I dont think so. On an F-16, an AIM-120 or AIM-9 missile on wingtip pylon with 16S210 launcher has no impact on drag at all (drag index = 0) On pylons 2,3,7,8 same missile/launcher and 16S301 adapter has drag index of just 6. F-16 blk50 with drag index 0 at S/L has ITR and STR of 24,8 and 21,5 deg/s respectively. With drag index 12 (having 2 AIM-120s on wingtips and 2 AIM-9s on 2 and 8), those values drop to ~24 and ~20,2 deg/s (interpolation from drag index 0 and 50 graphs)

So I have to disagree, having just 2 AAMs should be less draggy than having a larger airframe with WB. If it isn’t why any 3rd or 4th gen fighter didnt have WB?

Also am I wrong to assume Typhoon with larger wing area (less % increase in wing loading) and greater empty weight (less % increase in weight) would get even less performance drop than F-16?

The key here is that wingtip pylons on the F-16 help to drop the induced drag of the whole system (aircraft + weapons) by reducing the amount of spanwise flow – in the same way a commercial airliners winglet performs. This drop in induced drag cancels out the increase in parasitic drag of the system. Therefore a zero drag index.

A drag index of 6 for an AIM-9 + Pylon/Launcher being on an underwing station seems about right – but that would be specific to the aircraft and its wing area. Therefore, to achieve symmetrical flight, the total drag index for the two AIM-9s would be 12. That is of course if you want to fly without the penalty of trimming the aircraft against the weight/drag imbalance – resulting in an asymmetrical drag index.

But lets put that in perspective shall we. 4 AIM-9s + Pylons/Launchers on an F-15 have the equivalent drag index of ~ 1.2* 610 Gallon Fuel Tanks. 2 AIM-9 with an equivalent drag of 0.6* 610 Gallon Fuel Tanks is roughly the equivalent of 1 of the Typhoons large drop tanks, which is a lot of drag. This can have a significant effect on aircraft acceleration – especially when comparing aircraft.

The situation only gets worse when the jets go supersonic.

With regard to turn rates, if anything, the AIM-9/120s on the F-16s pylons help reduce the increased induced drag from the high AoA necessary for a STR. Put that AIM-9/120 on an underwing pylon and notice how the STR drops further.

Weapons bays are expensive and structurally difficult to design – especially for High-G fighters. If all things can be scaled up however (e.g. fuel load, wing area, thrust etc) and cost is not as big a priority – weapons bays produce the best aerodynamic solutions. The F-22 has a well design bay from an aerodynamic perspective – its got the scaling required. The F-35 doesn’t really – but performance wasn’t the priority.

F-22 has marginally more range on internal than the Typhoon on internal. You would be surprised how much the drag index increases due to interference drag from just two SRAAMs. Its not as efficient as having a bay – despite its ‘box’ shape. But then you don’t have to take my word for it and sorry I don’t provide links either. Maybe you should consider the engine performance at the altitudes where the DACT was conducted. The engagements were limited to altitudes where the higher bypass ratio of the EJ200 could well have given the Typhoon a slight edge. Add 10-20 kft and things might well have been different.

The operational reality is a max Mach 1.8 for the F-15, F-16, F-18, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado. The F-22 can operate here on dry thrust.

While Jon Lakes report states the Typhoon managed to stay on station longer than the F-22. That is only because of the use of external fuel tanks. Comparing both of them with NO external stores at all will yield a slight range advantage to the F-22.

Lets wait and see if a Brimstone can be integrated onto a chopper.

Not the best news for my company 😉

Can anyone explain me what makes the F-22 so utterly superior against an IRST equipped Typhoon which is not emitting any radar signals? How exactly does it want to detect the Typhoon’s presence without being detected itself?

Fighter sized IRST (even PIRATE) doesn’t have the same ability to scan large areas of airspace at the high ranges that RADAR does. Hence why RADAR is the primary sensor. They are good at tracking when they know where to look.

Being EM silent and VLO with substantial IR suppression techniques (especially head on) combined with great kinematics… make the Raptor a BVR beast. And it is something Typhoon pilots and advocates have come to appreciate in the last three years. There is a feeling within the RAF that Raptor BVR DACT is of negative training value.

It seems the F-22 is fairly even WVR with the Typhoon… and depending on who you believe…. it may be a bit better or a bit worse. I believe it has an advantage at the moment WVR… but that will be eroded with the HMS + ASRAAM combo… 9X should redress the disparity… especially if F-22 can use its full capability without the helmet as some have claimed.