orca
Posts: 501
Joined: 11/6/2013 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Dragon029 One request - the MQ-25 currently only has 6910kg / 15,200lb of fuel, yet the minimum threshold requirement for the real life MQ-25 is to be able to offload 14,000lb of fuel, 500nmi from a carrier. With the current fuel (and with the MQ-25 burning 20.6kg of fuel per minute at cruise), this means that (assuming instant acceleration to cruise speed after launch and zero fuel burn while loitering / offloading fuel) the CMANO MQ-25 can only provide a max of 12,370lb of fuel (14,000lb - (500nmi/480kts)*(20.6kg*2.2lb/kg)) In addition, all 3 of the MQ-25 competitors (Lockheed, Boeing and General Atomics) claim that their designs not only meet the threshold fuel offload requirement, but also the objective requirement. The objective requirement is still classified / restricted, but it would surely see the 14,000lb figure increased to at least 16,000lb. Also, the MQ-25's loiter airspeed is a bit high; I might have been doing something wrong, but with its loiter speed at 350kts and an E-2D's military speed at only 335kts, I wasn't able to refuel the E-2D. I imagine a realistic loiter speed would still be around 250kts, but seeing as this is a tanker, perhaps we could drop it to 180kts, also allowing even the refueling of CH-53s like as is done with USMC KC-130s. Bump this request, particularly on the news that the contract has been awarded to Boeing. additional DB update requests for MQ-25: engine is Rolls-Royce AE 3007N with 4500 kg thrust estimated initial operating capability date 2024 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_MQ-25_Stingray https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/08/30/us-navy-selects-builder-for-new-mq-25-stingray-aerial-refueling-drone/ http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/23273/boeing-is-the-winner-of-the-navys-mq-25-stingray-tanker-drone-competition
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