Ghatak and Rustom Indigenous UAV Programs
- Thread starter Ashwin
- Start date
Oh so the armed version of the Rustom-1 is called the Archer. @Chain Smoker remember the tender we discussed for a Archer drone ? This is it. The program is very much alive & kicking. If only we had some info about the missile used. Now if they could start serial production that would be great.
While Chinese are deploying or in process of being Tengden B001 3-engine drone against India, which is having 1.5 tonnes pay loads, we are busy in posting mock up model pictures instead of developing actual capabilities.
His comment was also similar with LCH missile system.
Until missile system are certified, his comment will be such.
Good development, but can't get excited too much. Rustom did its first flight a decade ago, still in development phase.
This is a miniature 1 ton TD. Thus none of this won't be tested on this. There is no space.
Program success depends on Kaveri engine. Production will not happen in this decade.
For size scale :
Excellent photos! Thx for posting.
Do we know yet if the test-bed incorporates a platypus-based exhaust system? Or is it still conventional for now? further, is that even a technology that is worked & validated upon a scaled test-bed, or do such systems get validated only on 1:1 prototypes?
Also, I understand that the antennas projecting out are currently to establish flight control laws? And that they would be embedded into the skin in subsequent iterations ? Very interesting indeed. Godspeed to the team, would be great to witness a production version flying alongside AMCA and Rafale by the 2030s.
Regards,
Do we know yet if the test-bed incorporates a platypus-based exhaust system? Or is it still conventional for now? further, is that even a technology that is worked & validated upon a scaled test-bed, or do such systems get validated only on 1:1 prototypes?
Also, I understand that the antennas projecting out are currently to establish flight control laws? And that they would be embedded into the skin in subsequent iterations ? Very interesting indeed. Godspeed to the team, would be great to witness a production version flying alongside AMCA and Rafale by the 2030s.
Regards,
There was a competition in the DRDO for the design choice of a Low-Observable jet pipe. The result of that competition was that 2D jet pipes, which are more stealthier, were chosen to be used on more expensive assets like the Ghatak. Where as rounded chevron jet pipes were chosen for relatively cheaper expendable stealthy drones like the CATS Warrior.
The SWiFT is going to prove a smaller version of the 2D jet pipe & a large version is being prototyped to be integrated with the dry Kaveri. Jet pipe motion is how you achieve thrust vectoring which is a integral part of flight control laws. The entire purpose of SWiFt is to validate the flight control laws. You cannot do that without validating thrust vectoring.
The antennas are for data transmission, relay, GPS etc. They allow the users to control the SWiFT. They send critical flight data that can be used by scientists for validating the design of the drone. They receive signals from the GPS & also relay data from the EO sensors.
Body flush antennas are a critical part of stealth design. There antennas will be body flushed at a later stage. We already have body flush antennas in use in many of our missiles. It is not a new or unfamiliar technology.
That's not true.
From the EoI that was published in January 2020 around 20 dry Kaveri engines will be made under the Limited Series Production (LSP) in within the next 7-8 years. After that the Full Scale Production (FSP) would start which will see the production of some 70-80 engines in the next 10-12 years.
Within the LSP the initial 5 engines will be made by the GTRE from raw material stage to full integration & a selected Indian industry partner will get the know how & know why of the engine in that time. This phase will be the slowest phase of production run with one engine made at an interval of 3 months.
After the initial 5 engines are fabricated the selected industry partner will get complete responsibility of the engine production, from raw material to final integration. Of course the tools, instruments, production & testing infrastructure etc. will be provided for by the GTRE. GTRE will act as an auditor to the production agency. In this phase of the LSP 15 engines will be made each at an interval of 2 months. That would conclude the 20 engines LSP production run.
The production agency would also need to set up their own infra by the end of the LSP & get it certified. The FSP will happen at this new facility freeing up the GTRE's facilities. GTRE would of course remain involved with the Kaveri & try to bring in incremental improvements to the engine.
The biggest technological impediment to the dry Kaveri engine was the development of a distortion tolerant fan. That has been cleared before this EoI was published.
The production plan seems pretty reasonable to be. Even if they don't meet their target of 20+ engines by 2030 entirely there should still be a good number of engines available for the Ghatak program.
Did the EoI translate to tender and order ? Kaveri core is yet to fly after all the modifications.
UCAV program is fully dependent on the availability of engine. Just like once LCA was.
The models of the Ghatak so far have shown a 2D nozzle. Are they going for an elliptical nozzle now ? At least I hope it is a chevron type, otherwise stealth in rear quarters would be compromised.
Nope the preparation for a a production run takes some time. GTRE has never mass produced any engine yet. The EoI was sent out to gauge interest among industry & see how much private invest can come into the project.
What modification ? The fan ? They deliberately kept the pressure ratio to 3.4:1 instead of 4:1 even though the new fan could give us that. The mass flow rate was also kept the same to maintain as much commonality with the afterburning Kaveri as possible. The afterburner section has been removed that does effect the engine cycle as much. The AB section typically sits behind the turbines & has little to do with the engine cycle. The core of the dry Kaveri is pretty much the same as the one that was flight tested.
But yes it must be flight tested. Either DRDO modifies a civilian plane or get it tested abroad.
All aviation projects are dependent on the availability of engines. What's new here ?