Indigenous Aircraft Projects

[chuava]

Hello all. I'm new to this forum but have been viewing this site for some time now and I find it quite interesting.

I went to college at a local aviation school since I was an airplane buff ever since I was small.  During my stay there I was able to gather info regarding indigenous aircraft projects from the early 1950s to until the 1990s.  I've read that many of you are familiar with the Defiant 300, Hummingbird, Cali projects etc.  I'm opening this post to further any discussion on these projects and also to share what I learned during the time I was in school.

[chuava]

To start off, I was fortunate enough to have done some training with the Philippine Air Force Research & Development Center when it was still based at Villiamor AFB.  Being engineers in training, we (3 or 4 other guys from the same school) were exposed to real R&D (at least Philippine style) which was quite exciting although not very advanced as you might have expected from something like this.  I still remember that some of the projects that the center handled then included:

1. Cali - Super Pinto COIN Fighter
2. SF-260 modification project - replacing the original ICE engines to turboprops
3. Tamaraw Cargo aircraft
4. Locally made rocket launcher pods for the MD-500

I even saw schematics of a proposed AAM which had tri-finned controls instead of the normal 4 finned variety like the Sidewinder.  Just to be able to see that our country had indeed at one time or another contemplated on these weapon systems really made me proud.

Going back to those projects, I saw some of the original blueprints for the Cali and looking at them, I remember hating the entire design for the stupid reason that it didn't look good.  It was not a handsome aircraft at all (not anyway in this day and age). Now I know that I may have been too hasty in condeming the aircraft.  I have looked at some websites where they praise the Super Pinto as having exceptional performance and now I believe it would have been a good COIN aircraft, perhaps even better than the OV-10.  We already were using CAD then (I have to thank the AFRDC for teaching me this) and I do remember we were slowly but surely transferring the blueprints to digital CAD files.  I hope that endeavor was completed.

The 'Tamaraw' (not really the official name then, just heard it from the chief engineer) was to be a local copy of the N-22 Nomad.  It was a twin engined cargo plane made in Australia. Although some modifications were made it was most certainly a 1-to-1 copy.  Since we didn't have any blueprints of the original aircraft what we did was take measurements of a crashed Nomad that was kept in another hanger that was closed to us.  I happily remember asking our CO to have the aircraft moved into our own hanger so we didn't have to walk a long way (I was a bit lazy when it came to walking!) to take measurements.  We took measurements in the morning and spent the whole afternoon inputting them using AutoCAD.  Not a very exciting chore I'm afraid but still interesting.  Sadly I was not able to finish it as we were only interning there for 2 months which was indeed too short.

[dragon slayer]

You make me proud my friend! just do your work, with patience ,patience patience. keep up the good work

[Anonymous]

You should starting taking lots of anti-stress vitamins. Remember the airtower standoff a couple of years back?

[Anonymous]

I saw that local version of the MD500 rocket/machine gun pod on a defense exhibit.  Spotted too the M16 LSW with a Beta C mag.  There was even this magazine fed grenade launcher (which I happen to keep following up if it is still in use).  It seems that we have a nice R&D but they don't seem to make their way to being commonly used.  Add ko rin spotted a pick up sporting a R&D logo for the military.  Cannot exactly recall what it was but it seems to be jointly developing with the Americans.

[pa-ulit ulit]

http://home.comcast.net/~manokski/mighthaveb.htm

[pito-pito]

how about adding an afterburner for the pinto that will make it looks more better (hundsam like you said)
and a bigger landing gear and a bigger engine for the defiant

[QUERITALAMA]

That is why I've been stressing out to you people that how much important it is for our government to support our AFP's R&D.  I just wish that one day we would be able to develop our own indegenous fighter aircrafts and other military equipment & weapons.      

[Adroth]

Hello all. I'm new to this forum but have been viewing this site for some time now and I find it quite interesting.

I went to college at a local aviation school since I was an airplane buff ever since I was small.  During my stay there I was able to gather info regarding indigenous aircraft projects from the early 1950s to until the 1990s.  I've read that many of you are familiar with the Defiant 300, Hummingbird, Cali projects etc.  I'm opening this post to further any discussion on these projects and also to share what I learned during the time I was in school.

Let us not forget advances in simulator-based pilot training, made possible by the all-volunteer PAF Flight Simms Group.

[chuava]

I'm glad that this topic is getting replies!

Anyways, do any of our readers know of a 80's project called the "NORLINDO"?  I've googled the internet but I haven't been successful in getting even the slightest info.  From what I remember, it was a twin engined COIN fighter.  Named after the project head(?), Norlino Dawinan (I did google his name, and he came up as one of the signatories on the microchips carried on the JPL/NASA Stardust project), it had a sleek look, 2 engines (turboprops, I guess) on a high wing configuration, single tail (unlike the OV-10) and sponsoons, perhaps for additional hard points.  I remember reading that the project even got as far as making a scale RC model which flew a couple of times.  If this had came thru, we wouldn't be relying on the OV-10 at present.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad that this topic is getting replies!

Anyways, do any of our readers know of a 80's project called the "NORLINDO"?  I've googled the internet but I haven't been successful in getting even the slightest info.  From what I remember, it was a twin engined COIN fighter.  Named after the project head(?), Norlino Dawinan (I did google his name, and he came up as one of the signatories on the microchips carried on the JPL/NASA Stardust project), it had a sleek look, 2 engines (turboprops, I guess) on a high wing configuration, single tail (unlike the OV-10) and sponsoons, perhaps for additional hard points.  I remember reading that the project even got as far as making a scale RC model which flew a couple of times.  If this had came thru, we wouldn't be relying on the OV-10 at present.

So, there are several projects before that was discontinued or was undergrouned? can cite any reason why it was so. I mean discontinuing projects there must be some compelling reasons.

[Anonymous]

it's underground dude, why the hell did we bought the J79-GE-11A in the first place?

[el_commandante]

it's underground dude, why the hell did we bought the J79-GE-11A in the first place?

I believe that we have no Kfir, but I believe that the air force has an ongoing research and development program, okay this may sound like a weird fantasy, just watch out for it, one day the PAF will make public that aircraft R&D program in partnership perhaps with the PADC and maybe even with a foreign aircraft manufacturer

[Cort]

aside from the prototypes mentioned above, PAF developed successful metal, glider prototypes of aircraft designs in the mid-70's. None of these made it to become an indigenous aircraft but this shows how we progressed thus far in that period as far as developing our own aircraft. BTW, also during that period, PN has already successfully produced a type of fiberglass landing craft, LCVP (landing craft vessel-personnel) for the marines, as well as a working prototype of fiberglass fast patrol boats.

Also, PAF showed in its exhibit at the old PC barracks, F.Santiago, Independence day festivities 2004, a locally developed 40mm grenade launcher pod for MD530 attack helo.

[cygnus]

How do I post pics here? I'll try to post it here. Also pls write your e-mail address I'll send some scans...

Cygnus