Eurocanard

The term Eurocanard can be used to refer to any of several late 20th/early 21st century western European fighter aircraft notable for their delta wing configuration with prominent canard foreplanes. The term is applied to several aircraft:
* Eurofighter Typhoon
* Dassault Rafale
* Saab JAS 39 Gripen
These designs are often in competition with one another for procurement contracts from air forces in Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia, leading to extensive comparisons being made between the aircraft. All three aircraft were entered into the Indian MRCA competition, with India choosing the Dassault Rafale, as well as the Brazilian Project F-X2 program, which selected the JAS 39 Gripen. The Swiss air force before selecting the JAS 39 Gripen, but Swiss voters rejected the purchase in a referendum in 2014, and the contest was re-opened to include the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35 as alternative options. All three Eurocanards are under consideration for the Finnish Air Force HX Fighter Program, along with the F-35 and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
Origins
The similar designs of the various Eurocanards share a common origin in aerospace research efforts of the late 1970s and attempts to develop a common European fighter. In 1980, the German aerospace company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm conducted a series of aerodymanic experiments using an F-104G Starfighter modified with canard foreplanes, designated CCV-F-104G. Although the addition of canards made the aircraft unstable, a computerized control system allowed the pilot to maintain stable flight. The use of canards allowed the aircraft to increase lift and maneuverability.
Simultaneously, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm designed a fighter aircraft in delta-canard configuration designated TKF-90. While never progressing beyond the mock-up stage, the TKF-90 project joined forces with British Aerospace to form the European Collaborative Fighter Program. France joined the program in 1983, as it was renamed the Future European Fighter Aircraft.
French designers from Dassault would insist that the aircraft be in a delta configuration, as Dassault's Dassault_Mirage series of fighter and bomber aircraft gave them experience designing delta wings. According to Marcel Dassault in 1983:
France would later withdraw from the program in 1984 over deep disagreements about the design and desired capabilities, with Dassault pursuing the Avion de Combat expérimental (ACX) program which became the Dassault Rafale.
In Sweden, Saab AB already had experience with delta-canards thanks to the development of the Saab 37 Viggen, which used canards to provide additional lift for short takeoffs from highways and improvised airfields as required by the Bas 60 defense plan. However, unlike the Viggen, the JAS 39 Gripen is aerodynamically unstable and requires computer controls to maintain stable flight.
Unbuilt Eurocanards
Dassault shared extensive design information from the Rafale with the Yugoslav state aircraft corporation SOKO in the 1980s, heavily influencing the design of the Novi Avion. With the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991, work on the Novi Avion was halted.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu