[EP5?-?Engineered to perfection] Fighter jets and ballet?moves.

Paris Air Show has just come to an end. It is one of the most iconic air shows of the year where hundreds of airplanes get prepared for the show. What we all like about such shows is the air show itself and not the actual exhibition. We like it, because it is where you see a huge Boeing 777X taking off in front of your eyes, a Dassault Rafale thrusting its twin M88 Snecma-sourced engines or a Lockheed Martin F35A swiftly negotiating the clouds. Oh, and the latter is the exact plane we’re focusing on today.?

Fighter jets are known for their serious capabilities regarding manoeuvrability. They are capable of savage elevation changes, roll angles, flat yaw changes and more. All of this is to ensure that the pilot has full control of the jet and can take swift decisions that are accompanied by swift actions. These ballet moves are possible thanks in part to control surfaces but also a lot of energy calculations as well. We will go through each part that makes up such a magnificent machine, first off explaining control surfaces and what they do.?

Let’s control the thing!

The most basic definition of a control surface is any surface that moves according to orders sent through pilot controllers to alter the trajectory of the aircraft.?

A pilot can control 3 main angles of the jet (or any aircraft for that matter). Pitch, roll and yaw angles. Think of it as the ingredients you introduce to create a control recipe to elevate or descend the aircraft, roll on the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and change the direction you’re pointing to.?

Using control surfaces adequately will offer you a multitude of trajectories that you can make, thus navigating the airspace. In the case of the Lockheed Martin F35 for example, it has leading-edge flaps, flaperon stabilators and leading-edge root extensions. These elements will help the pilot to be positioned in the airspace accurately.

One unique thing about the F35's control surfaces is that they are controlled using what is called an EHA control system. EHA, short for electro-hydrostatic actuators, is an alternative solution that is more reliable than hydraulic systems.

We need some help?…

Once the aircraft is airborne, control surfaces can do the job of orienting the plane through its trajectory. But, a lot of the manoeuvres that are done by the aircraft dissipate a lot of kinetic energy. That’s why a capable engine is needed to keep everything balanced and counteract the energy lost through drag induced by moving flaps in every direction.?

The F35, for example, can provide you with 191 kN of thrust from its F135 afterburning turbofan engine supplied by Pratt & Whitney.?It is an engine designed with a thrust-to-weight ratio to provide high acceleration while maintaining high speeds.

In conclusion…

This was a brief look into what is needed to make a fighter jet dance through the air. I hope that you’ve learned quite a bit from this article. If you like the content, share it with your connections!

Finally, I leave you with a video of an F-35A executing fascinating moves during the 2023 Paris Airshow.

#EngineeredToPerfection