TECHNICAL:

DEFENCE

rench aircraft manufacturer Dassault is co-operating on the design of Jugoslavia's "Novi Avion" (new aircraft) multi-role supersonic light-combat aircraft. A preliminary design study, heavily influenced by France's Rafale future fighter, has already been submitted by Dassault. The Novi Avion is, however, singleengined and smaller. The Novi Avion would share with the Rafale the same deltacanard configuration and similar intake arrangements, while fuselage strakes extending aft from the wing trailing edge would compensate for the design change from twin to a single engine. The major changes appear to result from the smaller size of the Novi Avion and tail section. Entry into Jugoslavian Air Force service has been scheduled for the beginning of the next century, it is understood. The Novi Avion is intended to replace the Jugoslavian Air Force's fleet of around 120 MiG21 Fishbeds. Development will

Novi Avionbears the hallmark of Dassault Rafael influence

Dassault in Jugoslav fighter design deal

cost $150 million to $200 million a year for the next decade. The aircraft will fulfil air-defence, ground-attack and reconnaissance roles, and is designed for high manoeuvrability with high penetration speeds. It is planned to use composites for a large portion of the aircraft's structure, according to senior Jugoslavian Air Force officials. The electronic countermeasures (ECM) package for the Novi Avion is to be developed in Jugoslavia and the aircraft will have nav/attack systems and multi-purpose radar. Design requirements are

thought to include a thrust-toweight ratio of better than 1:1. Maximum speed at sea-level is set to be no less than Mach 1.1, while top speed at 36,000ft (11,000m) will be around M1.8. An engine choice for Novi Avion is imminent. Engine proposals from General Electric, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney and Snecma are among those under study. The aircraft is a priority programme for the Jugoslavian People's Army and will be partly funded by the Government from research and development and modernisation funds and partly by industry. In addition to MiG-21s, the Jugoslavian Air Force operates 14 Mig-29 Fulcrum A fighters and is thought to have selected the Su-25 Frogfoot to be its next close-support aircraft. The Jugoslavian Air Force is expected to place further MiG-29 orders in the next decade, to bolster the Fishbed force until the entry into service of the Novi

Avion.

Hawk 100 with wingtip missile launchers takes shape

Ferranti in LHX digital map Moll

erranti's Display Systems division has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Litton Systems Canada covering participation in developing the digital map for the McDonnell Douglas-led "SuperTeam" LHX helicopter design. Ferranti will be involved in design and performance studies leading to the specification of an integrated digital map, mass memory and graphics-processing system for the scout/attack helicopter. The company will also support the demonstration of digital map technologies to meet the LHX requirement. The digital map is part of the control and display system being developed by Litton Systems Canada. The US Army's light helicopter programme, formerly known as the LHX, has dropped the X (for experimental) at the mid-point phase "of its 23-month demonstration/validation period. The helicopter is expected to be operational in 1996.
FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 7-13 March 1990

The first Hawk 100 with wingtip missii launchers under construction at BAe Warton

he British Aerospace Hawk 100 enhanced groundattack/advanced two-seat trainer development aircraft has been fitted with wingtip missile launchers at the company's Warton, Lancashire, factory. Brunei and Abu Dhabi are among customers to have ordered the new installation on the Hawk 100, while a similar

modification on the Hawk 200 single-seat air-defence fighter is believed to have been ordered by Saudi Arabia. Although the wingtip launcher installation is designed to be capable of being retrofitted on most of the later Hawk designs which use the combat wing, BAe says that it is not a "role-change item". In an airspace-denial role the

wingtip installations increase the Hawk 100's and Hawk 200's load of AIM-9 Sidewinder-type missiles from four (pylon-mounted beneath the wings) to six. The second Hawk 100 and 200 prototypes are being completed at BAe Warton. The first prototype Hawk 100 is set to begin flight tests with the new wingtip missile rails shortly.

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