McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II

A-12 Avenger II

Picture - An artist's concept of the A-12 Avenger aircraft

Role: All-weather naval stealth bomber
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics
Status: Canceled
Primary users: United States Navy United States Marine Corps
Number built: 0; mockups only
Unit cost: US$165 million (estimated)

The McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II was an American aircraft program from McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics intended to be an all-weather, carrier-based stealth bomber replacement for the A-6 Intruder in the United States Navy and Marines. The A-12 project was canceled in 1991 due to high costs.

Design and development

Artists' conceptions and mockups of the craft revealed a flying wing design in the shape of an isosceles triangle, with the cockpit situated near the apex of the triangle. The aircraft was designed to have two General Electric F412-GE-D5F2 turbofans, each producing about 13,000 lbf (58 kN) thrust, and was equipped to carry up to two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, two AGM-88 HARMs and a full complement of air-to-ground ordnance, including Mk 82 bombs, or smart bombs, in an internal weapons bay. The A-12 gained the nickname "Flying Dorito".

The aircraft suffered numerous problems throughout its development, especially with the materials, and when the projected cost of each aircraft ballooned to an estimated US$165 million, the project was canceled by then-Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, in January 1991.

The cancellation of the project did not adhere to contract requirements, resulted in years of litigation between McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics and the Department of Defense for breach of contract. On 1 June 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the U.S. Navy had been justified in canceling the contract. Further, the two contractors are now required to repay the U.S. government more than US$1.35 billion, plus interest charges of US$1.45 billion. Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, vowed to appeal the decision, as has General Dynamics. In September 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would hear arguments from the two companies which have refused to return the money given to them under the initial contract saying that the government canceled the project improperly and that the use of a state secrets claim by the U.S. prevented them from mounting an effective defense.

After the cancellation of the A-12, the Navy elected to buy the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which replaced the A-7, the A-6, and the F-14.

Specifications (A-12 Avenger II)

Picture - Various views of the A-12 as designed

Picture - Comparison view of A-12 vs. F-14 and a A-6

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 37 ft 10 in (11.5 m)
Wingspan:
Unfolded: 70 ft 3 in (21.4 m)
Folded: 36 ft 3 in (11.0 m)
Height: 11 ft 3 in (3.4 m)
Wing area: 1,308 ft² (122 m²)
Empty weight: 39,000 lb (17,700 kg)
Loaded weight: 80,000 lb (36,300 kg)
Powerplant: 2x— General Electric F412-GE-D5F2 non-afterburning turbofans, 13,000 lbf (58 kN) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 500 knots (580 mph, 930 km/h)
Range: 800 nm (920 mi, 1,480 km)
Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,200 m)
Rate of climb: 5000 ft/min (25 m/s)
Wing loading: 61 lb/ft² (300 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.325

B-2 Spirit

Comparable aircraft

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
F/A-XX
F-22 Raptor
F-35 Lightning II
F-117 Nighthawk

Related lists

List of attack aircraft
List of flying wing aircraft
List of military aircraft of the United States

Stevenson, James P. (September 2001), The $5 Billion Misunderstanding: the Collapse of the Navy's A-12 Stealth Bomber Program, Annapolis, Maryland: US Naval Institute Press, ISBN 978-1557507778

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Source: WikiPedia