GCAP flying demonstrator unveiled

Representation of the Flying Demonstrator of the Global Combat Air Programme next generation stealth fighter aircraft | Image: BAE Systems

The model of the flying demonstrator for the next generation Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) combat aircraft was published on Thursday in, offering the latest look at the form of the future next generation fighter.

In a statement, the United Kingdom’s BAE Systems said, ‘Industry partners, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and MBDA UK, together with the Ministry of Defence, have revealed the design of the UK’s flagship Combat Air Flying Demonstrator, as the aircraft reaches a major milestone, with two thirds of its structural weight now in manufacturing.’

BAE Systems’ Delivery Director of Future Combat Air Systems, Tony Godbole said in the statement, “This significant and challenging project will deliver the UK’s first crewed combat demonstrator aircraft in four decades.”

The company said ‘the piloted supersonic aircraft is the first of its kind to be developed in the UK in 40 years,’ with the main structure, wings and tail fins ‘taking shape using pioneering robotic and digital manufacturing and assembly technologies at BAE Systems’ sites in Lancashire.’

According to the statement, ‘Test pilots from BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Air Force (RAF) have now flown more than 300 hours of the Combat Air Flying Demonstrator in a bespoke simulator. Using simulated flight trials, pilots and engineers can rapidly assess the flight control systems during more complex flight manoeuvres, capturing crucial data about how the jet will handle and perform, years before its first flight.’

All this work before a flying demonstrator ‘aims to dramatically reduce the time and costs involved in producing military jets,’ said the statement.

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a partnership between the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan for the development of a next generation stealth fighter aircraft. Last month, the industrial partners in the project consisting of BAE Systems, Italy’s Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd. (JAIEC) set up a joint venture company called Edgewing that would be ‘the design authority for the life of the product,’ according to the Italian company.

Earlier this month, a new facility was opened at Reading in the United Kingdom to host the tri-nation GACP International Government Organisation (GIGO) and Edgewing. The new aircraft is expected to enter service in 2035. The flying demonstrator is expected to be ready for flight by the end of 2027.