RAF's new ASTOR a/c the Sentinel R1
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 5:17 pmSomeone make a model of thes a/c for fs2004, it would be wicked!
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RAF's new ASTOR a/c the Sentinel R1
https://forums.simviation.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=118441
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 5:17 pmRe: RAF's new ASTOR a/c the Sentinel R1
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:35 pmNifty-looking. What's with all the extra bulges- or is it all top secret?
Re: RAF's new ASTOR a/c the Sentinel R1
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:47 amThis is the first time I've heard of this. Not surprising as I lost touch with the latest military developments years ago. According to this site the name ASTOR is an acronym for AIRBORNE STAND-OFF RADAR. http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/astor/
Sounds like another typical bodge to me. Instead of designing an aircraft specifically for the purpose they convert an existing one & add all sorts of bits & pieces it was never intended for. I just hope it turns out better than the various Nimrod projects which, apart from the successful MR2, have cost unknown millions with very little to show for it.
AIRCRAFT
The aircraft will be flown by two flight deck crew and three mission crew. The Bombardier Aerospace-Short Brothers Global Express aircraft is an ultra-long range business jet and will be modified to accommodate the radars and communications systems required by ASTOR. The modifications include a canoe-shaped radome under the forward fuselage to house the radar antenna, a radome on the upper fuselage to house the SATCOM antenna, a "bullet-fairing"extension on the vertical stabiliser and delta fins under the aft fuselage. Aircraft modification, systems integration and flight testing will be carried out by Raytheon Systems at Broughton, North Wales.
ENGINE
The engines for the ASTOR aircraft are the same as those deployed on the UK RAF Nimrod MRA4 aircraft. Each Rolls-Royce BR710 two-shaft turbofan engine produces 14,000 to 17,000 lbf (63 to 76 kN) flat rated take-off thrust.
RADAR
The radar is an upgrade of the Raytheon ASARS-2 side looking airborne radar used on the U-2. The radar operates at high altitude and in all weathers to provide high resolution images. The antenna systems are supplied by BAE Systems, Edinburgh. ASARS-2 has been reported to provide images of the battlefield at ranges of 160 km, at altitudes up to 47,000 feet.
The ASARS-2 derivative has an active scanned array and includes a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) which provides photographic quality images of the area being surveyed and a moving target indicator (MTI radar) which tracks moving vehicles over wide ranges.
The SAR operates in spot mode to identify and track specific targets or can be switched to swath mode which provides a large number of strips of pictures which join to form a detailed image of the battlefield.
Sounds like another typical bodge to me. Instead of designing an aircraft specifically for the purpose they convert an existing one & add all sorts of bits & pieces it was never intended for. I just hope it turns out better than the various Nimrod projects which, apart from the successful MR2, have cost unknown millions with very little to show for it.
Re: RAF's new ASTOR a/c the Sentinel R1
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 6:41 amIn simple terms, its the UKs equivalent of this...
Boeing E-8C JSTARS, first deployed as a development aircraft in 1991 Gulf War.
Should be seeing the first aircraft with 5 (AC) Sqn at RAF Waddington later this year. Aircrew will be RAF, the rear crew will be a mix of RAF and Army.
Charlie
Boeing E-8C JSTARS, first deployed as a development aircraft in 1991 Gulf War.
Should be seeing the first aircraft with 5 (AC) Sqn at RAF Waddington later this year. Aircrew will be RAF, the rear crew will be a mix of RAF and Army.
Charlie
Re: RAF's new ASTOR a/c the Sentinel R1
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:00 amIts similar to the R-99. USAF will use a version of the r-99
