Re(4): ADEN 25 failure
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Posted on July 20, 2004 at 10:15:35 AM by andy lawson
We had a full scale mock-up of the P-1216( see editors notes ) in the late 80's, it made an F-16 look like a Tiger Moth; m Thatcher was shown round it, but funnily enough didn't fund it - despite the Harrier in the Falklands saving her political arse...
The forward swept wings ( a la' Thunderbird 2 ! ) were only possible with carbon fibre, which I'm sure you know can be built to 'grow'under load, opposing wingtip divergence - the Russians had a thing about wing fences for much the same reason.
It used bleed air from the front fan through sliding shutters, and a vectoring tail nozzle like the JSF, but with a twin-boom tail. I suspect a lot more efficiently than the U.S. product, but we'll never know, now that Dunsfold has been closed and its' designers lost.
We did not hear what engine was proposed for the 1216, however - RR were still waiting for a contract to consider it.
We seem to have a habit of giving away prime designs - starting with Whittles jet !
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