brianacooper11 Member



Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 128

Might as well do a "short" post on this project, in addition to the Tu-22M3...



I'm not sure how I got involved in this project, but it doesn't matter, I'm as devoted to the Buccaneer as the Tu-22M3. The Backfire takes precedence, but I'm basically doing the same work for both at the same time. Both:



- have similar missions, ground and naval strike

- have analog cockpits, aiding understanding and implementation of systems. Systems themselves have similarities, which have sped up my understanding of some Tu-22M3 systems

- use a Matlab/Simulink driven AFM

- have some unusual aerodynamics that need modeling

- introduce realistic air to ground radar simulations

- are multi-crew

- We're documenting and organizing work similarly



Basically, all the dirty work is similar, and although numbers are different, a lot of the programming structure which we are doing now is practically identical.



The Buccaneer AFM is presently in the lead, because BAe has been kind enough to share really good flight test data, with some stipulations about protecting that data and the project being non-profit.



Tom is super sharp, I basically suggest a few things, and he's off and running with Matlab and Simulink, doing all the "sexy" flight modelling while I do the low level C++ integration to make the AFM come together. I also don't lift a finger with 3D modeling; that's Tom's problem on the Buccaneer to figure out, and the Dynamic Duo (Oleg and Dimitri) on the Backfire.



There is a headache coming in that to do this airplane correctly, we're going to need a license from ED, but BAe at present stipulates that we be non-profit. Hopefully Tom finds some way to make things work out.



So there, I've spilled the beans, and left Tom to clean up. Sorry Tom!



Whether you're primarily interested in the Buccaneer or the Backfire, you really should take a look at the other. In their roles, they are both exemplars, above their peers from other nations. The Backfire is a really capable big stick, but the Buccaneer will run interceptors out of fuel at 100 ft AGL, comfortably riding the air with it's insanely high wing-loading and near Mach sustained speed. The came over for Red Flag one year and flew so low, so fast, 100 ft, vs 300 ft floor for us Americans, they impressed us.