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Thank you Ghostmodeler for this useful and detailed history. Am I correct in believing that Northrop Grumman has the last, active in-house model shop among major aerospace manufacturers?
ghostmodeler said:There is a very good article in the 2006 Vol. 21, no. 4 issue of Code One magazine that covers Lockheed Martin's shop. The issue is accessible on-line at www.codeonemagazine.com.
Grey Havoc said:Was the N/D-102 designation widely used at that time (1984)?
The 4 x Aim-120 ventral arrangement has always impressed me on the ND-102, and yet, it still has six under-wing hardpoints and two wingtip Sidewinder's!
The 4 x Aim-120 ventral arrangement has always impressed me on the ND-102, and yet, it still has six under-wing hardpoints and two wingtip Sidewinder's!
Although I'm still trying to assertain if it was to have a built-in cannon of some type??
Regards
Pioneer
I'd be pretty sure primary pitch control would be from the elevons on the wing trailing edge. The thrust vectoring is then for increased authority at higher AoA. If the thrust vectoring fails then you recover to a narrower envelope to use the elevons.Its pitch authority was based on vectored thrust, wasn't it?
Actually, based on what I've read, the Northrop tailless designs used TV for their primary pitch control, which makes sense, since you can then use the elevons to maximize L/D during a turn/maneuvers. It also limited the amount of G's they could pull since it had to be used for both thrust and pitch. IIRC, they were usually good to around 7Gs. Having said that, I haven't any doubt the elevons would have the ability to take over picth control if the TV was disabled. As you noted, they would just be more alpha/pitch limited in such a scenario.I'd be pretty sure primary pitch control would be from the elevons on the wing trailing edge. The thrust vectoring is then for increased authority at higher AoA. If the thrust vectoring fails then you recover to a narrower envelope to use the elevons.
Quite possibly. Thinking about it, it would probably be an unstable design and so you need the higher rate elevons for fine trimming and could then use the lower rate TVC for gross trimming and gross pitch attitude changesActually, based on what I've read, the Northrop tailless designs used TV for their primary pitch control, which makes sense, since you can then use the elevons to maximize L/D during a turn/maneuvers.