1. How do you intend to load 'all kinds of stuff' into the 'big belly'? There appears to be no provision for any weapon bay doors - the same probelm as A400M would have faced when it was proposed as the 'FLA', to include Nimrod replacement.
You can't see the big belly from the front view. The A400 for MPA, amazing, I wonder why they even considered..
2. Anything with a 'big radar' is unlikely to have 'moderate stealth'! Neither are contrarotating 8-blade scimitar propellers going to give you any stealth.
Serious stealth would compromise price and efficiency, nor is it necessary. Passive sensors / network centric, ECM and radar absorbing coatings could do something.
3. What significant advantage do you see in a high-wing configuration? An overly robust structure implies a poor fuel fraction, something of a disadvantage in any AAR aircraft. As would have been the case with A400M/FLA as a tanker.
A high wing gives ground clearance to the big props (15 blades by the way) is aerodynamically more efficient and gives unobstructed views, a bigger bay. Disadvantage is you have to stow the landing gear somewhere else..
4. A single centreline hose would give you a single point of failure risk - not much help if you're considering long-range SAR. Dual Mk-80x Cobham units would be plausible.
That''s right. Although a boom has similar single point risks. Has a dual centerline hose ever been used, for redundancy? It could maybe save a lot of piping, weight. drag..
5. Upon what is your '18 hours airtime' predicated?
It's more a requirement, the P3C Update IIs can do it.
6. Have you done any weight or performance estimations?
Yes, I guess a OEW of around 70 klbs and MTOW of around 180lbs would be enough to provide a significant range / fuel capacity, but hardly possible for a twin prop. The main engines would provide maximum thrust of around 20klbs, the secondary turbofan around 10 klbs.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...Wengineout.jpg
probably be cheaper to buy the ATR 72 ASW... if its good enough for the Italians & the Turks...
I guess for the Méditerranée / coast patrol it's good enough, for northern Atlantic it seems less suited though.
By the way, what would be a suitable name for the machine? (I'm working on a side look and it probably won't become a beauty (nose, side looking radar, refuel equipment, cargo door, 3rd engine
.. so forget Aphrodite..)