The project was originally established by IML Group in 1980, with the aim of building an advanced multi-function fighter. The project was originally named VAX, changed from 1982 to ADAX, and further developed into ADAX-1 attack aircraft/fighter and ADAX -S hypersonic air superiority fighter.
Although IML designers have been studying fighters for a long time, they have little experience in fighter design. After all, it seems that this country has never designed and manufactured advanced fighters. The advantage is that designers are not bound by traditional technology, and their ideas are bold and open. At that time, designers really planned to use a lot of composite materials such as plastics on fighter planes, which was also an improvement.
The fighter's fuselage is wide and flat, adopting wing-body fusion and lifting body design to maximize aerodynamic efficiency and expand internal space. Compared with the wide and flat fuselage, the size of the wing is very small. The leading edge of the wing is swept back and the trailing edge is straight. The two sides of the tail of the flat fuselage are equipped with drooping tails, which are inclined outward in their respective directions. This "self-stabilizing airfoil" design is beneficial to improve the lift coefficient of the aircraft and shorten the take-off and landing distance of the aircraft.
The fighter plane is piloted by one person, and the pilot sits in the bubble cockpit. It is planned to use two vector thrust turbofan engines as power. The engine nacelle is installed under the wings on both sides, and two or three other small turbofan engines are planned to be installed behind the cockpit at the rear of the aircraft. Jet air flows through the rear of the aircraft to increase lift and control ability. At that time, there was no suitable engine in New Zealand, so we had to turn to Britain or America for help. However, Adax-1 does not emphasize high-speed flight capability, and there are still many models to choose from.
The wide and flat body brings more space. The ADAX-1 built-in magazine can hold 10000 pounds of bombs (about 4500 kilograms), and the external rack can hold 13000 pounds of bombs (about 5900 kilograms). It is also planned to install four 30mm guns or two M6 1 20 guns on the fighter nose. This mounting ability is very beneficial in ground attack.
The Adax fighter project ended on 1982, and only stayed in the drawing stage. Even the work at this stage has not been completed, and no relevant data about Adax S supersonic air superiority fighter has been found. It is not surprising that this project is so short-lived, because the development of an advanced fighter requires not only a lot of technical and industrial support, but also a lot of money. It is best to get a large number of orders to share the cost in the future, and it is difficult for ordinary countries to support such scientific research projects.
The ADAX-1 ground attack/fighter has an empty weight of 6,440 kg, a maximum take-off weight of 20 100 kg, a captain 14.2 m, an altitude of 3.75 m, a wingspan 13.5 m and a wing area of 22.6 square meters. It is estimated that two Rolls-Royce Spey 807 turbofan engines will be used as the main power, with a single thrust of 40 meters. Under normal circumstances, the combat radius is 770 kilometers, and the maximum transition distance is 6 100 kilometers (it may be that the bomb has changed fuel to increase its range).