Designation: General Dynamics VC-27 "Tunny" Heavy VTOL Cargo Plane

WARNING: DRAFT Material!

I. Dimensions.

• Length: 58 meters
• Wingspan : 60.2 meters
• Height: 14.9 meters
• Dry Weight: 112.3 metric tons

II. Type.

Four+ seat long-range heavy military tactical VSTOL transport aircraft.

• Crew of 5: 2 Pilots, 2 Observers, Load Master
• Up to 120 Passengers with full combat gear

III. Propulsion.

• 4 P&W F117PW-100 (PW2040) turbofan engines with two-dimensional vectored thrust nozzles providing 181 kN of thrust each.
• 4 secondary P&W F200 turbojet engines with vectored vanes for vertical take off and landings capable of providing 32.3 kN of thrust each. There is a large intake on the top of the fuselage with four vanes on the bottom-side under the canards. These engines provide vertical lift for the front of the aircraft during VTOL and STOL operations.

IV. Performance:

Maximum speed:	Mach 0.75, (@ 8535m)
Maximum speed:	648 kph, at low altitudes
Airdrop speed, sea level:	213-463 kph
Airdrop speed, 7620m:	241-463 kph
Service Ceiling:	13.7 km
Maximum range:	8890 km, runway takeoff with no payload and no refueling
Maximum range:	741 km, VTOL operation
Maximum Take-Off Weight:	296.1 metric tons.
Maximum payload:	102.3 metric tons
Maximum payload for VTOL operation:	79.3 metric tons

V. Sensory Systems:

Radar System:

• AlliedSignal RDR4 (TTR-SS) X-band (9.375 GHz) multi-mode frequency-agile pulse-Doppler radar, providing forward-looking weather, terrain mapping and beacon homing.

Optical tracking:

• Thomson DOS-2000f multi-band digital camera system, for medium range forward-looking traversable UV, infra-red imaging;

Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS):

• Elettronica Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)
• OlDelft Infra-red Warning Receiver (IRWR)
• Westinghouse ALQ-200(V) active radar jammer
• Chaff dispenser
• Flares
• Multiple HF, VHF, UHF and SatCom antennas.

VI. Armament:

• None.

VII. Armor:

Full nuclear and chemical protection as long as the cargo door are closed. Limited protection from hand fired solids and energy beams, shrapnel and other fragments.

VIII. Development:

The Tunny was developed to be able to haul heavy loads to rugged areas. As an improvement to the McDonnell-Douglas C-17, this aircraft provided VTOL capabilities to ensure that the aircraft could land anywhere. However, use of this capability limits the cargo capacity and range severely. Normally, the additional engines are used for STOL operations allowing the aircraft to haul a full load off of a 300m runway.

See additional design notes.

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