Haris Ali2140
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Since I have written extensively to highlight the deficiencies we have in Pakistan, I would like to also highlight our strengths. This is for the benefit of fellow Pakistanis who may become dejected by reading only gloom and doom, whereas the reality is completely different.
PAC has been kind enough to share the level of expertise we already have available in Pakistan with the entire nation. I a program telecast on TV, the people involved in the restoration of our destroyed AEWACS were interviewed. Let me summarize the salient points of this accomplishment. We took an aircraft that had been declared unsalvagable by its manufacturer, and restored it to original specifications which were checked and certified by the manufacturer. Not only this, but we got airworthiness certification from the European aviation regulator for the aircraft. To put this achievement in perspective, some years ago PIA modified the entertainment system on some aircrafts, and these aircrafts were turned back from Europe. Even slight modifications to an aircraft are a huge undertaking, and PAC obtained the certification for a restored aircraft.
As explained in the program, the reason why the aircraft was declared unsalvagable is because aircraft airframe must adhere to stringent tolerances that run into micrometers. The destroyed aircraft had the material of its fuselage contorted out of shape due to both heat and blast damage. The leftover body had undergone so much stress, the manufacturer refused to undertake the task. Had it decided to do so, the expensive labor in Europe meant the resulting cost would likely be unfeasible.
Against these odds, PAC achieved the restoration in a timely, and feasible manner. The key takeaway for AZM discussion is to realize the world class structural engineering talent we have in PAC. All Praise to Allah the Almighty for this Bestowment upon us. And to give credit where credit is due, the person in the program had a PhD degree form the UK.
For the benefit of general readers, a structural engineer takes the external design of an aircraft, and turns it into something that can actually be built. He is responsible for selecting the right materials for various sections of the body so they can withstand the designed stresses, temperatures, and pressures. Just like a building has pillars on which it stands, the aircraft has beams that are responsible for supporting the external body. This is a general overview of many things that a structural engineer accomplishes.
While PAC has an established structural engineering talent, we do not have proven aircraft designers. An aircraft designer is responsible for taking requirements from the project sponsors. As an example, the project sponsor may require a twin engine aircraft that is able to achieve Mach 2.0, have supercruise ability, a ferry range of 4000 Km, a combat radius of 1800 Km without refueling, a T/W ratio of 1.8 with full air to air complement and half internal fuel etc. The aircraft designer shall specialize in aerodynamics, and design an aircraft that fulfills these requirements. The output of an aircraft designer's work would be the kind of 3D model that you keep seeing in fan boy pictures of Azm, or the tail art on the PAF plane that is doing the rounds. Except, his model will be grounded in reality, and based on sound engineering principles. He shall have done extensive simulation analysis and wind tunnel testing so the project team can move forward with reasonable confidence. In order to do his job, the designer needs access to design software, super computing facilities, and modern wind tunnels that can simulate the kind of conditions expected in real operation of the aircraft.
Sine PAC has never created any aircraft from scratch, it has been my opinion on the forum that they should start slow. The first project they should set themselves is a Block 4/Block 5 iteration of Thunder where they open up the design and take the aircraft through all the phases by themselves with minimal to no input from China. In the next step, they should move to a medium weight aircraft, and then finally attempt a conventional twin engine before aspiring for a stealth, twin engine aircraft. This might seem like a lengthy process, but rest assured that creating a twin engine stealth jet IS a lengthy process. With my proposed approach, we will actually get to see and enjoy the fruits of our labor in the form of usable aircraft that can be used to defend the homeland. Otherwise, we will be creating a money pit, into which money is sunk without seeing any outcome, other than superfluous claims of technological advancement in the country.
IMO PAC should evolve Thunder into MWF in the 4th or 5th block. It will test the designing capabilities of PAC. In this way they can also replace mirages.
@Quwa @JamD
