A-12 Avenger II - Definition and Overview

The McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II was an American aircraft program from McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics designed to be an all-weather, stealth attack replacement for the A-6 Intruder in the United States Navy and Marines.

The aircraft suffered numerous problems throughout its development, especially with the materials used and the overall price of the aircraft (which had ballooned to an estimated US $165 million per unit). The project was subsequently cancelled by the Department of Defense in January of 1991, in favor of the more economic F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Had the aircraft been completed, it would have been a variation on the flying wing design. Artists' conceptions and mockups of the craft revealed a stealth aircraft in the shape of a right triangle, which the cockpit situated near the right angle of the triangle. The aircraft was designed to have two General Electric F412-GE-D5F2 turbofans (each producing approximately 13,000 lbf (58 kN thrust) and was equipped to carry up to two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, two HARM missiles and a full complement of air-to-ground ordnance, including Mk.82 bombs or smart bombs.

Specifications (A-12 Avenger II)

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 37 ft 10 in (11.5 m)
• Wingspan: 70 ft 3 in (21.4 m); wings folded 36 ft 3 in (11 m)
• Height: 11 ft 3 in (3.4 m); wings folded height 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
• Wing area: 1,308 ft² (122 m²)
• Empty: 39,000 lb (17,700 kg)
• Loaded: 80,000 lb (36,300 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
• Powerplant: 2 x General Electric F412-GE-D5F2 non-afterburning turbofan engines. 13,000 lbf (58 kN) thrust each.

Performance

• Maximum speed: 580 mph (930 km/h)
• Range: 920 miles (1,480 km)
• Service ceiling: ft ( m)
• Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
• Wing loading: 61 lb/ft² (300 kg/m²)
• Thrust-to-weight: 0.16 lbf/lb (1.6 N/kg)

External link

• A-12 Avenger II (http://www.habu2.net/a12/avenger2.htm)