Weight Lifting Gripen
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Weight Lifting Gripen
Saab reveals full Gripen E design, cost savings - 3/13/2014 - Flight Global
States about the new E model ...
"Maximum take-off weight will be 16.5t, with the type’s empty airframe weight accounting for just 20% of this, at around 3t."
Is there anything else flying that can lift 5 times it's empty weight or more?
The article also states :
"The Swedish air force lists its current per-hour operating cost with the type as being around SKr48,000 ($7,560)."
I know it is easy to get into a comparing apples with oranges at the cost game but it does seem an order of magnitude less than the prices quoted for other aircraft.
TR
States about the new E model ...
"Maximum take-off weight will be 16.5t, with the type’s empty airframe weight accounting for just 20% of this, at around 3t."
Is there anything else flying that can lift 5 times it's empty weight or more?
The article also states :
"The Swedish air force lists its current per-hour operating cost with the type as being around SKr48,000 ($7,560)."
I know it is easy to get into a comparing apples with oranges at the cost game but it does seem an order of magnitude less than the prices quoted for other aircraft.
TR
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The engine alone weighs about 2500lbs, if that airframe weighs only 6000lbs then there is a lot of standard kit not accounted for.
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Never trust the media... I suspect that this article is slightly misleading regarding the weights.
Either SAAB have managed to halve the empty weight of the E variant compared to the previous versions of the Gripen... or maybe the writer of the article has confused lbs and Kgs when discovering a 20% headline grabbing number (apples and oranges indeed!). Even for a plastic aircraft, an empty mass of 3 tonnes would be amazingly light if the max take off weight is above 16 tonnes - the RM12 engine weighs in at over 1 tonne by itself! I suspect 'empty air frame weight' does not equate to dry mass (no engine, no avionics etc I suspect)...
Edit - ninja'd!
Either SAAB have managed to halve the empty weight of the E variant compared to the previous versions of the Gripen... or maybe the writer of the article has confused lbs and Kgs when discovering a 20% headline grabbing number (apples and oranges indeed!). Even for a plastic aircraft, an empty mass of 3 tonnes would be amazingly light if the max take off weight is above 16 tonnes - the RM12 engine weighs in at over 1 tonne by itself! I suspect 'empty air frame weight' does not equate to dry mass (no engine, no avionics etc I suspect)...
Edit - ninja'd!
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Its been discussed elsewhere, and further reading indicates that that is literally "airframe only weight" - all avionics removed, engine out, seat uninstalled, etc - just the actual airframe.
