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By: - 7th June 2005 at 08:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Missile AAM A2G has shelf life + air hours. AA11 has max 8 year shelf life and only 40 hours air life (on aircraft, compare to aim 120 has 1500 air and ? shelf life
By: - 7th June 2005 at 16:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Shelf life is how long you can store the missile before it needs major reworking (most likely issue: your solid propellant has turned into something no longer resembling propellant). Air life is, for lack of a better explanation, how long the missile will last underwing before all the forces acting on it in flight (acceleration, gravity, etc) render it almost useless (ie, if you fly an AMRAAM for 1500 hours, the electronics inside might be starting to resemble parts from Radio Shack thanks to constant buffeting).
By: - 9th June 2005 at 03:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
for the missile itself, mainly two components...the batteries and the rocket motor. The battery has a typical shelf life of 10 years (IIRC). The rocket motor's actual shelf life (instead of stated) for solid engines are most likely much longer than 10 years. That's the advantage of solid fuels. However, liquid fuel may have fuel corrosion and condensation issues. As to the carriage life, it's based also on aircraft type and missile placement positions. The AMRAAM has uses an accelerometer (IIRC) to keep track of the vibrational time history for this.
By: - 11th June 2005 at 03:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank guys for the info!
By: - 11th June 2005 at 22:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
for the missile itself, mainly two components...the batteries and the rocket motor. The battery has a typical shelf life of 10 years (IIRC). The rocket motor's actual shelf life (instead of stated) for solid engines are most likely much longer than 10 years. That's the advantage of solid fuels. However, liquid fuel may have fuel corrosion and condensation issues. As to the carriage life, it's based also on aircraft type and missile placement positions. The AMRAAM has uses an accelerometer (IIRC) to keep track of the vibrational time history for this.
One would think that temperature cycling isn't all that great for solid propellant either. Any idea how many flights the typical AAM can endure before it has to go back to the shop for a thourough look over?
By: - 14th June 2005 at 00:54 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
One would think that temperature cycling isn't all that great for solid propellant either. Any idea how many flights the typical AAM can endure before it has to go back to the shop for a thourough look over?
that's true, more importantly, water condensation then absorbtion into the solid binders. But, IIRC, the rockets are sealed until fired?
Posts: 38
By: musangpulut - 7th June 2005 at 05:29
hi...
can anybody here explain what is the air to air missiles shelf life mean?? does it mean after the shelf life of the AAM was expired,the air force need to buy a new missiles or they need to refurbished it back?
what is the average shelf life for AAMs succh as R-73,R-27,AMRAAM,Sidewinder,Magic 11,etc?
thanks