Eurofighter Typhoon: Some Interesting Info

Flightglobal have an article up discussing the Eurofighter Typhoon, and the RAFs utilisation compared to the other member nations, and efforts to extend its fatigue life.

A Typhoons fatigue life is 6,000 flying hours, while the Panavia Tornado GR4s have a fatigue life of 8,000 - a third greater. The RAF expect that their Typhoons will extend beyond 2030 in service, but only if they increase the fagitue life of the airframe.

The RAF is utilising its Typhoon fleet at about double the rate of other nations, achieving on average 30 hours of flight per month per airframe, while the other member nations are achieving just 15 hours of flight per month per airframe, and the RAF are doing it with the least amount of spares ordered from all member nations.

The RAFs fleet utilisation reached 25,000 hours at the end of 2008, compared to less than 10,000 for other member nations.

So, its nice to see the aircraft being utilised, but you have to ask: how are they achieving those utilisation figures, as the Typhoon has yet to be deployed to a combat zone and QRF duty does not have the aircraft flying on patrol.

Seems awfully high for fleet familiarisation!

We need those Tranche 3 aircraft!

www.flightglobal.com...

Maybe the lower fatigue life span is a trade of for having a superior aircraft and having the option of using UAV's for some of the more 'mundane' roles?... The aviation world is very different now compared to when the Tornado's were rolled out.

Fatigue life is often a arcane science IMHO. Even the F-16 which if I recall has a fatigue life of 8000 hours needed modification.

The Typhoon is a new airframe and no doubt they will find a way to extend its life beyond the 6000 hours which seems pretty low to me.

It is interesting that the UK's rate is twice everybody elses and its not flying patrols as of yet. Well those pilots will be trained up to say the least