McDonnell-Douglas ATS, pre-ATF and ATF studies

flateric

flateric

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Thread to discuss McDonnell Douglas pre-ATF and ATF studies
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MDC designs concepts sized for air-to-surface missions. 1977 ATS (Air-To-Surface) studies prior to ATF program.
 

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Some definite points of similarity with those designs and the eventual ATF submission.
 
Yes, delta wing ATS design was one of two total of December 1982 nineteen*hard* ATF submissions.
Canard design with stright wings was submitted as air-to-air concept design.
 

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More pre-ATF designs
 

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A friend (Hi vstol) sent me this artist's impression a few years ago, titled "CTOL Light Attack Aircraft" with Navy insignia and tailhook. Nothing else is known.

Any idea, what could it be?
 

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By chance, any 3-views or more concept art of the ATF design?

--Gavin.
 
May I play CSI?? ;D
The airplane has a laser designator in the nose (it is illuminating the interior of what seems a hangar or a shelter and the two bombs (seem dispensers) are homing on the reflection). So this indicates a post 1970 date (laser designator were deployed on pods during the '60s). Sice there are no tropical/jungle hints, it must be post-1975. The airplanes are attaching an airfiled with what seem dirt-covered shelters, The scene has a north-african/Middle east look (what's the building near the upper end of the picture? Seems a mosque with a dome but it is out of contest, could be a radar station with a dielectric dome covering the antenna). Aircraft appareances are distincly post-F-117 era. So I'd bet the project is from the middle of the '80s, when Libya was THE villain. Was there some CTOL light-attack program going on in the US in the middle of the '80s? Perhaps a replacement for A-7s?
 
1). Here's a three view of the McDonnell-Douglas SF-1302 shown above; It appears to be sized for F404 powerplants.
2&3).An Advanced Strike Aircraft Concept
 

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I've searched my files, but can't find anything. I've searched my brain, but it's empty too.

Upon closer study, I think it is just a notional airplane that was drawn to advertise the weapons. What is most striking (pardon the pun) to me is the laser designator in the nose, with the two glide bombs that seem to be tracking into the hangar. The near aircraft is banking to show the canisters on the bottom of the fuselage. One is missing, which maybe corresponds to an explosion on the bottom left.

Sorry, that's the best I can do. It is definitely not the MDA Quiet Attack Aircraft.

???

Mike.
 
Mike,

A few mysteries come to stay, otherwise it would be boring ;).

Thomas
 
Stop the presses! Mystery solved! I found it (without the tailhook):

It was a 1977 McDonnell design as part of their Air-to-Surface (ATS) study, which was one of the studies that eventually led to the start of the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program.

It was designated Model No. 252-111B with wing tip Air-to-Air missiles and conformal Air-to-Ground weapons underneath.

They must have pitched a version of it to the Navy, too, since McDonnell was a well-established designer of Navy aircraft.

Cheers,
Mike.
 
Top-mounted inlet fighter from 1985 MacAir study “Subsonic Diffusers For Highly Survivable Aircraft”

SUBSONIC DIFFUSER DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE FOR ADVANCED FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
C. C. Lee
McDonnell Aircraft Company
McDonnell Douglas Corporation
St. Louis
Chris Eoedicker
Flight Dynamics Laboratory
Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-6553 5433
AIAA-85-3073
 

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1986-1988 MacAir study of Supersonic Persitence Fighter (SSPF) Alrcraft - air-superiority fighter which emphasizes low drag for efficient supercruise and TVC nozzles for agility.

AlAA 1989-2816
Advanced Thrust Vectoring Nozzles for Supercruise Fighter Aircraft
J. Mace, P. Smereczniak and G. Krekeler
McDonnell Aircraft Company, St. Louis, MO
D. Bowers
WPAFB, OH, Wright Research and Development Center
M. MacLean
GE Aircraft Engines
Cincinnati, OH
E. Thayer
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
West Palm Beach, FL
 

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pometablava said:
Supersonic Fighter Development. Roy Braybrook. Ed Haynes. 1987 ISBN 0-85429-582-8

Anyone can identify the weapons in ths drawing?

Thanks,

Antonio
Click to expand...

Well, the under-nacelle weapons seem to be related to the modular missiles in Flateric's earlier post - the only difference is the small canards near the missile nose. http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,399.msg2577.html#msg2577

The general form of the belly missiles - stacked nose-to-tail remind me of the McDonnell-Douglas Model No. 252-111B strike project, as seen in this thread http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,508.0

As for the exact designations - I've only seen these types on McDD projects - so some internal McDD designs perhaps?

Starviking
 
SF-1302 is one that was shown in model form back in the 80s as an ATF concept. Painted ghost gray as I recall.
 
*better quality painting of the MD ATF proposal*

Anyone notices the striking similarity with the mig wind tunnel testing model for their 1.44/1.42 project (more than the similarity between the test model with the 1.44 prototype itself). Or are they the same thing :eek: ? Did anyone confirm that the wind tunnel testbed is actually 1.44? I see these images alot around the net claiming to be 1.44 study model, but no confirmation or reliable source that states so. Anyone more knowledgable can shed some light for me?
 

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That inlet looks a lot like the XB-70's and additionally looks like the inlet used on the McDonnell's Mach 6 Navy Interdictor concept...
 
The above picture was originally associated with MFI by Alexei Gretchikhine on his RAP website (http://aeroweb.lucia.it/rap/RAFAQ/MiG1.42.html) back in 1997. In fact he said only

Another wind tunnel, another scale model. Although it has no connection with 1.42, the model displays some rudimentary stealth features. Note that forward fuselage is triangular in crossection. TsAGI.
Click to expand...

Yefim Gordon included the same picture in his Red Star on MFI, and claimed it represented the 1.42 intake configuration.
 
donnage99 said:
*better quality painting of the MD ATF proposal*

Anyone notices the striking similarity with the mig wind tunnel testing model for their 1.44/1.42 project
Click to expand...

I first saw this painting a few years ago, and that's what struck me, too. The painting and the profile posted by Overscan earlier in this thread are the only pictures I've seen of this design, though someone on this forum (I can't remember who) was able to build a model of it along with models of the other four ATF contenders.
 
Merv_P said:
donnage99 said:
*better quality painting of the MD ATF proposal*

Anyone notices the striking similarity with the mig wind tunnel testing model for their 1.44/1.42 project
Click to expand...

I first saw this painting a few years ago, and that's what struck me, too. The painting and the profile posted by Overscan earlier in this thread are the only pictures I've seen of this design, though someone on this forum (I can't remember who) was able to build a model of it along with models of the other four ATF contenders.
Click to expand...
Can you or Overscan direct me to where this guy built his models of the ATF contenders? Thanks alot in advance!
 
Merv_P (or anyone who knows), do you know which design it is on the far left of the picture; right above the boeing design?
 

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Yes, its the twin-tail version of the GD submission. GD tried many different tail configurations but were unable to find the right combination of stealth and stability. The final submission used a single tail which must have adversely impacted side-on RCS.
 
Also the one with the forward-swept everything is NOT the actual Grumman submission. As I understand it it was the model builder's "best guess" based on some of the other Grumman pre-ATF stuff out there.
 
overscan said:
Grumman's design has never been published to my knowledge. AFAIK, they placed last.
Click to expand...
I meant the early GE one that I had previously asked
 
Sorry :)

I suggest you obtain a copy of Jay Miller's wonderful Aerofax on FA-22, where you will find lots of pictures of ATF related models. Here's small thumbnails of pages 12 and 13...
 

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it's said that the proposal was too conservative for air force, can anyone elaborate on this? I only read somewhere that it didn't emphasize on stealth as much as Air Force wanted, but that's all that I know.
 
i remember that Bill Sweatman wrote, MD thought that stealth was just some new fade, and that eventually the airforce would get over it. So their atf was geared to be a cooler f-15.

If i had to guess i think that MD had a aircraft in mind similar to the su-35/37 superflanker series in terms of capability.
 
I read a quote once from an air force type in the decision making process regarding the initial 7 companies' entries (Lockheed, Northrop, General Dynamics, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell, and Grumman). He said "we had two really good designs, a couple decent designs, and the rest just didn't get it." (Not his exact words but close.) Lockheed and Northrop of course had their years of stealth experience, General Dynamics (Convair) had stuff going back to the days of Fish/Kingfish and the AGM-129 experience (that's all I know about anyway), not sure where Boeing got it's expertise and then supposedly McDD raided Lockheed for employees. Leaving Rockwell with it's B-1B experience in RCS reduction and Grumman with?
 
Yildirim said:
i remember that Bill Sweatman wrote, MD thought that stealth was just some new fade, and that eventually the airforce would get over it. So their atf was geared to be a cooler f-15.

If i had to guess i think that MD had a aircraft in mind similar to the su-35/37 superflanker series in terms of capability.
Click to expand...

That seems more like a throwaway quote from a McAir exec. They spent a lot of effort developing a stealth capability for their Navy ATA bid and for Super Hornet.
 

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