Sonntag, 17. März 2013

Rafale vs Typhoon: The facts!

Thrust to weight ratio:

Maximum:
Rafale =     1.50
Typhoon = 1.76

Nominal:
Rafale     = 1.03
Typhoon = 1.21

Minimum:
Rafale =     0.62
Typhoon = 0.82

Rafale
Empty weight = 10220 kg
Fuel capacity (internal) = 4680 kg
Minimum weight = 10220 kg
Nominal weight (without external loads) = 14900 kg
Maximum weight = 24500 kgMaximum Thrust = 2*75 kN
Maximum Thrust-to-weight = 2*75/(9.81*10.220) = 1.50
Nominal Thrust-to-weight = 2*75/(9.81*14.900) = 1.03
Minimum Thrust-to-weight = 2*75/(9.81*24.500) = 0.62


Typhoon
Minimum weight = 11000 kg
Fuel capacity (internal) = 4.996 kg
Nominal weight = 15996 kg
Maximum weight = 23500 kg
Maximum Thrust = 2*95 kN (war setting)
Maximum Thrust-to-weight = 2*95/(9.81*11.000) = 1.76
Nominal Thrust-to-weight = 2*95/(9.81*15.996) = 1.21
Minimum Thrust-to-weight = 2*95/(9.81*23.500) = 0.82


Wing loading:

Minimum:
Rafale =     224 kg/m²
Typhoon = 215 kg/m²

Nominal:
Rafale =     326 kg/m²
Typhoon = 312 kg/m²


Maximum:
Rafale =     536 kg/m²
Typhoon = 459 kg/m²



Rafale
Wing area = 45,70 m²
Nominal weight = 14900 kg
Minimum wing loading = 10220/45.70 kg/m² = 224 kg/m²
Nominal wing loading = 14900/45.70 kg/m² = 326 kg/m²
Maximum wing loading = 24500/45.70 kg/m² = 536 kg/m²

Typhoon
wing area = 51.2 m² (with extended leading edges)
Minimum wing loading = 11000/51.2 kg/m² = 215 kg/m²
Nominal wing loading = 15996/51.2 kg/m² = 312.5 kg/m²
Maximum wing loading = 23500/51.2 kg/m² = 459 kg/m²

Service Ceiling:
Rafale =     15.240 km
Typhoon = 16.765 km

Rate of Climb:
Rafale =      250 m/s
Typhoon = 315 m/s

Ferry Range:

Rafale =     3750 km
Typhoon = 3790 km


Maximum payload:
Rafale =     9600 kg
Typhoon = 7500 kg

Minimum Speed:
Rafale =     148 km/h
Typhoon = 203 km/h

Maximum Speed:
Rafale =     Mach 1.97
Typhoon = Mach 2.35

The Rafale has two advantages over the typhoon. It has a lower minimum speed, which makes it more suitable for landings on aircraft carriers. It can carrier a higher weapons load, which makes it more suitable for ground attack missions. The respective range of both aircraft is approximately equal. In all of the parameters relevant for aerial combat, i.e. thrust-to-weight ratio, wing loading, climb rate, service ceiling and top speed, the typhoon is superior to the Rafale. 

Both Rafale and Typhoon were built to be aerodynamically instable along the longitudinal axis, which results in the natural tendency to lift the nose of the aircraft, i.e. to pitch. The canards are used in order to balance this tendency such that the aircraft can be redirected from a looping into a straight flight path. The Rafale's canards are positioned right in front of the wings, whereas the typhoons canards are positioned further away from the wings right below the cockpit. This means that the typhoon's canards are further away from the axis of rotation. The longer lever means that the typhoon's canards can apply a greater leverage force (torque) in order to redirect the nose of the aircraft.  Consequently, the instantaneous as well as the continuous pitch rates of the typhoon should be considerably better than the Rafale.

5 Kommentare:

  1. Thank you bhigr for bringing the facts to our friend up there in the Clouds....First, The Facts about the BEST fighter Plane for the money right now....RAFALE 4+ gen

    Performance via three War has also proven its Capacity...all this after spinning Loops around everything in the West...INCLUDING the Thyphoon (7 victories out of 8) . The Western competition are doing everything they can to falsify-denied-underscore the awareness of the Incredible performance of the French Rafale Omnirole fighter Jet.

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  2. Esher, can you support your proposition with any kind of evidence? Or is your post merely internet hyperbole?

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  3. You left out an important aspect of aerial combat: sensor capabilities. Which has the more powerful and capable radar? Electronic countermeasures? Which has the larger radar signature?
    Your aircraft's flight performance is wasted if your opponent can detect you from significantly further away than you can detect him and your missiles are more likely to be successfully jammed/decoyed than his.

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    1. I agree that sensor capabilities are very important.

      However, sensors are usually updated and replaced during the lifetime of an aircraft. As long as the aperture of the nose is large enough, you can place any radar into the Rafale that you can place into the typhoon.

      Thus, the sensor capabilities can be easily replaced and upgraded during the lifetime of an aircraft. Therefore, I don't think that the capabilities at any point in time should be the decisive reason for chosing a particular plane.

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  4. The RAFALE the 2CV of the sky. The Pilots ejector system is one of the best in the world, I believe.

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