Diverterless supersonic inlet
| Diverterless supersonic inlet | |
|---|---|
 Testing of the F-35 Diverterless Supersonic Inlet on an F-16 testbed. The original intake is shown in the top image. |
A diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) is a type of jet engine air intake used by some modern combat aircraft to control air flow into their engines. It consists of a "bump" and a forward-swept inlet cowl, which work together to divert boundary layer airflow away from the aircraft's engine (thus eliminating the need for a Splitter plate) while compressing the air to slow it down from supersonic speed. The DSI can be used to replace conventional methods of controlling supersonic and boundary layer airflow. DSI's have been tested on F-16's for speeds of up to Mach 2 and can be used to replace the intake ramp and inlet cone, which are more complex, heavy and expensive.[1]
Research into the DSI was done by Lockheed Martin in the early 1990s. The first DSI was flown on 11 December 1996, installed on a F-16 Block 30 fighter and replacing aircraft's original intake diverter. The modified F-16 demonstrated a maximum speed of Mach 2.0 (Mach 2.0 is the F-16's clean certified maximum speed) and handling characteristics similar to a normal F-16. It was also shown that subsonic specific excess power was slightly improved. A DSI was later incorporated into the design of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[1]
Stealth
One advantage of DSI is that these inlets also crucially improve the aircraft's very-low-observable characteristics (by eliminating radar reflections between the diverter and the aircraft's skin).[2] Additionally, the "bump" surface reduces the engine's exposure to radar, significantly reducing a strong source of radar reflection[3] because they provide an additional shielding of engine fans against radar waves.
Analysts have noted that the DSI reduces the need for application of radar absorbent materials.[4][5]
List of Aircraft with DSI
- Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
- Chengdu J-10B[6]
- Chengdu J-20
- Shenyang J-31
- JF-17 Thunder
- Guizhou JL-9[7][8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hehs, Eric (15 July 2000). "JSF Diverterless Supersonic Inlet". Code One magazine. Lockheed Martin. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ↑ Hehs, Eric. "JSF Diverterless Supersonic Inlet." Code One Magazine. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ↑ "Fast History: Lockheed's Diverterless Supersonic Inlet Testbed F-16" aviationintel.com, 13 January 2013
- ↑ Hehs, Eric. "JSF Diverterless Supersonic Inlet." LockMart, 15 July 2000.
- ↑ "J-20's Stealth Signature Poses Interesting Unknowns." Aviation Week. Retrieved 13 January 2013
- ↑ "歼-10B改进型". AirForceWorld.com.
- ↑ "JL-9 Trainer Jet gets DSI inlet, Guizhou China". AirForceWorld.com. Retrieved 29 Aug 2011.
- ↑ "Paris Air Show 2011 - Naval air trainer unveiled by Chinese media". home.janes.com, 15 February 2012.