Soong F-3 Chung Kwei
| F-3 Chung Kwei | |
|---|---|
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| |
Role
|
Maritime patrol aircraft |
National origin
|
Monsilva |
Manufacturer
|
Soong Aerospace Company |
First flight
|
November 1959 |
Introduction
|
August 1962 |
Status
|
Active |
Primary users
|
Monsilvan Navy TBC |
Produced
|
1961–1990 |
Number built
|
107 (Monsilva), TBC |
The Soong F-3 Chung Kwei is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the Monsilvan Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is known for its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD" boom, used for the magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) of submarines.
Over the years, the F-3 has seen numerous design developments, most notably in its electronics packages. The F-3 is also exported to the navies of TBC. The F-3 is set to eventually be replaced by a jet powered surveillance aircraft which is to be announced.
Design
The F-3 has an internal bomb bay under the front fuselage, which can house conventional torpedoes and other missiles. Additional underwing stations, or pylons, can carry armament configurations, such as sea mines, missiles and gravity bombs. The F-3 is equipped with an MAD in the extended tail. This instrument is able to detect the magnetic anomaly of a submarine in the Earth's magnetic field. The limited range of this instrument requires the aircraft to be close to the surface of the water; at low altitude. Because of this, it is primary used for pinpointing the lcation of a submarine immediately prior to a torpedo or depth bomb attack. Due to the sensitivity of the detector, electromagnetic noise can interfere with it, so the detector is placed in the F-3's fiberglass tail stinger (MAD boom), far from other electronics and ferrous metals on the aircraft.
The crew complement varies depending on the role being flown, the variant being operated, and the country that is operating the type. The standard crew is around 12 members.
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 11
- Length: 116 ft 10 in (35.61 m)
- Wingspan: 99 ft 8 in (30.38 m)
- Height: 33 ft 8.5 in (10.274 m)
- Wing area: 1,300.0 sq ft (120.77 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 7.5
- Empty weight: 61,491 lb (27,892 kg)
- Zero-fuel weight: 77,200 lb (35,017 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 135,000 lb (61,235 kg) MTOW normal
- 142,000 lb (64,410 kg) maximum permissible
- Maximum landing weight: (MLW) 103,880 lb (47,119 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 9,200 US gal (7,700 imp gal; 35,000 l) usable fuel in 5 wing and fuselage tanks ; (62,500 lb (28,350 kg) maximum fuel weight) ; 111 US gal (92 imp gal; 420 l) usable oil in 4 tanks
- Propellers: 4-bladed, 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) diameter constant-speed fully-feathering reversible propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 411 kn (473 mph, 761 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m) and 105,000 lb (47,627 kg)
- Cruise speed: 328 kn (377 mph, 607 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m) and 110,000 lb (49,895 kg)
- Patrol speed: 206 kn (237 mph; 382 km/h) at 1,500 ft (457 m) and 110,000 lb (49,895 kg)
- Stall speed: 133 kn (153 mph, 246 km/h) flaps up
- 112 kn (129 mph; 207 km/h) flaps down
- Combat range: 1,345 nmi (1,548 mi, 2,491 km) (3 hours on station at 1,500 ft (457 m))
- Ferry range: 4,830 nmi (5,560 mi, 8,950 km)
- Endurance: 17 hours 12 minutes at 15,000 ft (4,572 m) on two engines
- 12 hours 20 minutes at 15,000 ft (4,572 m) on four engines
- Service ceiling: 28,300 ft (8,600 m)
- 19,000 ft (5,791 m) one engine inoperative (OEI)
- Rate of climb: 1,950 ft/min (9.9 m/s)
- Time to altitude: 25,000 ft (7,620 m) in 30 minutes
- Wing loading: 103.8 lb/sq ft (507 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.1455 hp/lb (0.2392 kW/kg) (equivalent)
- Take-off run: 4,240 ft (1,292 m)
- Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m): 5,490 ft (1,673 m)
- Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 2,770 ft (844 m)
Armament
- Hardpoints: 10 wing stations in total (3x on each wing and 2x on each wing root) and eight internal bomb bay stations with a capacity of 20,000 lb (9,100 kg),with provisions to carry combinations of:
- Rockets: None
