Swiss made Jetfighter 1

a tribute to the swiss made jetfighters N-20 and P-16Die N-20 hätte der Anfang eines sehr leistungsfähigen schweizerischen Kampfflugzeuges sein können, scheiterte jedoch an - allerdings überwindbaren - technischen Problemen und vor allem an politischen Entscheidungen.
Das Pflichtenheft von 1948 verlangte ein Jagd-/Aufklärer-/Erdkampf-Flugzeug mit knapp Schallgeschwindigkeit, hohe Wendigkeit, gute Steigflugleistung (1000 M auf 10'000 M in 2 Minuten) und kurze Startrollstrecke. Während sich die FFA in Altenrhein dafür dem P-16 widmete, lief bei F+W in Emmen das N-20 Programm.
Zuerst wurde ein antriebsloser Gleiter, die N-20.1, im Massstab (1:0,6) gebaut. Sie verunfallte bei der Landung nach dem 69. Flug am 1. Juli 1949 wegen engen Platzverhältnissen infolge Bauarbeiten auf dem Flugplatz Emmen und wurde nicht mehr repariert, sondern als N-20.2 neu gebaut. Testpilot Läderach überlebte den Unfall ohne grössere Verletzungen. Die Flugeigenschaften waren sehr erfolgversprechend und von den Piloten als sehr angenehm zu fliegen beurteilt.
Die neue N-20.2 Arbalète (Armbrust) hatte die selben Dimensionen wie die N-20.1 und war mit 4 Triebwerken Turboméca Piméné versehen. Erstflug: 16. November 1951. Die Piloten lobten die guten Flugeigenschaften, trotz der relativ schwachen Triebwerke zeigte die Arbalète Flugeigenschaften, die für damalige Düsenflugzeuge schlicht unbekannt waren. Nach 91 Flügen wurde das Flugzeug 1954 stillgelegt. Es hängt heute im Verkehrshaus Luzern. Fotos

Der eigentliche Prototyp N-20.10 Aiguillon (Stachel) war 1952 fertig, während den Rollversuchen ab Januar 1953 führte Testpilot Mathez einen kurzen Starthüpfer durch. Da das eidgenössische Parlament jedoch am 14. März 1952 die Kredite für die gesamt Triebwerkentwicklung strich, wurde das N-20 Programm abgebrochen, das Flugzeug im November 1953 mit Startverbot belegt. Es steht heute im Fliegermuseum in Dübendorf.

Dasa gesamte N-20 Programm hatte insgesamt SFr. 14'021'000.- gekostet.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Air
• Force

[papajack57]

I'm an aviation enthusiast,never knew swiss had an in-house fighter program,why was it not produced? inferior performance to other comtemporary aircraft or political and fiscal reasons like our avro arrow?

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 one with 4big bombs, one with cameras flairs and fuel. It had in front opening claps who gives inn slow flight the same efect like canards. The wohle Cokpit was jetisonabel (like by the first so called Su-7 or the F-111). it had a HUD. Unfortunatly this first all swiss build jetengins had not enugh trust. So the F+W present as gapfiller a N-20 with 2 Brithis Jetengins locatet between the fuselage and the wing (simelar to the CF-100). How everonly smale windtunnel models are made

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 the canceling was  because it would give (a smale) delay in delivery from 1-2 years if the engin had to have mor power..this was the official reason... but in fact it was because of politican powerplay and intrigues. Imagen all the worker and the pilot would work for free and pay all the costs by them self to give the N-20 a chanche to fly. but the goverment refused to give a permission. Today the N-20 is in the AF Museum Dubendorf

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 The last jet was the P-16 build from FFW , it was in fact after the 2 N-20 Aircraft the 3 swiss constructet jet .. and it was abel to get in a slight desence to supersonic!. They build 5 Aircrafts 3 of them crasht (because of a broken fuell line to the engin, a open hydraulic reservoir and a brocken hydraulic line douring a landing aporon (because of this was no time to switch to the mecanican backup system. the last crash was tacken as reason to cancel the order of 100

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 to cancel the order of 100 aircrafts, also the Pentagon was interestet in the P-16 ( US designation AJ-7) : But the Mane reason was it was a conventionell Aircraft, but New (crazy) mebers of the air force dreamt of a subersonic fighter who is abel to drop a Nuk over moscow. (it was a oneway ticket) so they needet the mone from the 100 P-16 for this. in fact it was a desater led to the miragecrises. the miragebudgget was massiv overrun, no nukweapon and not 100 mirages

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 the remanig 2 P-16 was used by bill lear to creat the Learjet, the first learjet has the same wing (and wingtiptanks) like the P-16. after this the 2 P-16 was hand over the Swiss Air Force Museum, they sayet the had touse bot aircrafts to buid one complet one. in fact they cet both aircraft in well condition. but they scrapt one so that they are the only museum with the only P-16 on the world. so today the only P-16 is in the AF Museum Dubendorf

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 After this the F+W Build the First big N-20, it had in the wing 4 Swiss Mamba engins wit8 reheater (the jetingis are 100% swiss constructions from Sulzer) 2 inbuild 20mm guns the N-20 had Landinggears for grasrunways, fit in Mountaincaverns, the Nozzel was for STOL reason movabel downwards/ or as trustreversor. It had a fast chanche Weapon belly (one with 4 30mm guns, one with2 rotary launcher for unguidet missile, one with smal bombs,

[swisstestpilot]

@papajack57 in 1948 F+W Emmen (today Ruag) build first as aerodynamic tesdbed the 2 seater rocketpower Glider, it was destroied when he overun by a lannding ( the runway was short because of construction of the runwaysurface. After they build the singelseater powert by 4 jetengins this Aircraft was a 1:6 searial aircraft.It was easy to fly, it was the first ever build jet in switzerland. was abe to fly 40minutes it is today in the Trafficmuseum Lucerne.

[swisstestpilot]

@rrmola in orginal the F/A-18E and F/A-18F was also choosen by the swiss goverment as candidat but Boeing had no interest. Because we have the Miliz system in switzerland (like the swedis ) the Grippen is perfect. I think the weak point that it is single engind. i prefere 2 Engin jets. My favorit (of the offical candidats) is the Raffale. My favorit (but its because of politican reasons not a topic) is the Su-37. But because of lack of monye maybe they will bee no F-5 replacement before 2015

[rrmola]

Great viideo. Congratulations! About the Grippen: we're having a wild debate in Brazil about our next fighter. President Lula told that choice must be political, but Brazilian Air Force already stated that Grippen is the best (besides being cheaper, also). Among its competitors are F/A-18 and Rafale. One important aspect of Brazilian fighter bidding is technology transfer. I think only the swedish manufacturer could fulfill such requirement. USA and France will never agreee with such transfer!