Delete comment from: Elements Of Power
It is a lot more interesting, from an Aerodynamics viewpoint, to just go ahead and compute the sustained load factor. You do that by multiplying the T/W ratio by the L/D ratio (which varies with speed). This eq. explains some hard to digest facts, eg how and why a fighter with a significantly lower T/W ratio (a non-afterburning subsonic type, like the HUNTER) can match the sustained performance of a high-T/W opponent. With an L/D ratio of about 10, the F-5 could out-turn the PHANTOM which possessed an L/D of about 8, despite the weaker engines (relative to its weight of course).
Jul 16, 2017, 1:57:36 PM
Posted to The F-35 and the Infamous “Sustained G” Spec Change: Part 2