Military Aircraft Directory: Eurofighter

EUROFIGHTER

Abbreviations: PWR-Power, Max TD-Thrust dry, Max TR-Thrust re-heat, WS-Wingspan, FL-Fuselage length, Max RF-Max range (km), H-Hardpoints, Max OC-Max Operating Ceiling, Max Pay.-Max Payload, C-Crew, P-Pax, Max WLE-Max Load External (warload) (kg), E-Endurance, CR Max PNR-Combat Radius Max Payload No-Refuel.

Eurofighter, Jagflug zeung Am S aldermoos 17, Hallbergmoos, Munich D-85399, Germany; Tel:+49 89 607 20141, Fax +49 89 607 20145

Eurofighter EF2000

In February 1998, the four Eurofighter partner nations- Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - signed an umbrella contract covering production of 620 EF2000 combat aircraft. A fixed price contract for an initial batch of 148 aircraft is expected to be signed in the third or fourth quarter of 1988. The original four-nation requirement was for almost 800 aircraft.

Alenia, BAe, CASA and DASA formed the Munich based Eurofighter consortium in June 1986 and flew the first EF2000 prototype in March 1994. The Eurojet consortium (R-R, Fiat, MTU and Sener), developing the EF2000's engine plans to certificate the powerplant by November 1999, and is preparing for ground and flight testing of the production version of the engine for March 1999. The current 22 flying EJ200 prototypes have flown more than 560hrs in over 350 flight tests. Apart from early compressor blade cracking and vapourisation burning problems, the test programmme has run smoothly. Eurojet says. Flight testing of the Euroradar (GEC/Marconi/Dasa/FIAR/Inisel) ECR-90 multi-mode radar has begun aboard EF2000 prototype DA5.

The twin-engined EF2000 is optimised for air-to-air roles with a secondary ground-attack capability. Armament includes an internal gun, plus advanced medium-range and short-range air-to-air missiles.

Customers: Germany 180, Italy 121, Spain 87, UK 232.

Source: Flight International