The first jet-powered aircraft to take off and land from an aircraft carrier (1945): De Havilland Vampire
Length: 30 ft 9 in (9.37 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft (12 m)
Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Goblin 3 centrifugal-flow turbojet engine, 3,350 lbf (14.9 kN) thrust
Range: 1,220 mi (1,960 km, 1,060 nmi)
Bombs: 2 × 500 lb (225 kg) bombs or two drop-tanks
First fully autonomous tactical armed drone to take off and land on a carrier (2023) : Baykar Bayraktar TB-3
14 Meter Wing Span
8.35 Meter Length
280 Kilogram Payload Capacity
24+ Hours Air Time
And very first variant of Baykar tactical blocks, Çaldıran.
One of the reasons for this comparison is not only the similarities in twin-boom tail design of both aircraft, which have (and will have) an important place in the history of naval aviation, but also the possibility that we may see a TB-3+ with a turbofan engine that will be positioned between the TB-3 and KE very soon after the TB-3 deliveries begin.
TAI TISU and, if the project receives support, Hurjet Naval, on the other hand, Kızılelma, Tb-3 and other projects being worked on. Turkish naval aviation is perhaps too late in terms of developing and operating combatant class fixed wing platforms, but it is on the verge of a major breakthrough in unmanned systems, and I believe that it will have a much greater variety of platforms than expected in the 10-15 year period.
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