but not agcas yet.

Member for

14 years 3 months

Posts: 3,259

I doubt the RBE2 LAM for MICA (and Meteor) on the Rafale supports AMRAAM, even US aircraft have to be modified to use the newer AIM-120D. Not sure what foreign weapons have been integrated on Rafale, but out of the RCAF weapon inventory, likely: AIM-120, AGM-65 aren't. Any aircraft can carry the AIM-9, Rafale can carry the GBU (Paveway) series already.

We agree, as I said, physically, it can carry it (hook it on rails/pylons).. but to integrate it electronically (use it), it's another story and would need US approval/cooperation to do so ;)

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 4,619

So Rafale is unlikely to win the competition then.

Is there another aircraft that could be compatible? I mean this discussion is very circular and it's all been said before, but is there another non US aircraft that is cleared to carry things like AMRAAM?.....

Member for

10 years 11 months

Posts: 2,040

^ I thought the Typhoon could shoot off the AMRAAM no?

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 4,619

oh but that is not Europe's best Eurocanard so what chance can it have? ;)

The most likely outcome is that the Canadians will waste another several years repeating what they did over the past decade and end up with the F35.

I can't get excited by this competition, because as much as Typhoon is all over the interceptor mission (it does the same thing for the RAF), and the bombing mission (it does the same thing for the RAF), logic does not apply here.

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 4,619

A question:

Has the Rafale always made extensive use of sawtooth edges on its underside or are they being applied as RAM/LO applications are developed?

Having seen a picture of the light catching the underside of this year's solo display airframe, the sawtoothin' can be seen at various points along the length of the fuselage rather than on the control surface/trailing edges (which was my understanding of it's use).

just about possible to see here:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]258287[/ATTACH]

Attachments

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 4,619

yes, it's all about how the light falls on the picture. Any idea how old that image is?

Are there any other aircraft that try and overcome the lack of structure LO shaping with this specific approach? For the Rafale gang, I would appreciate a technical reply and I'm not saying Rafale has no RCS reduction in it's structure, but this sawtoothing is an application to the aircraft surface right?

Member for

10 years 11 months

Posts: 2,040

I found it on wikipedia. it says Rafale B, 2011
how about the one you posted?

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 4,619

This year's solo display as far as I can tell.

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

You will see sawtooth on every panel ending at 90°. So as to avoid antenna effect. And it is not radar absorbing paint. The radar aborbing part is inside the coating.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]258294[/ATTACH]

(credits :me)

Attachments

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 4,619

Great stuff thanks.

Has that always been there or was it gradually added on?

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

Always been. And perishable. (see the small cracks)

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

Last modernized Rafale F1 (Fr Navy) to be delivered soon (or was it the one mentioned by Trappier for 2017?).

Probably. There was an issue on one of the planes (a "Fenwick" broke if i remember well). So i guess it is this one.

Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 1,403

Probably. There was an issue on one of the planes (a "Fenwick" broke if i remember well). So i guess it is this one.

No, The M41 Which had to be rebuilt after the crane inident was delivered in march 2016 to the navy. It was onboard the Charles de Gaulle during Arromanches III (Irak / Syria)
AFAIK, The last Rafale M F1 to be delivered at the F3 standard in 2018 is the M1.

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 4,168

Ok. Ty.

Member for

12 years 3 months

Posts: 5,905

+1