Airbus DS enhances Eurofighter Typhoon

MUNICH, Germany, July 16 (UPI) -- Flight testing of aerodynamics upgrades to enhance the performance and capabilities of the Typhoon fighter have been conducted by Airbus Defense and Space.

The Aerodynamic Modification Kit, part of a larger enhanced maneuverability program for the Eurofighter multi-role jet, entails the addition of fuselage strakes and leading-edge root extensions to increase the maximum lift created by the wing by 25 percent.

The result is an increased turn rate, a tighter turning radius, and improved nose-pointing ability at low speed.

"This program has been a tremendous success with very impressive results – in some areas even better than we expected," said Eurofighter Project Pilot Germany Raffaele Beltrame. "We saw angle of attack values around 45 percent greater than on the standard aircraft, and roll rates up to 100 percent higher, all leading to increased agility.

"It´s right to say that the ... work has allowed us to discover a new aircraft with much higher performance and greater potential to meet the challenges of the years ahead."

According to Airbus DS, introduction of the AMK not only enhances the Eurofighter's current capability as a swing-role fighter bomber, but will also enable integration of new weapon systems.

The testing was conducted at Manching, Germany.