Shipbucket

Reduce the width of the fighter fuselage. There are fuel tanks in the wing root, and it has the option to carry 3 more. One duct will feed to the bottom jet, while the other will curve up behind the cockpit to feed the top jet. If I need too, I can make the wing root bigger, so I can carry more fuel. Hell, I could even make it a delta wing, which means I could make look less of an old jet.

Now with the Turboprop, are you referring to capacity wise or speed wise? Having the bomb bay allows for internal storage of weapons, which decreases unneeded drag. Second, the 2 contra rotating props will do more than enough justice when it comes to speed. Also, while it may not be as large of a factor, the fact that I am using a turboprop means that it is more efficient than the usage of fuel, so if I wanted to get an hours worth of flight time I would need much less fuel than a fighter jet wanting to fly the equivalent. Therefore, my payload is incresed due to less fuel needed. Now with the tail unit, I'm not sure. The best thing to do, would be to angle the vertical stabs upwards, following the contour of the fuselage. Other than that, I don't think I can do anything about it. With the prop issue, all I have to do is make the nose gear taller.

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Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.

Here, how about this? Ill just duct the exhaust out of the tailcone, move the engine back, and the tail section forward.

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Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.

With the fighter there really isn't that much space to put more fuel because as this in your own words is Lightning derived and the Lightning had very little space left inside it for much at all hence all the external crap they put on them. Regarding the ducts does that mean that they converge horizontally and then go their separate ways? The Lightning's wing was near enough a delta by all accounts anyway so I don't see the harm in going that way. Bottom line is if you want to have a carrier based aircraft that can stray a meaningful distance away from the carrier to do it's duties the lightning might not be the best aircraft to derive a design from. I'd personally say take the Viggen as a starting point. Increase the wing area, re-design any parts that would need navalizing. The RM8 should still be a feasible powerplant. Possibly re designing the aircraft around an F100 or F110 might be an interesting adventure too.

Regarding the attack aircraft. The bomb bay would be and is superfluous. The only modern and I use that term lightly aircraft to feature one was the Buccaneer and that was designed for high speed subsonic strike work. Your contra-rotating props are all well and good if they A: have enough power but more importantly B: don't hit the frigging deck. Look how close to the deck they are on your drawing. I have news for you regarding fuel efficiency. Modern low-bypass turbofans are rather fuel efficient added to that you're never far away from a friendly tanker on ops and the turboprop argument is mooted. Your payload on that thing is going to be <2000kg which is less than a Skyhawk which can carrier more and indeed fly further despite being the size of a shoe. @ current iteration of it. It's still iffy at best. There are jets that can/do and have exceeded any specifications that you could set with that airframe. An example to compare your "strike" aircraft to would be the S-3, granted it's predominantly an ASW aircraft but it was used in the surface attack role and successfully. Without the ASW gear and crewed by 2 instead of four I'm confident that you could probably haul 3000-3500kg 3000-4000km...

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AU Projects: | Banbha et al. | New England: The Divided States
Blood and Fire

I'll see what I can do.

There is a difference between a turbofan (airliners) and a turbojet (fighters).
For what I am using the Turboprop is the way to go because having an aircraft that cruises at 200-300 KIAS at 5is going to be more efficient than having a turbofan/jet. Turbofans/jets are better optimized for higher altitudes and more speed.

The tail section of the attacker IS the engine, so power is not a problem.
I'm sticking with the attack craft I have now, because honestly, I dont see the harm done. I still see it as an effective ground attack and bomber aircraft. Now with regards to the bomb bay. How is that superfluous? Just because the only carrierborne aircraft to use it was the buccaneer, that doesnt mean that the concept doesnt work. And besides, isn't drag one of the most important things in an aircraft design? Why would it not be smart to put bombs inside the fuselage? Air Force does it.

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Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.

just an quick correction: modern fighters use torbofans too, only with very low bypasses (1: 1.5 vs 1:7+)

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Oh.. I didn't know that.

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Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.

*bashes head off table* You will be limited in the variety of stores that you can fit inside that bomb bay no matter how you poke it. Aircraft don't just use bombs. Drag isn't that much of a problem when you have copious amounts of thrust/power. The FW190 and F-4 are fine examples of this philosophy. Again I'm sceptical about how effective your aircraft will be if it's going to use bombs whilst moving at those sorts of speeds. They'd be blown out of the air by anything a potential enemy could chuck at them. If you MUST have the bomb bay at least design the aircraft to carry a decent under-wing load so you can carry more than general purpose bombs... Your point on turbofans is groundless. The S-3, Nimrod, P-8 and prospective A318 MPA are all jet powered and all operate down low for extended periods of time. You regarding the aircraft as an effective ground attack and bomber would hold salt if you were attacking inferior forces in a COIN role but other than that they've had it.
Also remember your concept is in essence from 1953 not the nineties.

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AU Projects: | Banbha et al. | New England: The Divided States
Blood and Fire

Hahahahahahahaha

Your point is well recieved. I understand what youre getting at. First off though, the S-3, Nimrod, P-8 are flying low, but at high speeds right? I'm looking for 200-300KIAS with a max of maybe 350-360KIAS, to get out of tight situations. Now, I'm kind of going against myself with this, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. A-10 Warthog. 381 KIAS MAX SPEED. 300 KIAS CRUISE. What's the role? Ground attack, while still being able to take on other roles. And yes, don't worry. I do have hardpoints on the wing and on the fuselage (for missiles). I can't believe you're trying so hard. It's not like this is going to attack 20 fighter jets. Speed is not a big deal. Besides, all the AA defenses would be taken out by this aircraft (because it is a ground attack aircraft), or even ground troops that have already landed. Come on. I welcome feedback, but I know that this aircraft will be perfectly fine in what it does.

Now, i'm going to move along and change the topic. The carrier will be commisioned in 1998 and it's sister in 2001. Would it make sense to be putting a stealth bridge structure, or should I just continue with a basic block structure?

_________________
Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.

Not really, lots of low speed stuff patrolling boxes. The A-10 has a titanium tub of armour for it's pilot though and is generally more well suited to proper ground attack than interdiction. It might not attack 20 fighter jets but what happens if it gets attacked without an escort or comes up against targets with good air defences. Just because you call it a ground attack aircraft doesn't mean that it will be able to take out X,Y and Z before they take out it. If you think it's fine for what it does fine. I'm never going to accept that but it's you AU so use what ever you please. I'm just trying to keep it in the realms of sanity.

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AU Projects: | Banbha et al. | New England: The Divided States
Blood and Fire

Fair enough.

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Salide - Denton - The Interrealms

I am not very active on the forums anymore, but work is still being done on my AUs. Visit the Salidan Altiverse Page on the SB Wiki for more information. All current work is being done on Google Docs.
If anyone wishes for their nations to interact with the countries of the Salidan Altiverse, please send me a PM, after which we can further discuss through email.