Baykar Genel Müdürü Haluk Bayraktar, Bayraktar Kızılelma için yerli motor geliştirileceğini açıkladı. Yerli motor dört yıl içinde hazır olacak.
www.donanimhaber.com
This is the gist of the KE news, being discussed here. The date may be current and fresh; but the content appears to be outdated and somewhat open to argument and logically suspect.
KE has not gone beyond prototype stage yet. It needs a hell of a lot of testing before it can be in a position for mass production. Timeline wise this may have happened.
But we should know that with the engine it has performed its initial flight, it is as anaemic as KAAN with f110 engines, if not worse.
It won’t come to it’s own until it has the TF6000 or at least a 5500lbf level thrust AI322F inside that fuselage.
Baykar is definitely more proactive and responsive than TAI. They are a private concern that specialise in UAVs. They need to be turning their investment in to profit as quickly as they can. That is a big advantage.
But even they are subject to time restriction that come with aerospace engineering production.
Akinci performed first flight in early Dec2019 and first production line unit appeared in late May 2021
KE had its first flight in 2022. With Baykar’s speed of development it is due for mass production.
But as pointed out above with that weak engine, it is not clever to introduce it as a product.
Let us look at the specs given on the above news piece:
Bayraktar Kızılelma specs
- Türkiye’s first jet engined fighter jet.
- (Not really a spec and as it is still not in inventory. So not correct)
- 5 hour flight time
- (Valid good point)
- 1500 kg useful payload
- (Valid point. But should be more with TF6000)
- 0.6 mach cruise speed
- (Doesn’t say much. Sustained top speed is also important)
- 6000 kg MTOW
- (Valid point. Should be more with TF6000)
- 35000 ft operational attitude
- (Too low for such a plane. 45-50000ft should be achievable)
- 500 Nm operational radius
- (LOS 150Nm achievable. BLOS with Satcom, it is OK)
- TCG Andolu type ships STOL capability
- (Yet to be seen. For future carrier it is feasible)
- Otonomous take off and landing.
- (important point)
- Low Radar Silhouette
- (Important point. Should be top of the list as a spec)
- High manoeuvrability.
- (Important for LOS flight)
- LOS and BLOS communications capability
- (Important spec. )
- High Situational Awareness with AESA radar
- (Important point - should be higher than last)
These specs seem like fairly old. A higher value max altitude like 45000+ ft and top speed of 0.95 Mach should be part of the real specs of this plane.
This is a real game changer of a plane that we will have. We should have an engine that is commensurate with such a force multiplier. Even an engine like GE-f404 wouldn’t be out of place for this aircraft; if we can get the license production of it.
This plane may well be the real defence against Rafale and V70 F16s until our KAAN is operational. We need a good engine to propel it.
Flight tests of the MURAD AESA radar on Unmanned combat aerial vehicles and F-16s have yielded extraordinary results and preparations for the serial production of the radar are continuing.
