Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicle
The Vestel Karayel is a surveillance, reconnaissance and later combat unmanned aerial vehicle system developed by Lentatek. The drone is currently operated by Turkish Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.[1][2]
Design
The Karayel is designed and manufactured in accordance with NATO ‘Airworthiness’ standard; STANAG 4671. The Karayel system has novel triple redundant distributed avionics architecture which ensures protection against all kinds of uncontrolled crash. With this feature, systematic fault safety used only in manned aviation around the world until now, has been carried to an unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time with the Karayel. The aerial vehicle has the ability to protect against lightning thanks to the aluminum network grid on its composite structure. A de-Icing system automatically detects icing conditions allows operations in cold climates. The Karayel, which is an aerial reconnaissance and surveillance platform, can perform target marking, lighting and ammunition direction by its laser sensors and day/night target detection and identification by its camera system which it carries as payload.[3]
Specifications
Data from Vestel Savunma[4][5]
General characteristics
- Crew: none on-board
- Length: 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
- Max takeoff weight: 550 kg (1,213 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × unspecified , 72 kW (97 hp)
- Propellers: single blade, 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) diameter
Performance
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (92 mph, 80 kn)
- Endurance: 20 hours
- Service ceiling: 6,900 m (22,500 ft)
Karayel-SU TUAV
Karayel-SU (SU; standing for Armed-Extended Wing) has a longer wingspan, as well as end-plates on its wing tips and two hardpoints for payload under each wing. Each one of the hardpoints can carry 30 kg, meaning that the total payload capacity of the Karayel-SU under its wings is 120 kg. The wing hardpoints can also be equipped with payloads other than munitions. The Karayel-SU also retains the ability to carry 50 kg EO/IR payload at the fuselage payload bay[6]
Technicial Specifications
- Engine Power 1 × 97 HP (Sea Level)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight : 630 kg
- Wing Span : 13 m
- Total Length : 6.5 m
- Height : 2.11 m
- Wing Useful Load : 120 kg
- Trunk Payload : 50 kg
- Flight Speed : 60-80 knots
- Rate of Climb : 800 m/min
- Operational Altitude 18.000 ft
- Data Link Range: >150 km
- Landing Distance : <750 m
- Airborne Time : 20 hours without ammunition, 12 hours with 60 kg load and 8 hours with 120 kg loaded
- Navigation : Fully Autonomous or Manual, Day Camera (color) & IR Night Camera
- Useful Load : Laser Range Finder, Laser Pointer & Laser Target Marker
- Other Features : Triple redundant avionic architecture, fully autonomous take-off / flight / landing, Composite main structure.[7]
Other variants
CTech SATCOM On-The-Move terminals for unmanned aerial vehicles
- DEV-KU-18 SATCOM On The Move Terminal mounted Vestel Karayel [8]
- DEV-KA-12 SATCOM On The Move Terminal mounted Vestel Karayel[9]
Armaments
