Eurofighter’s Agility, Weapon Carrying Capability Boosted

Airbus has successfully flight-tested aerodynamic upgrades to Eurofighter Typhoon swing-role fighter that boost the agility and weapon carrying capacity.

The Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) is part of a wider Eurofighter Enhanced Manoeuvrability (EFEM) programme with the potential to help ensure the type's continuing superiority for many years to come, the Airbus announced Wednesday.

The upgrade involves basically the addition of fuselage strakes and root extensions, which increase the maximum lift created by the wing by 25%. Further, it results in an increased turn rate, tighter turning radius, and improved nose-pointing ability at low speed.

The upgrades apart from enhancing the Eurofighter's current capability as a swing-role fighter-bomber, it will also provide additional growth potential, enabling easier integration of future air–to-surface configurations and much more flexible applications, enhancing the aircraft's mission effectiveness in the air-to-surface role.

Eurofighter Project Pilot Germany Raffaele Beltrame said, "We saw angle of attack values around 45% greater than on the standard aircraft, and roll rates up to 100% higher, all leading to increased agility.

“The handling qualities appeared to be markedly improved, providing more manoeuvrability, agility and precision while performing tasks representative of in-service operations.” He added.

The flight trials followed some five years of studies. Eurofighter test pilots, joined in the latter stages by operational pilots from Germany, Italy and the UK, completed 36 sorties from Manching, Germany on the IPA7 Instrumented Production Aircraft.