SUU-25F/A dispenser pod flight test program on the F/A-18A aircraft

Abstract

A modified SUU-25F/A dispenser pod system was evaluated for employment on the U.S. Navy F/A-18A Hornet fighter/attack aircraft. Testing had been conducted previously on the F/A-18A with a standard SUU-25F/A system, but was discontinued when the dispensed stores nearly collided with the horizontal stabilator. A modified system of two pods on the outboard wing station was designed to increase the separation clearance of the aft launched stores, below and outboard of the horizontal stabilator. Test methodology included a level flight build-up in airspeed with qualitative analysis of separation characteristics being conducted real-time using onboard telemetered video. The innovations implemented in this program enabled demonstration of store safe separation with a minimum number of test flights and store expenditures.