“We are working in all directions”: Russia will have military tiltrotors. Unmanned future: tiltrotor and heavy UAV are being developed in Russia Unmanned tiltrotor
Next, about the Russian tiltrotor drone RHV-35 presented by the Russian Helicopters concern. Its weight is 35 kg, it can rise to a height of up to two kilometers and carry a payload of up to 6 kg. The drone's flight range in automatic mode is about 450 km. The drone is driven by a hybrid power plant, allowing it to accelerate to 140 km/h.
Now the MAI is working on reducing the weight of the drone and increasing its carrying capacity, but most importantly, the design of the device has already been approved and tested in the laboratory. “Pterodactyl” will be able to stay in the air much longer than other drones and carry more equipment due to the fact that it will not carry batteries on board.
Another advantage of the tethered control system is complete security against information interception.
Another feature of the “Pterodactyl” is that it is made according to the design of a tiltrotor - an aircraft whose propellers can turn along with the wings. This scheme allows you to combine the advantages of an airplane and a helicopter in one machine. Due to this, the drone can develop a high enough speed in the air to move with the tank at full speed, while it is able to rise into the air from a small area, including directly from the tank’s hull.
The idea of a reconnaissance unmanned vehicle controlled via a flexible cable is not new - such a solution was first implemented in the late 1960s on the West German unmanned experimental helicopter Dornier Do-32K. It was controlled via a cable and received fuel through it, military expert Oleg Zheltonozhko tells Izvestia. - Currently, the cable interface is used on the Israeli Hovermast copter, but it is not used as part of a combat vehicle.
As Oleg Zheltonozhko says, systems where a reconnaissance drone becomes directly part of a combat vehicle do not yet exist.
The use of a lightweight UAV equipped with a thermal imager and radar system as an external surveillance system seems to be a logical solution specifically for promising armored vehicles, the range of which exceeds the visibility range of on-board detection equipment, says the expert. - For example, the main gun of the Armata is capable of hitting a target at a distance of 8 km, and the recognition range of an enemy tank through the sighting channel is limited to 5 km. In addition, thanks to the presence of the Pterodactyl, the tank will be able to reveal the situation on the battlefield, remaining in cover or hiding behind buildings or uneven terrain.
According to Zheltonozhko, equipping armored vehicles with external surveillance systems capable of observing the terrain at least at a distance of 10 km will provide Armata with an undeniable advantage over any of the existing opponents.
What's the idea anyway? Does it have potential? Why is it not developing in the world?
The Kronstadt company has created a flying model of the Fregat unmanned tiltrotor. Vladimir Voronov, deputy general director of the company and head of the Center for Advanced Research, spoke about this in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Kronstadt has created a drone that can fly both like an airplane and like a helicopter. Thanks to this quality, its flight range is increased three times compared to a helicopter drone,” Voronov said.
He noted that by combining the qualities of an airplane and a helicopter, the flight range of the drone will be increased. According to Voronov, this type of tiltrotor design is a global trend. “The vertical take-off vehicle is the holy grail of modern aviation. Agusta Westland and Lockheed Martin, as well as other world aviation leaders, are working on this,” Voronov emphasized.
“The creation of a flying model demonstrates the feasibility of the concept of creating a device of a similar design as a whole, which in turn opens the way to starting work on heavier variants of UAVs - unmanned aerial vehicles,” Denis Fedutinov, an expert in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, told the agency.
The Fregat tiltrotor is designed for aerial monitoring, cargo delivery and aerial work at long distances from troop bases. Depending on the configuration, the take-off weight of the device during vertical take-off ranges from 500 kg to 1400 kg, and during horizontal take-off - from 650 to 1800 kg.
The payload of the drone varies from 125 to 300 kg. The wingspan is from 4 to 7 m. The flight speed is on average 60-70 km/h. The flight range ranges from 1.5 to 3 km. The flight duration is from 4 to 7 hours.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia, Colonel General Viktor Bondarev, said that in Russia they began to work on the creation of heavy UAVs and tiltrotors for army needs.
“Work in Russia is going on in all directions: small, medium, large unmanned aerial vehicles, and tiltrotors,” Bondarev said. According to him, in the future, drones will work in a unified control system and perform tasks in a “flock.” He noted that the creation of such a network-centric system will further reduce the cost of training drone operators.
“The unmanned topic is developing. Be that as it may, it is more expensive to train a pilot than to install a good autopilot on a plane. If an operator can already control one or two drones, then over time, with the development of the ground component, he will be able to control five or even ten devices, so it will be even cheaper,” added the commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces.
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE – CONVERTIOLAN “VR-TECHNOLOGIES”
TILTROTOR – UAVS “VR-TECHNOLOGIES”
17.02.2016
The unmanned tiltrotor, which has no analogues, successfully passed the next stage of testing, making its first flight. The creator of the device was the innovative design bureau “VR-Technologies” of the Russian Helicopters holding company. Oil and gas companies and various departments are showing interest in the unique development.
“Work on creating a unique machine began in 2015. During this time, we have achieved significant results and have already begun the first stage of flight tests,” said Alexander Okhonko, General Director of VR-Technology.
The project is being implemented within the framework of the Russian Helicopters program – “Speed”. It is worth noting that the main task in developing this drone was to create a flying laboratory to determine the effectiveness of layout schemes and search for innovative solutions.
It is worth noting that a number of potential customers are already ready to purchase this unmanned system for tasks related to monitoring and environmental protection in places where take-off from the runway is impossible. The complex can monitor smoke in forests and dense urban areas, carry out aerial photography, monitor oil and gas facilities, and deliver medicine to hard-to-reach areas.
The project of a promising multi-purpose unmanned aircraft was presented by the holding in August 2015 as part of the MAKS air show.
Tiltrotors are a special class of rotary-wing aircraft that have a number of advantages compared to traditional aircraft designed according to an airplane or helicopter design. Convertiplanes make it possible to perform vertical takeoff and landing on sites of limited size and at the same time transport passengers or cargo at higher speeds and over a greater distance than traditional helicopters.
Russian Helicopters conducted tests at the Skolkovo Innovation Center
Russian Helicopters
18.05.2016
Russian Helicopters will show three of the latest UAVs for the first time at the HeliRussia-2016 exhibition.
Visitors to the exhibition will be shown an unmanned helicopter, a multicopter and a modernized tiltrotor. The developer of these devices was the VR-Technology design bureau of the Russian Helicopters holding company (part of the Rostec State Corporation).
As part of the development work to create a tiltrotor unmanned aerial vehicle, VR-Technology specialists built an experimental flying laboratory of the device to test the automatic control and navigation system in various flight modes. In addition, work was carried out to synchronize the tiltrotor's on-board equipment with payload elements (photo and video cameras, scanners, gas analyzers, smoke detectors, various sensors and thermal imagers).
“Compared to the model shown at the MAKS-2015 air show, further research led to a change in the tiltrotor airframe. At the HeliRussia-2016 exhibition, viewers will be able to see the tiltrotor in a modernized version with the addition of a main wing,” said VR-Technology General Director Alexander Okhonko, noting that changes in the tiltrotor design contributed to increasing the flight range, as well as improving flight safety at transitional points. modes of this promising machine.
The tiltrotor, which weighs 35 kg, is capable of rising to a height of up to two kilometers and carrying up to 6 kg of payload. The drone's flight range in automatic mode is about 450 km, and it is driven by a hybrid power plant, allowing it to accelerate to 140 km/h.
Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to see full-scale samples of two more UAV models: a helicopter and a multicopter, which have already successfully passed a series of flight tests. Both models are completely autonomous and are capable of performing tasks according to a predetermined algorithm without operator participation.
The unmanned 8-rotor multicopter is driven by an electric motor and is capable of spending about an hour in the air, carrying 3 kilograms of payload. The maximum speed of the UAV will not exceed 60 km/h.
The helicopter-type UAV is also equipped with an electric motor and is capable of rising to a height of up to two kilometers, carrying with it up to 5 kg of payload, with a maximum flight speed of up to 120 km/h. The design of the helicopter allows the use of a hybrid power plant to increase flight time and range.
JSC Russian Helicopters
Convertiplanes and hybrid drones are no longer exotic handsome_robot wrote in August 26th, 2015
In addition to the mainstream directions for creating UAVs - aircraft, helicopter and multicopter, there are several hybrid ones. Convertible drones combine the advantages of aircraft-type drones and copters. The design of the devices makes it possible to eliminate the need for a runway, a launch catapult, and a parachute for landing, while maintaining the ability to develop high speeds and carry additional loads. While remaining niche, this area is gradually gaining popularity among UAV designers around the world.
Unmanned tiltrotor Eagle Eye.
The idea of tiltrotor drones, sometimes also called tiltrotors, is not new. The first unmanned tiltrotor Eagle Eye was developed by the American company Bell together with Scaled Composites. In 1997, a prototype UAV made its first flight. The speed of the device was 408 km/h, the ceiling height was 6 km, and the payload was more than 450 kg. For several years, Eagle Eye tiltrotors were used by the US Coast Guard. Currently withdrawn from service.
The development of the Israeli company IAI Panther was presented in October 2010 and, according to rumors, entered service in 2011. The drone is controlled by two operators, the maximum flight range is 60 km, the altitude ceiling is 3 km, and the flight duration is about 6 hours. The device weighs about 65 kg. About 25 such devices were produced. There is also a 12-kilogram mini-version of the UAV, controlled from a portable remote control. Landing and takeoff of drones does not create additional complexity for the operator, as they are carried out automatically. In 2012, a project was launched to adapt the Panther to be based on SAAR-5 type corvettes.
Russian unmanned reconnaissance tiltrotor “Era-50”.
The prototype of the domestic UAV “Era-100”, developed by Aeroxo, was demonstrated at the “Integrated Security” exhibition in the fall of 2013. The device is capable of reaching speeds of up to 230 km/h, the flight range is 120 km, and the time spent in the air is 1 hour. The normal take-off weight of the drone is 18 kg, the maximum is 24 kg.
The Aerosense AS-DTO1-E drone looks like an airplane. The drone takes off and lands vertically, “like a helicopter,” and for flight it moves the engines to a horizontal position. The prototype is capable of carrying about 10 kg of useful weight, the flight duration is up to 2 hours, and the maximum speed is more than 170 km/h. Production of AS-DTO1-E is expected to start in early 2016. The target audience of the project is corporate clients who require aerial photography and data processing, automation of infrastructure inspection, and planting monitoring. Sony equips the drones with cameras, sensors and other high-tech solutions, while ZMP handles autopilot and production issues.
South Korean tiltrotor TR-60.
In South Korea, they are developing a TR-60 tiltrotor, capable of reaching speeds of up to 500 km/h - faster than all existing analogues. Designed to fly at an altitude of more than 10 km, the device will be used in reconnaissance, search and rescue operations and for transporting small cargo. The drone can stay in the air for about 6 hours. The cost of the project has already exceeded $90 million. The annual growth of the drone market in South Korea is about 20%, and its volume is expected to exceed $500 million in 2020.
NASA specialists created a prototype of a 10-motor tiltrotor [http://www.nasa.gov/aero/testing-electric-propulsion.html], which successfully passed flight tests. According to the developers, the tiltrotor design is much more efficient than the helicopter design in terms of aerodynamics. The GL-10 drone is expected to find applications in small cargo delivery, mapping and crop monitoring. The abundance of propellers will not confuse the operator - 4 propellers on each wing receive the same commands from the remote control, as well as 2 tail ones. An enlarged version of the device can be equipped with a cabin for 4 people and be used as a regular tiltrotor.
The American Aurora Excalibur project is equipped with a single lift-propulsion rotary jet engine, similar to the one used for vertical take-off in Harrier aircraft. During takeoff, the turbine is assisted by three horizontally located propellers. The UAV is expected to be armed with 4 Hellfire missiles (for comparison, one of the most famous aircraft-type drones, the Predator, carries only two). The drone's speed will exceed 740 km/h - more than that of the Predator (about 220 km/h) and Reaper (482 km/h).
Boeing Phantom Swift participating in the DARPA competition.
DARPA has launched the “VTOL X-Plane” fixed-wing helicopter manufacturer competition. In December 2013, the first participants appeared - Sikorsky Aircraft (received a contract for $14.4 million), and Aurora Flight Sciences ($14 million). The competition sets a number of minimum requirements for program participants - the speed of their aircraft must exceed 550 km/h, and the payload weight must be at least 40% of the aircraft's mass. The devices should provide higher flight efficiency than helicopters. The project, with a budget of $130 million, will last until 2018 and will end with testing of concepts. It is noteworthy that all the developments of the four main participants in the program - Sikorsky Aircraft, Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Karem Aircraft - are represented by drones, although DARPA did not set any conditions in this regard.
Lockheed Martin concept - ARES cargo system.
Skunk works, a division of Lockheed Martin, is developing the ARES (Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System) transport module, embodying the ideas of a tiltrotor. The UAV is expected to be able to transport military or civilian cargo - perhaps even cars!
Perhaps hybrid drones and tiltrotor drones will breathe new life into the idea of helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles, optimizing their flight performance and combining the best aspects of both mechanics - airplane and helicopter.
A tiltrotor is an unusual device, in many ways reminiscent of a helicopter. Moreover, its speed and flight range are much greater.
There are devices that are much superior to conventional helicopters both in speed and flight range, but they do not require a long runway for takeoff and landing. This is a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter - the so-called tiltrotors. A tiltrotor, like a helicopter, due to the design features of its propellers, belongs to the class of rotorcraft, but in some ways these devices also resemble vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Design
In order for the tiltrotor to move through the air, it is equipped with lightly loaded low-speed propellers. They are very similar to helicopters and allow it to move in helicopter mode - with a small angle of rotation of the propellers. In addition, the tiltrotor also has large propellers. These propellers help it during vertical takeoff.
Unfortunately, tiltrotors are slower than airplanes, but faster than helicopters. This technique also has other features. Due to the heaviness of the device due to the design of the engine, as well as the high complexity of piloting, which requires the skill of the pilot, tiltrotors are used only for a limited range of tasks. For example, if you need to deliver cargo to a place where a helicopter cannot reach, and the plane does not have enough space to land.
aeronavtika.com
Usage
For our country, tiltrotors are not new. The first models, operating similarly to modern tiltrotors, were created in the USSR even before the war. For example, a biplane project was made, the rotating propellers of which were located between the wings. But the Falcon fighter, designed in 1934, is considered to be the closest to classic tiltrotors. However, despite their long history, tiltrotors have not become widespread in our country due to significant shortcomings and a limited range of applications.
The same cannot be said about the US Department of Defense, which has these devices in its arsenal. Unfortunately, so far their tiltrotors are not cost-effective and reliable. Thus, the Bell V-22 “Osprey” models, ordered for the US Marine Corps, proved to be unreasonably expensive and blatantly unreliable. Tiltrotor accidents have claimed the lives of dozens of people.
nnm.me
Ours, domestic
However, the failures of the United States are not a reason to put an end to the very idea of a tiltrotor. The Russian Helicopters company, owned by the state corporation Rostec, considered the device promising. This is how the unmanned tiltrotor RHV-35 appeared in our country. The RHV-35 drone is used for a variety of purposes: for photography, for monitoring the environmental situation, etc. The drone can also be used to deliver small cargo, such as medicine, to hard-to-reach areas.
The RHV-35 drone is a small device, which fully meets its objectives. Its weight is 35 kg, it can rise to a height of up to two kilometers and carry a payload of up to 6 kg. The drone's flight range in automatic mode is about 450 km. The drone is driven by a hybrid power plant, allowing it to accelerate to 140 km/h.
http://quadrocopters.su/
Thus, the RHV-35 will not only complement the equipment of our Ministry of Defense, but will also help Russia study the tiltrotor mechanism in practice. Perhaps our engineers will be able to take into account the shortcomings inherent in predecessor devices and create a perfect machine, superior to both an airplane and a helicopter.
Yaroslav Grigoriev