AHRLAC - new combat aircraft

More recently, 27 this September, two South African companies Paramount Group and Aerosud on display at Centurion Aerospace Village in Pretoria presented a light reconnaissance and strike combat aircraft AHRLAC (Advanced High Performance Reconaissance Light Aircraft), declared as “the first South African manned vehicle since the times of the helicopter "Denel Rooivalk."

In June this year, at the Le Bourget air show, the main developer of the AHRLAC aircraft, Aerosud, spoke about the aircraft's program. And yet, the details of this project were reported only now. This aircraft is a device of the popular concept of "manned UAV" and is used to solve the tasks of reconnaissance, patrolling, surveillance and, in addition, for counterinsurgency and striking targets on the ground. The aircraft is a light all-metal two-seater aircraft with a length of 10,5 m and a wingspan of 12 m, equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 turboprop engine with a capacity of 950 hp.

Take-off weight will be 3800 kg, combat load - more than 800 kg. The entire load is placed on the external suspension on the six underwing nodes and includes guided and unguided rockets. With a full take-off weight, the aircraft should have a take-off distance of about 550 m., Maximum flight speed 550 km / h, practical ceiling - 9,5 km, flight range with full fuel capacity - 2100 km, and suspension of two PTBs is possible. The flight duration reaches 7,5 - 10 h. The plans of the manufacturers include equipping the 20-mm aircraft with a built-in gun. In agreement with the customer, the machine can be additionally equipped with an onboard self-defense system and ejection seats of Martin Baker Mk 16.

The lower part of the fuselage was designed as a "conformal container" in order to accommodate "quick-change options" of equipment in it.

Currently undergoing testing unmanned model aircraft, reduced by four times. The construction of the first prototype of the AHRLAC began, which is scheduled to begin testing early next year. Aerosud will be engaged in the serial production of aircraft, while Paramount Group will deal with their marketing. According to the latter, a number of customers are already showing considerable interest in this car. The price of the aircraft will be slightly less than ten million dollars.

Comments

[Sergh]

Damn, South Africans are already cooking up UAVs, we are waiting for someone. And then tomorrow I myself will start to saw in the Balkon. Let Pagasyan then ask !?

[Vadivak]

Cram our An-2 with navigation, put the cannon so he still takes this crap, sits down on the arable land, takes off from the garden, eats car gasoline, takes an airborne assault - why not an airborne infantry fighting vehicle?

[kesa1111]

There is AN3. http://www.airwar.ru/enc/craft/an3.html

[prunx]

Manned UAVs, nefiga itself. This, without exaggeration, is a new word in science and technology. They will also patent as know-how, in general, everyone will suck their paw

[Civil]

this is undoubtedly a breakthrough in aviation!

[Jaguar]

Super Tucano is cheaper, with much better specs and armament

[Foamas]

Super Tucano is a cool stormtrooper, but it costs about the same, Colombia ordered 25pcs. - the price is $ 235 million

[Tyumen]

Such aircraft in our aircraft amateurs made of fiberglass in flying clubs glued. You can’t fuck you, don’t torture the train.

[Sergh]

The same, but the two-beam "Luch" UAV was shown at the MAX 2011, created by the Vega concern. But what is surprising about it is the engine, which was pushed into it by the American ROTAX-914 115 hp. The guys buy these engines from us and put them on home-made aircraft. True, ROTAX-912 is more often 100 hp, but this is not a big difference. This "Ray" with a total weight of 800 kg, at a speed of 270 km / h and a flight duration of 18 hours ??? according to the idea, it can additionally lift 150-170 kg (such as a bomb, a rocket), and so, knowing approximately even about this dviglo, I can say with complete confidence that this is complete nonsense. They even wrote on the MAX that he fueled with ordinary gasoline, I generally laughed for half an hour. These engines run on aviation kerosene, and God forbid, letting go of our talkers (gasoline), it’s a khan right away. Secondly, he will not pull such weight. If it takes off, of course, I agree, then at maximum power.
For such things do not save. If done, then in good conscience. There, it was necessary to drive 250-400 hp, then you can think about the shock load so that it has a power reserve and the flight time is not reduced.
So, for comparison. The men assembled the aircraft, supplied the ROTAX-912UL with a weight of only about 300kg + filling 100 liters + 2 people 200 kg + payload 100 kg. In total, about 700 kg, with an average speed of 3,5 hours about 400 km at a speed of 100-120 km / h. That's the whole alignment. Yes, the wingspan is too small for Luch.