Eurofighter -- Staggering Acceleration

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Eurofighter display pilot Keith Hartley is managing what he calls the aircraft's "staggering" acceleration, which derives from a thrust-to-weight ratio nearly one and a half times that of the F-16.

After a takeoff roll of only 750 meters, Eurofighter is accelerating at 30 kts per second, which Hartley says it can do easily at any time. Here at Farnborough he and fellow Eurofighter display pilot Chris Warning try to harness the phenomenal acceleration by going straight into a loop from takeoff, with the fighter still accelerating rapidly all the way through the vertical.

"At a show, one has to concentrate on containing its speed and staying in the display box," said Hartley. It helps that the aircraft is flown with a 60% fuel load, instead of at a minimum-fuel "air show weight."

Hartley typified the routine flown in the Eurofighter as "easy" with the flight control system's "carefree handling" feature that won't let the pilot stall the aircraft or pull too much "g" at varying angles of attack. But that makes speed management even more crucial to remain within Eurofighter's display area. For example, even while pulling 7-1/4 g in the 360-degree flat turn the aircraft is still accelerating at full back stick.

The air show routine is crafted to demonstrate Eurofighter's ability to accelerate (especially in the vertical), and to maneuver in surprisingly little space-the display uses only half the airfield. Pilots have remarked that Eurofighter's tremendous performance has completely transformed the way they think of altitude up to 41,000 ft, as the airplane makes "up" and "down" as effortless as "left" and "right."

Highlights of the display are the loop from take off, and the slow (but tight) 360 degree turn that Eurofighter enters at 115 kts and exits at 180 kts straight into another rapid-acceleration loop.
"If you try to do this display in any other aircraft you would be in real trouble," said Hartley.

By John Morris