EFA- 23 Ravager Affordable CAS fighter
Type: CAS/strike fighter
Length: 14.6m
Wingspan: 9.4m
Height: 4.7m
Propulsion: CFPW T4032 Turbofan rated at 43kN (9,600lbs) and 76kN (16,100lbs) with reheat
Empty Weight: 6,250kg
Normal Weight: 12,750kg
Maximum Take-Off Weight: 14,600kg
Fuel Weight (Max): 5,200kg
Normal Payload: 2750kg
Maximum Payload: 4000kg
Combat Range: 550km
Ferry Range: 3,750km
Operational Ceiling/Altitude: 14,000m
Cruising Speed: Mach 0.8
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.4
Weapons: 1 G44-2 twin barrel 30mm gun with 400 rounds plus up to 4000kg of ordinance on 7 pylons
Limit per/number of pylon(s): Central fuselage pylon rated at 1000kg, 2 inner wing pylons rated at 1000kg, 2 outer wing pylons rated at 500kg and 2 wing tip pylons for AAMs of up to 200kg
Crew: 1 Pilot
Price: $9million
The Ravager was designed by Conal Air Industries as a purely private export venture. The commissioning team had spotted a requirement in the market for a small and affordable Close Air Support/ Battlefield Interdiction fighter that would provide a cost effective solution for nations with a more restricted defence budget.
Pretty much every part of the aircraft’s design is tailored towards simplicity, maintainability and cost effectiveness with additional attention paid to ensuring the aircraft’s survivability over the battlefield and it ability to operate from extremely basic facilities.
At the heart of the Ravager is the T4032 Turbo fan. The T4032 combines a simple layout with the very latest in engine design. Whilst using the latest design features the engine still uses more traditional engine materials keeping costs down and ensuring that spare parts can be quickly and cheaply produced. In terms of design the T4032 offers a bypass ratio of 1.2 using a simple twin shaft layout with a compressor featuring 2 low pressure and 5 high pressure stages. The engine comes fitted with a large bucket thrust reverser allowing impressively short landing runs.
The main body is deliberately overbuilt to withstand the stresses and low level flight and allow the aircraft to survive hits from light anti aircraft weapons. The under carriage is virtually identical to that found on the SPECAT Jaguar and is designed to allow operations from rough or grass airstrips if required.
The sensor suite whilst not cutting edge allows the aircraft to operate effectively in all weather conditions both day and night. The principle sensor is a terrain following and ground mapping radar which is essentially the same as that fitted to many cruise missiles. The radar also offers limited moving target indicator and very short range air search functions. To back up the radar the Ravager is designed to use an IR/EO targeting pod. A specially designed aerodynamic fairing on the left hand side of the lower fuselage can be removed to reveal mounting rail compatible with most common targeting pods such as the Litening or Sniper families. As standard the Ravanger is supplied with a basic pod with IR/EO imagining and laser designator functions. This fits inside the fairing. For navigation and to aid weapons targeting the Ravager has a dual ring laser gyro INS and a GPS. The cockpit features a HUD in addition to three LCD screens and few back up analogue instruments.
In terms of weapons the Ravager can carry a wide variety of stores including guided bombs, air to ground missiles and rocket pods. These are supplemented by the G44-2 gun mounted in the lower right hand side of the fuselage. The G44-2 is a twin barrel GAST gun designed to fire the powerful 30x173mm round at a rate of 2500rpm. The gun is fitted in a specialist recoil and vibration reducing mount and is supplied with 400 rounds of ammunition.
