Saudi Arabia to Manufacture F-15SA Wings Locally

[Mosamania]

Saudi Arabia announces that it will manufacture the wings of F-15SA Aircraft in country

The deputy Defense Minister Khaled bin Sultan said in a press conference that the F-15SA wings will be manufactured in Kingdom.

On Wednesday Al-Jazeerah newspaper (Not to be confused with the Qatari one with the same name) that DDM Khalid bin Sultan in the inauguration ceremony for Middle East Propulsion Company in the Industrial Area near King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh that the Ministry is looking to achieve in-kingdom manufacturing of 70%-80% of all military related spare parts within the next 5 years.

And also announced for the first time that the F-15SA Fighter jet wings will be manufactured in Saudi Arabia and also stated that the ministry have invested 500 Million SR on local spare parts companies related to defense industry with the participation of more than 100 local companies. Pointing out that 86% of those who are working on the defense industry field are Saudi nationals.


(يو بي أ&#1610 -- قال نائب وزير الدفاع السعودي الأمير خالد بن سلطان، إن أجنحة طائرات "إف 15" المقاتلة تصنّع في المملكة.

ونقلت صحيفة (الجزير&#1577 اليوم الأربعاء، عن الأمير خالد قوله خلال تدشينه المقر الجديد لشركة الشرق الأوسط لمحركات الطائرات المحدودة في المنطقة الصناعية في مطار الملك خالد الدولي في الرياض، إن الوزارة تتطلع الى أن تكون نسبة إنتاج قطع الغيار العسكرية المصنّعة محلياً تتراوح بين 70% إلى 80% خلال 5 سنوات.

وأعلن الأمير خالد "ولأول مرة" عن تصنيع أجنحة طائرات "إف 15" المقاتلة محلياً، من دون أن يذكر مزيداً من التفاصيل. وأضاف أنه تم "إنفاق 500 مليون ريال هذا العام، وقد صرفت على قطع الغيار المحلي لصالح القطاعات العسكرية واشترك فيها أكثر من 100 شركة محلية"، مشيراً الى أن "86% ممن يعملون في تصنيع المعدات هم سعوديون".

http://alwatan.kuwait.tt/ArticleDetails.aspx?Id=199722

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[Irfan Baloch]

great leap in Aviation.
bravo.
KSA now a proud producer of parts of the Western exclusive aircraft.

 

[Mosamania]

great leap in Aviation.
bravo.
KSA now a proud producer of parts of the Western exclusive aircraft.

Manufacturing wings is not an easy peasy walk in the park kind of thing. Here let me show you the F-15Es wing components for example:
he Strike Eagle has fixed-geometry, 45 degree swept wings, which are shoulder-mounted. They are aligned at an aspect ratio of 3, their span is 42 feet. The 609 sqft wing surface is exceptionally large, resulting in a very low wing loading (an approximate measure of the lift/weight ratio per square metre of wing surface), which is a key factor for good turning performance and which makes the jet capable of operating at high speeds at the cost of limited fuel consumption. The wing loading value is around 56 pounds per square foot of effective lifting surface.

The F-15 wing was designed to be optimal for dogfighting at transonic and high subsonic speeds, spending over 10.000 hours in the wind tunnel until it reached its final form after over 800 analyzed versions (107 of which were actually tested in wind tunnel). The wingtip is somewhat unusually raked, this is the result of early F-15 flight testing - some wing buffeting could be cured this way only. The leading edges have a conical camber and there are no leading edge lift devices.

1-root rib support struts
2- main wing spars
3- machined wing ribs
4- trailing edge fuel tank
5- flap hydraulic actuator
6- flap
7- aileron hydraulic actuator
8- aileron
9- honeycomb core structure
10- fuel jettison pipe
11- anti-collision light
12- HF flush aerial panel
13- pylon attachment hardpoint
14- leading edge fuel tank
15- wing fuel tank
16- fuel tank sealing rib
17- leading edge ribs
18- machined skin panels
19- outer wing panel ribs
20- wing tip fairing
21- ECM antenna dome
22- navigation light
23- formation light strip

The wing, a NACA 64A airfoil section is turned out to be so efficient and strong that the later developed E-model retained exactly the same wing as of previous F-15 models. Its planned service life is 16.000 hours, which is a very good value considering the wear and tear it is facing, carrying heavy ordnance in a turbulent and dense air found at low altitudes the F-15E is designed to often operate in.

The wing itself is a fail-safe construction, comprised of a torque-box with integrally stiffened machined skins and conventionally machined ribs. The three main wing spars, the connecting bulkhead to the main wing spars are made of titanium, the rest of the wing structure is made of light alloys (instead of steel) to reduce structural weight. The three main wing spars attach to the four carry-through frames which run accross the central fuselage and which act as a heart of the aircraft structure. Note, that should one of these spars get severed, the aircraft would still be able to fly (although maneuvering is limited to practically nil).

Leading and trailing edges are of conventional light alloy rib and skin construction, while the wingtips are of aluminium honeycomb construction. No spoilers, trim tabs or anti-ice systems are fitted. Flaps (inboard) and ailerons (outboard) are of a honeycomb structure.

The wing houses anti-collision lights at the wingroot, two HF flush aerial panels on the leading edge, ECM antenna domes at the forward edge of the wingtip, navigation light just aft of the ECM antennae and electro-luminescent formation light strips along the wingtips. The inboard half of the wings contains inner fuel tanks with the piping to jettison fuel if necessary - fuel jettison outlets are located at the trailing edge of each wingtip.

http://www.f-15e.info/joomla/technology/airframe/64-wings

Note: This F-15SA Model has a totally new wing design with 13 Hard-points instead of 11 and an increased Payload of 13 Tonnes instead of 11 to the regular F-15E. So the above information may not be exactly what the F-15SA will employ.

 

[Jango]

Every wing of a jet is like that mate, be it civil or Military, not only F-15. Military being a bit more complex with the added firepower.

Congrats to Saudis though.

 

[Kompromat]

Now that is the difference between buying substancial and with hard cash and buying small through FMA.

 

[Arabian Legend]

Not surprising

 

[Mercenary]

Are the Saudis capable of doing something like this?

 

[Solomon2]

Are the Saudis capable of doing something like this?

No, not yet.

 

[Mosamania]

No, not yet.

And what makes you say that??

 

[Solomon2]

And what makes you say that??

A wing is very complicated; manufacturing them needs not just sophisticated equipment but highly-trained workers used to working within careful specifications: for example, if you get the weight or dimension of a rivet slightly wrong the whole wing is ruined.

Perhaps the minister mis-spoke and was referring to the wing box? That's a lot simpler structure.

 

[Mosamania]

A wing is very complicated; manufacturing them needs not just sophisticated equipment but highly-trained workers used to working within careful specifications: for example, if you get the weight or dimension of a rivet slightly wrong the whole wing is ruined.

Perhaps the minister mis-spoke and was referring to the wing box? That's a lot simpler structure.

And you presume we are incapable of manufacturing this on what basis?? Your "Gut-feeling"? Or are you just talking out of hope??

 

[Arabian Legend]

A wing is very complicated; manufacturing them needs not just sophisticated equipment but highly-trained workers used to working within careful specifications: for example, if you get the weight or dimension of a rivet slightly wrong the whole wing is ruined.

Perhaps the minister mis-spoke and was referring to the wing box? That's a lot simpler structure.

stupid post. Saudia arabia will manufacture even more sophisticated parts e.g engines, radars, etc,, related to its typhoons. BAE system in saudi arabia are run by Saudis workers let alone the american F-15

 

[Mosamania]

stupid post. Saudia arabia will manufacture even more sophisticated parts e.g engines, radars, etc,, related to its typhoons. BAE system in saudi arabia are run by Saudis workers let alone the american F-15

No need to laugh. Some people are still stuck at the past and won't raise their heads to look up and see the current times. Let them.

 

[numan-khan]

I don,t think so they can do this without help of any one

 

[Solomon2]

And you presume we are incapable of manufacturing this on what basis?? Your "Gut-feeling"?

Mercenary was asking in the present tense. Maybe KSA will develop the capability but I don't think it has it now - I think it would have made a splash on the pages of Aviation Week.