Stealth Fighter

Heat Detection

Another way of detecting if an aircraft is flying somewhere is by measuring the heat it radiates. Normally this heat is produced by the plane engines. There are two significant sources of infrared radiation from air-breathing propulsion systems: hot parts and jet wakes. By modern heat image sensors (Infrared sensors) the difference can be seen between a flying object itself and the surrounding cold air. This is the same for the jet engine exhaust gases.

The Cost Of Signature Control

The requirement for aircraft to be stealthy results in unconventional configurations, the producability, performance controllability and maintainability of which contain a large number of unknowns. However, the overriding requirement for any future aircraft if affordability. This affects the availability of aircraft as well as reliability, maintainability, survivability.

Design

The revolutionary blending of low-observable technologies with high aerodynamic efficiency and large payload gives the B-2 important advantages over existing bombers. Its low-observability provides it greater freedom of action at high altitudes, thus increasing its range and a better field of view for the aircraft's sensors. Its unrefueled range is approximately 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometers).

Abstract

Stealth or low observability (as it is scientifically known) is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted concepts in military aviation by the common man. Stealth aircraft are considered as invisible aircraft, which dominate the skies. With an additional boost from Hollywood action movies, stealth is today termed as the concept invincibility rather than invisibility. Though, the debate still continues on whether stealth technology can make an aircraft invincible it was found that stealth aircraft are detectable by radar.

How does stealth technology work?

The idea is for the radar antenna to send out a burst of radio energy, which is then reflected back by any object it happens to encounter. The radar antenna measures the time it takes for the reflection to arrive, and with that information can tell how far away the object is.The metal body of an airplane is very good at reflecting radar signals, and this makes it easy to find and track airplanes with radar equipment.

Scattering

The airplane can be shaped so that any RADAR signals it reflects are deflected away from the RADAR equipment. Most conventional aircraft (fig2.3.1) have a rounded shape. This shape makes them aerodynamic, but it also creates a very efficient radar reflector.

 Introduction

Stealth means now observable. The very basic idea of Stealth Technology in the military is to 'blend' in with the background. The quest for a stealthy plane actually began more than 50 years ago during World War II when RADAR was first used as an early warning system against fleets of bombers. As a result of that quest, the Stealth Technology evolved. Stealth Technology is used in the construction of mobile military systems such as aircrafts and ships to significantly reduce their detection by enemy, primarily by an enemy RADAR. The way most airplane identification works is by constantly bombarding airspace with a RADAR signal. When a plane flies into the path of the RADAR, a signal bounces back to a sensor that determines the size and location of the plane.

Conclusion

Imagine you can electronically change the color of a given surface in such a way it can match the terrain below it. Looking from above, the surface appears to match the terrain. Fly over forest, and the surface takes on a green like hue. A cloudy day adds clouds to match what sensors see underneath and the aircraft becomes a chameleon and disappears. This may sound like science fiction, but then think of the LCD display of notebooks and it may not seem so far fetched all of a sudden.