3377. GRYPHON: Considerations of Weight and Structure in the Design of an Advanced Gunship

Paper

Abstract

In response to the 2004/2005 AIAA Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition?s request for proposal (RFP) for an Advanced Gunship, Fallen Angel Aerospace is pleased to present Gryphon. Gryphon is both highly survivable against MANPADS and AAA and capable of affordable, precise, and persistent firepower. Dorsal mounted engines shield Gryphon?s exhaust plume effectively reducing IR signature and increasing survivability against MANPAD threats. Gryphon features an H-tail for redundant flight controls as well as redundant systems for increased survivability. The primary weapons featured on Gryphon are the GAU-13 for rapid area suppression and the Bushmaster II for pinpoint attacks. These primary weapons are turret mounted to provide flexible and unpredictable attack patterns. Gryphon?s arsenal includes a side mounted howitzer for persistent and flexible heavy firepower. To provide greater standoff and destructive potentiality, Gryphon also features Hellfire missiles and JDAM bombs. The combat mission profile for Gryphon consists of a 500 n.mi. ingress, followed by a four hour loiter and attack period, and a 500 n.mi. egress. Gryphon is a versatile aircraft that effectively fulfills the close air support, airinterdiction and armed reconnaissance roles. Preliminary capability analyses show that three Gryphon aircraft in the close air support role are capable of responding to a situation anywhere in Iraq within 15 minutes. This same task currently requires approximately eight AC-130?s.