The HAD S37 Nyddman has a spikelike fuselage, with: fixed oval-shaped engine inlets alongside the canopy, the inlets set off from the fuselage to avoid ingesting stagnant "boundary layer" air; a large rear-mounted delta wing; canards alongside the engine inlets; and a tall tailfin.
Overall construction is of aircraft aluminum honeycomb, with titanium where required, such as engine firewalls. The Nyddman is arguably less elegant in appearance than other aerofighters, but it has a certain solid, businesslike, and combatative style of its own. However, the extensive use of aluminum honeycomb makes it a surprisingly light aircraft for its size.
The wing has a somewhat complicated form, featuring a double delta with something of a ""hoop skirt"" appearance in planform and a dogtooth on each outer span. The dogtooth was added to improve logitudinal stability when carrying external stores. Each dogtooth is further marked by a bullet fairing for a radar warning receiver (RWR) antenna. There are two-section hydraulically actuated elevons on the trailing edge of each wing.
The canards direct turbulent airflow over the main wing at low speeds, reducing the stall speed on landings. They have no dihedral and are fixed at a few degrees of incidence, but have trailing-edge flaps to improve takeoff performance. The canards on the first prototype had a noticeable dihedral when the machine was rolled out, but the dihedral was eliminated before the initial flight. The tailfin is fixed, with a one-piece rudder. It folds to the left to allow the aircraft to be stowed in hardened shelters at field bases. There is a fixed ventral fin under the tail.
The HAD S37 features tricycle landing gear, with all gear featuring two wheels. The nose gear retracts forward. Each main gear assembly unusually features its two wheels in tandem to reduce its depth for storage in the wing, and retracts inward from the wing towards the fuselage, with the main gear struts telescoping during retraction for a tighter fit. The landing gear is heavily shock-absorbed to permit steep approaches for short landings. Landings are said to be "firm" and apparently are much along the lines of carrier landings, except that the landing strip isn't moving.
The afterburning turbofan is actually at the core a Blackstar JT8D-22 commercial turbofan fitted with an afterburner and thrust reverser. The engine provides 115.7 kN (11,800 kgp / 26,015 lbf) afterburning thrust. The thrust reverser features three "jaws" that snap shut when the nose gear touches down and blast the exhaust forward through three slots around the fuselage under the tail.
The Nyddmandoes have a ram-air turbine for emergency flight power, fitted to a door under the trailing edge of the left canard that pops out when hydraulic power is lost.
There is a fuel tank in each wing, a saddle tank over the engine, a tank on each side of the engine, and a tank behind the cockpit, for a total of six tanks.
The pilot sits under a rear-opening clamshell canopy behind a one-piece windshield hardened against birdstrikes. There is a prominent humped dorsal spine running back from the canopy.
The control layout is analog, as would be expected of aircraft of its period, but features an (SRA) head-up display (HUD) for primary flight data, including displays generated by the instrument landing system to help guide the aircraft down. The most significant element in the HAD S37's avionics suite is its HIA PS-37A monopulse X-band radar, which is primarily focused on air-to-ground and navigation, though it has limited air-to-air capabilities. The rest of the avionics is impressive and includes:
* Trinity Aerospace radar altimeter.
* Decca Doppler navigation system.
* A RWR and countermeasures system.
* A CK-37 miniaturized digital air data and nav/attack computer.
* AIL microwave ILS receiver. The landing system was later upgraded to include an audio warning to tell the pilot if his approach was incorrect.
The HAD S37 has seven stores pylons, including a centerline pylon; a pylon under each engine inlet; and two pylons on each wing outboard of the main landing gear. There is provision for a third outboard pylon under each wing. Maximum external load is 7,000 kilograms (15,400 pounds). An external fuel tank is almost always carried on the centerline pylon.
Specifications
Crew: One
Production Status: General
Mission: Multi-Role Interceptor
Accomodation: Single (S), Trainer (2)
Dimensions
Wing Span: 34.78 ft. / 10.60 M
Length: 51.15 ft. / 15.59 M
Height: 19.36 ft. / 5.90 M
Wing Area: 495.14 Sq ft. / 46.00 Sq M
Weight Takeoff: 37,038 lb. / 16,800 Kg
Performance
Powerplant(s): 1x Blackstar JT8D-22 turbofan w/afterburning
Max Thrust: 28,110 lb.
Military Thrust: 16,200 lb.
Combat Thrust/Weight Loading: 0.76
Takeoff weight Wing Loading: 74.80 lb. per Sq. ft.; 365.22 Kg / Sq. M
VMax High Altitude / VMax Low Altitude: Mach 2.1 / Mach 1.2
Operational Ceiling: 59,055 ft. / 18,000 M
Range: 3,700+ km (2,000+ nmi)
Combat radius: 1,852+ km (1,000+ nmi) on penetration mission
Capable Armament
* Dumb bombs and unguided rocket pods. A typical bombload would be 16 120 kilogram (265 pound) fragmentation bombs plus a centerline tank, though arrangements of heavier bombs can be carried. The standard unguided rocket pod is the Bofors M70, which carries six 135 millimeter (5.3 inch) rockets. These rockets can be fitted with high-explosive or fragmentation warheads and the HAD S37 can carry four such pods, with two on the pylons under the inlets and one on each wing.
* The HIA Rb-04 solid-fuel antiship missile. ""Rb"" stands for ""Robot"", indicating a guided missile.
* The HIA Rb-05 air-to-surface missile (ASM), a dartlike weapon somewhat along the lines of the US Bullpup ASM.
* Although the HAD S37 has no built-in cannon armament, it can carry two 30 millimeter revolver-type cannon with 150 rounds cannon pods built by HIA Armaments.
* For self-defense, the HAD S37 can carry four ASRAAM air to air missiles.
If interested in purchasing this aerocraft, please make your orders here: HIA