BAe Kingston P.1214 (X-Wing Fighter)

BAe Kingston P. 1214 (X-Wing Fighter) History

Even before British Aerospace Development emerged in the form of the "Kestrel" and subsequent "Harrier" jumping jets, the country's engineers Just working at Bae Kingston has been hard at work on this technology. Several designs were made, many of which made it to the paper stage, while others became sub-scale models.

One of the most fascinating concepts of this period was the P.1214 project, which would provide the Royal Air Force (RAF) with a true "X-Wing Fighter" named after a starfighter in the Star Wars universe (which is actually known ), as for Star Wars for a time). The aircraft was so named because the main aircraft intersected through the center/rear end of the fuselage, contoured from top to bottom in a distinctive "X" configuration.

The P. 1214 was developed in the late 1970s along the lines of the Advanced Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (ASTO/VL) fighter design - the aircraft was designed to operate on runways, ships and open fields with equal success .This requires a thrust assembly to achieve the desired vertical lift, so the aircraft will be propelled this way by a PCM ("plenum combustion") assembly mounted under the vehicle - this assembly contains at least three flexible rotation vectors - with thrusters that achieve the desired results.

The core shape of the fighter is conventional, with a sharp nose structure in the front and a tapered mid/rear section of the tail. The single-seat pressurized cockpit features ejection seats and a simple two-piece canopy for excellent visibility.

Beneath the aircraft will be the structural shell of the PCM, with the front showing a large rounded rectangular air intake for intake and exhaust from the three engines.

However, the main physical mass of the fighter is the main aircraft, which are swept forward in design. Engineers hope to gain performance gains from this unconventional approach. The wing is nicely mounted at the root and attached to the structure is a swept horizontal stabilizer that completes the "X" shape of the wing assembly. Outriggers protrude from the plane, extending the design further to the stern, each with a vertical plane (rudder) that slopes outward.

The result was one of the most futuristic fighter jet concepts of the time, and it might have worked if it was thrown into physical form.

p. 1214 highlights a series of studies related to some of the same concepts. The aircraft evolved into the P. 1214-3 and its final form, the P. 1214-4 - a product that eschewed the X-wing plan altogether, relying instead on a traditional tail boom.

By 1984, the novelty of the proposal had diminished, and it was further noted that the forward-swept main aircraft showed little improvement over the swept-back approach. Nothing is known about the project other than appearing in some publications of the time.

If the P.1214 (the more interesting form of the P.1214-3) were to enter service, it would carry advanced short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles (AAM), as well as have missiles and bombs, the latter likely to be carried in The front of the outriggers. Wingtip missile mounts are also planned for AAM.

The subsequent P. 1216 proposal adopted the design line of the P. 1216-4 with tail boom, but also fell into the void.

Specification

Base

Year of Service

1980

Origins

UK

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

1

Production

0

Manufacturer

BAe (Kingston) - UK

Carrier

UK (obsolete)

scrolling

air-to-air combat, fighter

The general ability to actively attack other aircraft of similar form and function, usually using guns, missiles and/or airborne missiles.

Intercept

The ability to intercept incoming airborne threats with high performance, usually speed and rate of climb.

Disable support (CAS)

Designed to operate near active ground elements with a wide range of air-to-surface weapon and ammunition options.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Notable Features

Vertical Takeoff/Landing (VTOL)

The

series has the tactical capability of vertical take-off and/or landing, a characteristic usually associated with helicopters.

Radar capability

Houses may house (via specialized variants) radars for searching, tracking, and attacking enemy elements.

Countermeasures

Onboard electronic or physical countermeasures taken by the aircraft or pilot/crew to enhance survivability.

Targeted push

The engine exhaust is designed to direct thrust at a specific angle for increased agility.

High-speed performance

Can accelerate to higher speeds than the average aircraft at the time.

High performance

The ability to fly and operate at higher altitudes than the average aircraft of the day.

Seaport

Able to operate over the ocean and survive certain harsh marine environments.

Pilot/crew ejection system

Auxiliary procedures to allow pilot and/or crew ejection in the event of an air emergency.

Depression in crew members

Support the pressurization required for crew survival at higher operating altitudes.

Closed crew room

There are partially or fully enclosed crew work areas.

Scalable

Has retractable/retractable landing gear to maintain aerodynamic efficiency.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

49. 2 feet

(15.00m)

Width/span

33. 2 feet

(10.11m)

Cured weight

22,046 lbs

(10,000 kg)

MTOW

36,376 lbs

(16,500 kg)

Wgt Difference

+?14,330

(+6,500 kg)

Main aircraft structure

monoplane/center/forward swept

Monoplane

Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

Central Install

The main aircraft is mounted below the center on the sides of the fuselage.

Sweep forward

The principal plane shows the forward movement of the leading and trailing edges.

(Structural descriptors refer to production variant BAe Kingston P. 1214-3)

Performance

Installed:

1 x Rolls Royce RB. 422. 48 turbofan engine with 3 x Thurst vector nozzles producing 25,500 lbs of thrust.

Maximum speed

771 km/h

(1,240 km/h | 670 kn)

Cruising speed

590 km/h

(950 km/h | 513 kn)

Maximum speed difference

+180 km/h

(+290 km/h | 157 knots)

Maximum

40,190 feet

(12,250 m | 8 km)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

ARMOR

Not done; they are likely to support short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles, as well as air-to-surface missiles, precision-guided bombs, and conventionally thrown bombs. Possible internal automatic cannon.