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earlier BABUR-1 version had a range of 500 KMThe wording enhanced range version is seriously bothering me specially when in the same tweet it says 700km
But it was never operational, the operational version of babur has 700 km range with 300kg warheadearlier BABUR-1 version had a range of 500 KM
Nope dear, there is a drop down air intake present in the latest test as well.
Hint.... Look underneath
What does it take to increase range of a cruise missile aroud 1200km? Technically speaking
The fuel is usually standard. Its all about the engine, a turbojet can do only so much.Far more efficient engine...and significantly improved fuel
It's not easy. Developing more efficient fuel requires a lot of R&D...
Well, of the countries making cruise missiles today, only Turkey and Pakistan lack their own miniature turbojet propulsion. However, Turkey has its own project(s); so that basically leaves Pakistan. And since CSIR started its project, Pakistan unveiled the Ra'ad 2, Babur 3, Harba, Zarb, and Babur Version 2.Power up [AAD18D1]
Sam J Basch
19 September 2018
South Africa's aerospace industry is now investing in a propulsion sector, with several role players actively engaged in various aspects of it. One of these is Cape Town-based Cape Aerospace Technologies (CAT), which works in conjunction with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and various universities. CAT is displaying its micro gas turbine engines under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry in Hanger 1, Stand E6.
According to chief executive David Krige, the company designs, manufactures and tests high-performance gas turbines for use in high-speed target drones, UAVs, experimental aircraft, full-size gliders and model aircraft.
"Gas turbines represent a specialised, extremely fine tolerance niche in the science of manufacturing, particularly at this scale," he explained. "CAT owes its success to a meticulous in-house design-to-manufacture process, including engine and subsystem assembly and testing."
The turbines (pictured), ranging from the CAT 120 to the CAT 400 Newton, are compactly designed to feature an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio and low specific fuel consumption. Their operating altitude is 8,000m. Krige said the turbines operate on diesel, kerosene or Jet A1 fuel, and include an electronic control unit, a ground support unit and ancillaries required for engine operation during flight.
In addition, CAT's turbines feature a fuel-atomising direct kerostart system, which also enables a relighting capability for high-altitude starts.
The company prides itself on getting the first new gas turbine engine running in South Africa since the late 1980s.
https://www.janes.com/article/83092/power-up-aad18d1
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Some info I got at the last AAD (2016) show concerning mini gas turbine development (specifically for PGMS and missiles) that I have been meaning to share for a while now.
There has been a sudden re-resurrection in terms of South Africa's development in this regard over the last 2 years or so. As per my earlier posts in this thread (#84 and #102 specifically), the 1980's project Apartment has also been widely mentioned and covered in these and other posts.
Here are some pics of the 200N micro gas turbine in development by Cape Aerospace Technologies (CAT), with CSIR help and guidance. It apparently will quickly become the top turbine in the enthusiast/model hobby market should they get it to match their projected specs. It's also an important step in getting a new (or rather renewed) grassroots level of expertise growing within the South African gas turbine development environment. Once perfected, it can also be scaled up to start meeting the 600N and perhaps even the 1000N thrust ranges. Once thus up-scaled, it will start matching the criteria for military PGM's etc. I suspect that Umbani/Al-Tariq or Raptor III could be a potential receiver of these higher thrust turbines - this will dramatically extend their range and combat flexibility. Naturally various existing and new UAV's being developed could benefit from this gas turbine range.
The bottom pic is my own - the top pic shows the difference in physical size to the project Apartment turbine and is off of the CAT website. There are some differences in the pics of each one respectively, more than likely earlier and later development versions.
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...types-projects-concepts-etc.21179/post-307964
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So while the above micro gas turbine is in essence more aimed at the hobby market and as a test bed (and perhaps for smaller PGM/UAV applications), this 1000N (1kN) turbojet is a much more serious design in terms of military applications. It was as of August 2016 in the detailed design phase, so it should by now be something pretty real. Quoting from a CSIR dossier, the following relates to both this turbojet, as well as the above posted micro turbine:
"the core for both designs are based on mixed flow compressor design, simultaneously enabling high mass flow and pressure ratios in single stages. The compressors that have been tested thus far all show that the designs should meet their targets. The technology has many potential applications and spin-offs."
Later the article goes on further to say:
"there are many variant designs possible; for instance, by adding turbine stages or converting the engine to bypass engines with higher thrust for helicopter applications and UAVs, respectively".
Speaking to the principal engineer, he told me that they has specifically gone the turbojet route with the 1 kN project as it was a rough and tough design that could pretty much handle anything thrown at it. My pic below depicts a 1:1 scale model of the turbojet, made using a 3D printing process. It's a fair bit larger than the 200N design - at about a third longer and much wider IIRC. He also indicated that the combustion chamber could easily be lengthened, allowing for in-flight relight, or more importantly for military purposes - the ability to launch at high altitudes. This I think perhaps alludes to the project Apartment's potential short-coming, in that it might only have been capable of ground start/launch (in a high oxygen density environment). I assume project Apartment would have been further developed for air launch - but before that could happen the French stepped in and offered us their Micro Turbo turbine (initially denied to us, but when they saw we were getting it right on our own....). As mentioned above the new turbine could grow into a far more powerful one, including a bypass version.
The new turbojet does not have any oil mist lubrication in order to comply with international ITAR regulations, it's current theoretically calculated range without any lubrication is about 300km's. There is however certainly a requirement for a much higher thrust design than just 1kN, so we are definitely going to see more from this project in the future.
I was told that the (black) air inlet portion at the front of the turbojet was simply added on to the model for demonstration purposes only, and certainly is not something that has been correctly calculated and tested in any way.
I think I might have some more info on it somewhere, as soon as I find it I will post more on this project....
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...types-projects-concepts-etc.21179/post-308090
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As can be seen by the big change in the internal layout, a different direction in it's design has been taken (compare to my post #180), it's now much more conventional in it's layout and is also pretty much frozen in terms of it's final design - It's about 50cm long and 25cm wide. Testing of the compressor section is scheduled for March 2019, and I guess that the complete system will have been tested (fully?) by the end of 2019. One of the designers told me that he would more than likely scale it up (3,3 kN I mentioned in post #180?), and then go on to use it as a core for a turbofan model/version.
I still suspect that a foreign client is behind the need for this and once developed, they will buy the IP for it and produce it themselves..?
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...types-projects-concepts-etc.21179/post-336825
While work on a supersonic cruise missile continues.Well, of the countries making cruise missiles today, only Turkey and Pakistan lack their own miniature turbojet propulsion. However, Turkey has its own project(s); so that basically leaves Pakistan. And since CSIR started its project, Pakistan unveiled the Ra'ad 2, Babur 3, Harba, Zarb, and Babur Version 2.