British startup Aeralis revealed during Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI), in London, England, the design of a modular military aircraft that can have parts of the fuselage and wings changed according to the mission.
The company calls the plane’s modular platform Common Core Fuselage (CCF), a technology that allows a single aircraft to be configured with different wings and empennage, a cockpit for one or two pilots (or even unmanned) and various casings to be equipped with one or two engines.
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Among the various missions associated with the Aeralis project are advanced training, light aerial refueling aircraft, ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) and aggressor.
In the latter case, Aeralis created a configuration with double-swept wings and capability for supersonic flight, necessary for advanced training missions.
The first version to go into production will be the advanced training version, by the end of this decade. To achieve this, the project must work with a single-engine configuration using the Honeywell F124, although the company intends to adapt it to other turbofans.
“I am incredibly proud of the work the Aeralis team has done to develop this cutting-edge design which represents a significant offering in the military light jet market. The modular design provides the Aeralis jet with maximum flexibility whilst including a first-of-a-kind design to enhance aircraft performance,” said Tristan Crawford, CEO of Aeralis.
So far, the company has not revealed potential customers for the aircraft, but stated that it intends to enter the market by the end of the decade.
