5 wet hard points! Wonder what the ferry range will be with all 5 external tanks?Indranil wrote:There are a couple of things that are important about that picture:
1. There are 5 wet hardpoints.
2. The payload is certainly greater than 3.5 tons. They were also thinking having a centerline tank or a 1000lb bomb on the centerline.
I am not sure of their external tank policy. They have said that they want to cut down on the types of tanks. On the other hand, they have an inboard tank design which can carry more than 1300 ltrs, has lower drag and lower interference with the ammunition in the MB pylon. This tank is too big to go on the centerline pylon or the MB pylon. Now, the centerline pylon can carry more than 800 ltrs, but such a tank has to have an oval cross section. Such a tank cannot go on the MB pylon. So, I am not sure what will happen.
1 x 725l
2 x 1200l
2 x 800l
I think it was 1700km ferry range with 2x 1200l tanks.