Aircraft Quiz #71

[Doug Robertson]

Name the low-level close-air-support attack aircraft of asymmetrical composite construction with twin tail and offset cockpit powered by a turbofan. This aircraft carried one 25 mm cannon, also offset from wing center line.

1. Aircraft company builder?

2. Aircraft nomenclature?

3. Registry Number?

4a. Engine builder and nomenclature?, 4b. Rated static thrust in pounds?

5a. Date of first flight?, 5b. Next date of subsequent flight/s?

6. Ejection seat builder and nomenclature?

As usual, aircraft specifications will follow after all right answers.

[SunvisorFlyer]

Isn't this aircraft still flying?

1. Scaled Composites

2. ARES

3. N151SC

4a. Pratt&Whitney JT15D
4b.2950 lb

5a. February 19, 1990
5b. Started flying again on March 7, 2008.

6. Universal Propulsion Company SIIIS-3ER ejection seat

Apparently it also stared in a movie in 1992, but I have not seen that film.

[Doug Robertson]

My congratulations to SunVisor Flyer-you aced the quiz!

The Burt Rutan ARES design for the US Army Aviation stood for Agile-Response-Effective-Support and was an unconventional (as most of his designs were) military aircraft having a compact airframe largely of carbon fiber over a foam/PVC core. Designed around a General Electric GAU-12 25mm cannon which dictated the asymmetric layout of the fuselage, the turbofan engine was canted to the left by eight degrees and the thrust was subsequently bent through ducting to exhaust straight back. The pilot sat in a fuselage mounted to the right of the wing center line.

This partly offset the weight of the heavy cannon and kept the gun gases from being ingested in the engine. Oh, and I should mention the two unusual forward swept canards that Burt used in several of his domestic designs (without forward sweep) . These helped contribute to the low stalling speed of the ARES. Furthermore, the position of the twin tail booms shielded the jet efflux from infrared sensors and contributed to the aircraft's stealth.

As an aside, in my career I made several business flights to the the Army's Fort Rucker in Alabama, their aviation headquarters, and was always impressed by their aircraft, mainly limited to helicopters and transports. They also have a small but fascinating Army Aviation Museum.

Here are my Quiz answers.

1. Scaled Composites, INC.

2. ARES

3. N151SC -registered current by the FAA.

4a. Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 Turbofan., 4b. 2,950 lb thrust

5a. First flight 19 February 1990., 5b. Flights resumed 7 March 2008.

6. Universal Propulsion Company SIIIS-3ER ejection seat-Zero/Zero capability.

Reactivated after Beechcraft sold Scaled Composites back to Rutan who further developed it-then when Northrop Grumman made Scaled Composites a subsidiary they took ARES to the skies again on 7 March 2008.

ARES Specifications

Crew: One
Powerplant: one 2,950 lb thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5 turbofan
Max Speed: 466 mph
Max altitude: unknown
Wingspan: 35ft 0in
Length: 25ft 5in
Height: 9ft 10in
Weight: maximum 6,100 lb

[Doug Robertson]

Some further info on ARES.

Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites built his design without a military contract, but the USAF became interested and evaluated it. ARES was also used later to test some systems by private manufacturers and was available for commercial test bed ventures.

The unusual forward-swept canards served as elevators for pitch control. They were set to stall before the wings stalled. The unusual low wings were cantilevered and near-delta-shaped from the fuselage with strakes swept 49 degrees at the leading edge. Conventional ailerons were near the outboard trailing edge and spoiler-flaps were on the inboard trailing edges.

Scaled Composite's test pilot for the first flight was Doug Shane.

About that 1992 film that ARES appeared in as a German Messerschmitt ME-263 fighter: Aces:Iron Eagle III was once properly described as "Appalling".