SAAF Super Cheetah D2 - The Cheetah gets more power

Surbaissemaxxing · November 30, 2024, 3:04pm

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G’day lads. I’m suggesting a Atlas Cheetah D variant, with now not only having a far better engine, that being a SMR-95 engine (RD-33 after modification), but also being (proposed) to be able to fire some Russian missiles while still retaining the weapons the normal Cheetah D could use, ofc if you have read the title, I’m talking about the Super Cheetah D2 :)

Description:

Spoiler

The Super Cheetah D2 is a modernization of South Africas Cheetah D’s (duh) with the help of not only local companies like ARMSCOR, Aerosud and Denel Aviation, but most importantly from Rosboronexport and Klimov! The most important upgrades to it is the added SMR-95 engine, which is a modified RD-33 engine found on things like your normal MiG-29, which gave it far better flying performance, aswell as being proposed to being able to use R-73’s, including R-27 and R-77 missiles with the “Kopyo” radar upgrade. It can still fire older weapons, such as the V-3 missile series and so on.

History:

Spoiler

In the early 1990s, the South African Air Force (SAAF) was looking to extend the operational life of its aircraft fleet. This led to the idea of re-engining some of its Mirage F1AZ and Cheetah D aircraft with a more modern and powerful engine. The SMR-95, a derivative of the Soviet-built Klimov RD-33 engine (famously used in the MiG-29), was selected for this purpose due to its impressive performance characteristics.

The process of integrating the SMR-95 engine into the Cheetah D2 involved significant engineering challenges. The original Snecma Atar 09 engines were reliable but aging, and the new engine promised better thrust, efficiency, and reliability. Engineers had to redesign various aspects of the aircraft, including the intake systems and engine mounting structures, to accommodate the different dimensions and performance characteristics of the SMR-95. This also included ensuring the center of gravity and aerodynamics of the aircraft were not adversely affected.

The introduction of the SMR-95 engine brought several performance enhancements to the Cheetah D2. The new engine offered a substantial increase in thrust, allowing for faster acceleration and higher top speeds. This made the aircraft more competitive in air-to-air combat scenarios. Moreover, the SMR-95 had a quicker throttle response, which is crucial in dogfighting situations, where rapid changes in speed and direction can make the difference between success and failure.

The re-engined Cheetah D2 underwent a rigorous testing and evaluation phase to ensure that all modifications were effective and that the aircraft met the required performance standards. This phase involved numerous test flights and performance assessments under various conditions. The pilots and engineers involved in these tests collected extensive data to fine-tune the integration and address any issues that arose.

Although the upgraded Cheetah D2 with the SMR-95 engine showcased significant improvements, its operational life was relatively short-lived. The SAAF was simultaneously modernizing its fleet with newer aircraft, and the Saab JAS 39 Gripen was chosen as the next-generation fighter to replace older models, including the Cheetah. However, the experience gained from the SMR-95 project was invaluable, providing insights into engine integration, performance enhancement, and operational testing.

The Super Cheetah D2 was proposed to carry Russian weapons like R-27’s, R-73’s and R-77’s, with the Kopyo to guide them, as well as other systems, however I don’t have solid proof that the upgrade actually was fitted like the engine was, so if you got proof, then please do send it in the replies!

Armaments:

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As I already mentioned, it can still carry the weaponry that the normal Cheetah D has, such as the V-3 missile series (B,C,S, latter being a Python 3), Matra Magic missiles, etc… You can find more info about the Cheetah D here.

The D2 still has the DEFA 552 30mm cannons, which it can carry 125 rounds per gun.

100-1000kg dumb bombs (Mk series)

Advanced HUD

ELTA 2001B radar

Elrisa RWR system

Countermeasures

Specifications:

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The normal Cheetah D dimensions are the following; a length of 16.18m, a span of 8.22m, an empty weight of 7633kg and a max takeoff weight of 13600kg (note that this is, once again, of the normal Cheetah D. Due to the D2 having a better engine, it should be having a lower weight, aswell as higher takeoff weight I assume).

As I already mentioned more than enough times, it has a SMR-95 engine, specifically the B variant, but there is no difference really. It has a thrust of 8300kgf with afterburners. Due to the engine upgrade, it has at minimum with 2 missiles equipped, a full cannon and half of its internal fuel full; a 26% better sustained turn rate, 65% specific excess power, 31% better acceleration time (from Mach 0.3 to Mach 0.9) and at last a 32% better climb time, which I assume is just better climb speed, to 1000ft until 40000ft. It still keeps its leading edge slats, which make it lose less speed in turns.