BAE Systems reveals demonstrator design for GCAP future fighter, on track to fly in 2027

BAE Systems has revealed a single image of the final design for the Flying Combat Air Demonstrator that will help inform the UK's work on GCAP, and which is expected to fly in 2027. (BAE Systems)

BAE Systems has revealed the final design for the demonstrator that is being developed to de-risk the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), noting that the aircraft is on course to make its maiden flight in 2027.

Speaking to Janes and other defence media ahead of the public reveal on 16 July, company officials showed and discussed a rendering of the demonstrator aircraft that BAE Systems is now building as part of the UK's wider Team Tempest consortium with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Royal Air Force (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), Leonardo, MBDA, and Rolls-Royce.

The single image of the demonstrator released by BAE Systems showed it to be of the single-cockpit, canted twin tail, and twin-engined configuration previously disclosed, but now with a larger cropped delta-wing and a chined fuselage for low observable (LO) properties.

Demonstrator design

In these respects, the demonstrator outer-mould line appeared broadly similar in shape to renderings released for the GCAP airframe it is intended to de-risk, although the cropped delta of the demonstrator is seemingly not as large as the true-delta of GCAP. Ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, new concept imagery of GCAP showed it to feature a much larger and true delta-wing over previous modified cranked delta-wing, indicating a greater emphasis being placed on range (more internal fuel capacity/less drag), speed (less drag), and payload (more lift/less drag) over classic dogfighting agility.