CS-18 Tactical Transport

The Prizyetsi Aeronotics (Prissetsä Lufteknikk) CS-18 is a tactical transport designed by PA, a subsidiary of Sverd Industries which is the largest conglomerate in The United Federation of Prizyetsa, to provide a high-performance long range transport aircraft to the armed forces of the Federation.

Development

Origins

Following the fall of the socialist regime in Prizyetsa in the late 60's, the military was left in a state of disarray with substandard equipment. The need to update the logistics fleet of the then still existing air force became a priority and a turboprop aircraft was designed as a stopgap to fill the military's immediate needs. Within a decade the flaws in this platform, which was meant to be a temporary stopgap became apparent, and the need for a brand new aircraft was blatantly obvious across the branches.

As early as the mid 1980's research was being done into the effects of engine placement on aircraft. What was found was that the placement of the aircraft's wings and powerplants effected the STOL capabilities of said aircraft. By the end of the study, a unconventional layout placing the engines above the wings was chosen, but the materials to build an aircraft which would meet the military's needs were not yet available.

In the meantime, the Prizyetsi air force was being dismantled in an effort to streamline the chain of command and combat readiness of the military, and the aircraft which were in its possession were being distributed among the other branches. The money left over from this administrative clean up, and the writing off of many of the older aircraft, allowed the military to acquire foreign aircraft to fill the logistical needs of the various branches. By the late 1980's, the entire aerial logistics section of the Prizyetsi military was made up of foreign built aircraft putting it at 70% capacity, yet there were still problems.

Almost immediately, it became apparent that the aircraft acquired were not build for the environment of the Prizyetsi frontiers where extreme cold, salt erosion and rough terrain quickly made operating out of Prizyetsa's more remote airstrips extremely dangerous for the aircraft and their crews, and as a result maintenance became extremely expensive. In 1997, an accident in Yssen Province which killed 39 soldiers and 20 civilians grounded the entire fleet of logistics aircraft until an inquiry into the safety of the aircraft could be carried out. In the end, it was found that operating the aircraft out of these northern bases was too much of a hazard, and that operations out of the north would be halted until a solution could be found. It was around this time that an official inquiry into a new aircraft was launched.

Since the research done into aircraft materials the 1980's was concluded, several major breakthroughs in composite materials and alloys had been achieved. Now, the aircraft which had proven to be impossible to build at the time, was a realistic goal. The old designs were brought back to the drawing board and modernized, incorporating all of the most cutting edge features to build the most advanced cargo aircraft available. Extra emphasis was also placed on the shortfalls of the aircraft it would be replacing, and after extensive trials, it was deemed safe. Three months later, the first production aircraft rolled out of the factories and was delivered to the Prizyetsi navy's 945th Logistics Wing out of Yssäbrü Naval Air Station.

Design

Overview

The CS-18 tactical transport aircraft is 58 meters long with a wingspan of 56 meters. As opposed to conventional tactical transport aircraft, the CS-18's engine nacelles are situated in pairs above the wings of the aircraft on the outward edges of the shoulder braces. The placement of the engines in this location gives the aircraft an improved short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities by utilizing the Coandă effect, as well as utilizing thrust reversers which are fitted into the SJC-320 turbofans. This, alongside the braced superstructure and placement of the landing carriage make the CS-18 very well suited for operating in to and out of rough terrain such as unpaved or even damaged surfaces.

Powerplant

The CS-18 tactical transport is powered by four SJC-320 turbofans providing 180 kN each.

Variants

Specifications

• Crew: 3 to 4 (two pilots, loadmaster, flight engineer)
• Capacity:
  • 110 paratroopers or
  • 140 combat equipped soldiers or
  • 70 troops in hull-side seating with cargo pallets down center or
  • 40 litter and 52 ambulatory patients and medical attendants or
  • Cargo such as 2 PV-95 (or similar) tanks, 4 CV-13 vehicles or trucks, up to 8 vahicles
• Length: 58m
• Wingspan: 56m
• Height: 16.8m
• Wing Area: 353 m²
• Empty Weight: 125,000kg
• Max Take-off Weight: 265,350 kg
• Powerplant: 4 x SJC-320 Turbofans (180 kN) each
• Fuel Capacity: (140,000 l)
• Price per Unit: NSD 232 million

Performance

• Maximum Speed: Mach 0.74 (830 km/h) at altitude
• Range: 10,500 km
• Service Ceiling: 14,000m
• Takeoff run at MTOW: 1,980m
• Landing distance: 1,050m

Users

• Prizyetsa