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Overview
The CSM is an extremely large six-engined strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed to be able to accommodate up to four large main battle tanks to offer nations a way of deploying armour to a theatre of operations within hours.
The CSM is one of the largest aircraft ever built in the world, and because of it's modular interior design, also one of the most versatile. The CSM can carry nearly one thousand combat ready troops to deploy to a theatre of operations or fourty eight cargo pallets for disaster relief or humanitarian aid efforts.
Airframe
To keep the weight of the fuselage to the bare minimum, large swaths of the fuselage which were originally intended to be made with aluminium were replaced with composite materials. Composite construction is a generic term to describe any building construction involving multiple dissimilar materials, in this case carbon-fibre reinforced polymers are used. CFRPs are comprised of a polymer, in this case epoxy, which is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener", is re-inforced with fibres of carbon which give the material it's strength. CFRPs have an extremely high strength to weight ratio which makes them ideal for use on aircraft. The downside of CFRP's is that they can be extremely expensive to replace and require much more mantinence than more typical aircraft materials such as aluminium would. Thus, CFRPs have been used on the fuselage section which is above the bottom third of the fuselage and aft of the cabin. The section of the fuselage which is constructed from CFRP's is cast as two different panels which join an aluminium seam running across the top of the fuselage.
The remainder of the fuselage, the wings and the tail control surfaces are all constructed from Al-Li or Aluminium-Lithium alloy. Lithium is the least dense elemental metal, much less dense than alumiunium which is in itself less dense than most other metals, therefore when the two are alloyed together, the density and weight of the resulting material is less than that of the alloy while being stiffer at the same time and more resisitant to strain. Because the nose of the fuselage and the underside of the fuselage are the areas most sucseptible to damage, Al-Li alloy was used on these areas to offer a cheaper option of replacement than the expensive CFRP's. Because of it's stiffness, Al-Li alloy was also used on the wings which are acted upon by not only horizontal but also vertical forces unlike the fuselage and thus need to have the compressive and tensile strength required to outlast these forces, as well as resist the immensse shearing forces which are also experienced at high speeds.
Thrust
Because of the immense profile of the aircraft and because of the horrendous possibilites of engine failure, designers opted to give the aircraft no less than six underslung turbofan engines making the CSM one of the most powerful aircraft ever to take to the skies.
Thrust is provided by six Azzuri TR450 augmented high bypass turbofan engines, the very same used on the M565. The thrust rating of a single engine is approximately 70,000lbf and the engine itself only weighs 12,500 pounds with lightweight materials techology. The advanced direct fuel spray system, which sprays fuel into the section of the turbine which will create the most efficient combustion, and lightweight turbine technologies which give the TR450 a much higher power to weight ratio, allow the TR450 to use much less fuel than the similarly powerful engine on a rival commercial airliner. A TOGA (Take-Off, Go-Around) power function is also fitted, giving 120% thrust for 5 minutes with 10 minute rest periods in between.
The turbine itself and the compressor fan are made from a carbon-ceramic blend, which is enourmously strong and able to resist the extremely high temperatures inside the engine. Other parts of the engine are made from Aermet 100 which is a steel blend designed to cope with high temperatures and offer a high compressive and tensile strength. Exterior covering of the engine are made from Al-Li alloy, a very light weight metal.
Each engine is mounted below the wing and can be operated independently of each other. These engines do not have thrust vectoring capabilities or exhaust suppresion, as these features are not necessary for an aircraft performing these roles.
Cockpit
The flightdeck of the CSM was conceived as being a fully glass cockpit, without using conventional instruments. Using four large displays infront of the pilots, as well as several other LED displays around it, pilots are consistently kept up to date with what is happening to the aircraft both inside and out. On a pilot's outside screen(the screen mounted closest to the side of the cockpit), Airspeed Indicator, Altimeter, Turn co-odinator, Vertical Speed indcator and Artificial Horizon are all displayed. On the inside screen, the exact location of the plane and its waypoints and destination are displayed also, along with the planned route.
The CSM features a sophisticated digital fly-by-wire system. The computers "read" position and force inputs from the pilot's controls and aircraft sensors. They solve differential equations to determine the appropriate command signals that move the flight controls in order to carry out the intentions of the pilot.
The programming of the digital computers enable flight envelope protection. In this aircraft designers precisely tailor an aircraft's handling characteristics, to stay within the overall limits of what is possible given the aerodynamics and structure of the aircraft. For example, the computer in flight envelope protection mode can try to prevent the aircraft from being handled dangerously by preventing pilots from exceeding preset limits on the aircraft's flight-control envelope, such as those that prevent stalls and spins, and which limit airspeeds and g forces on the airplane. Software can also be included that stabilize the flight-control inputs in order to avoid pilot-induced oscillations.
Since the flight-control computers continuously "fly" the aircraft, pilot's workloads can be reduced to a minimum while in transit. Stalling, spinning and other undesirable performances are prevented automatically by the computers.
The CSM also features the Cervelo SDH-5 threat detection radar encompassing a MAWS and RWR. This alerts pilots to when a radar lock is engaged, and also allows the pilots to track enemies with a very narrow radar wave, which can be as focused as precisely to 1° by 1° in azimuth and elevation, making the system extremely accurate and can increase the chance of a succesful evasion. The SDH-5 can also communicate to other allied fighters in the area and alert them to the possible threat if the are not already, likewise the SDH-5 can receive this information. This is not featured on civillian versions of the aircraft.
Cargo compartment
Entry to the cargo bay can be done through either the front or rear cargo bay doors.
The front cargo bay door is comprised of the entire nose section below the cockpit which is hinged up by electrically operated hydraulic pistons to point ninety degrees up in the air. Then, the lower part of the fuselage lowers to form a ramp allowing access to the cargo compartment. Despite radar equipment being kept in the nose, the nose of the fuselage itself is very light and is thus able to be lifted with ease. No cargo can be kept forward of the cockpit for obvious reasons.
The rear cargo bay door is comprise of two components of the very rear of the fuselage. The lower component folds down to make a 10 degree angle with the ground when the CSM is flat while the top half of the door extends upwards to become parallel with the ground. Both ramps, front and rear, are rated to carry loads of up to one hundred and fifty tonnes at any one time, significantly more than the average main battle tank. Ramps are reinforced with high-tensile steel capable of resisting the immense pressures applied during loading or offloading.
The cargo bay is that of modular design and numerous different configurations can be made.
Two different decks can be added to the fuselage to create a three level aircraft capable of carrying passengers across two decks with an undercompartment for luggage. During times when nations wish to quickly deploy personel, the CSM can carry over 900 troops in its capacious interior across two decks with their full gear stowed underneath the lower deck. Collapsible but crash worthy seating can be stored easily as can the decking when these are removed to allow for greater cargo capacity. Many missions may require a 'combi' set up where the upper passenger deck is retained yet siginificant space still remains in the cargo hold.
The cargo bay of the CSM is over sixty metres long, 6.2 metres wide and 7.2 metres tall allowing the interior to accommodate up to four Main Battle Tanks, which the CSM was specifically designed for. In addition to this, fourty eight cargo pallets can be carried which can be made up of disaster relief, munitions, rations or other high-priority military cargo. So large is the cargo bay of the CSM, it can fit the fuselage of the SM-10 Daimyo or the RM-30 San Real as well as many other smaller aircraft, including three RH-77 attack helicopters or two TH-300 helicopters once the rotors have been disassembled.
The total payload of the CSM is an enourmous two hundred and fifty thousand kilograms or two hundred and fifty metric tonnes. At any rate, the potential of the CSM is enourmous. The aircraft can capably transport objects previously thought to be impossible to move by air.
Specifications
General characteristics
Crew: 5 (pilot, co-pilot, three load masters)
Length: 88.5m
Wingspan: 67.1m
Height: 20.15 m
Empty weight: 182,000kg
Max-Payload: 250,000 kg
Max takeoff weight: 550,000kg
Powerplant: 6× Azzuri TR450Turbofans
Dry thrust: 70,000 lbf each
Performance
Maximum speed 804 km/h
Cruise speed 750km/h
Range 22,300 km
Service ceiling 23,000 m
Purchasing the CSM
The CSM is availabe for $356,200,000 per unit
The Domestic Production Rights are not available for this model