First Turkish helicopter on way, analysts skeptical

[Baykuş]

First Turkish helicopter on way, analysts skeptical
Burak BEKDİL
Hürriyet Daily News

The government has charged the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) with building the first Turkish helicopter made by Turkish engineers but analysts are skeptical about costs and time frame

The Turkish government has eventually penned the contract that tasks the country’s aerospace powerhouse, TAI, to launch work to design, develop and produce what will become the first made-in-Turkey helicopter, but defense analysts remain skeptical.

Although lighter in weight, at about five tons, the new helicopters are aimed to replace Turkey’s ageing inventory of UH-1 helicopters and could also be used to train army pilots.

TAI hopes to build a platform designed by Turkish engineers with customized subsystems that can also compete on international markets with its performance and price. The first ever indigenous Turkish helicopter would be sold to the Turkish military first, and then to international markets.

TAI officials expect to sell around 800 helicopters to the Turkish military and about 400 to foreign buyers. Turkey presently is the world’s ninth biggest helicopter market.

The national program had been launched in June 2010, and TAI submitted its bid to act as the local prime contractor last October. TAI’s five-ton, twin engine “light” helicopter would meet the Turkish military requirements in the medium- and long-run, but also will have a civilian model for the commercial market.



Possible technology transfer from Sikorsky

Turkey intends to use the know-how and technology transfers it would earn from a U.S. Sikorsky-led utility helicopter program. In May, TAI announced that it came very near to signing a $3.5 billion contract with Sikorsky Aircraft for the coproduction of scores of utility helicopters.

Turkey in 2011 selected Sikorsky Aircraft as its partner company to lead production of the country’s next-generation utility helicopters. Sikorsky defeated Italian-British AgustaWestland with its T-70, the Turkish version of its S-70 Black Hawk International.

A contract has been pending since then and industry sources rumored major problems during contract negotiations. The first batch of the coproduction program involved 109 platforms. The S-70 Black Hawk International is used by the militaries of dozens of countries, including Turkey. AgustaWestland was competing with its TUHP 149, the Turkish version of its newly developed A-149.

The first batch will be for 109 utility helicopters, but with follow-on orders more than 600 platforms could be built at a cost of more than $20 billion, according to defense analysts.

Sikorsky and AgustaWestland had announced benefit packages worth billions of dollars each. Several Turkish companies, most notably TAI, will take part in the joint production.

A Sikorsky official said on Friday that the contract was still pending.



Analysts doubt

Industry sources and analysts say that Turkish ambitions to build the country’s first national helicopter may face several hurdles.

One senior TAI engineer voiced suspicion about the certification for the Turkish helicopter. “Honestly, I am not sure how remote we stand from certification or how hard obtaining it would be.”

An Ankara-based defense analyst said the major hurdle could be the engine. “TAI does not have specific plans to overcome the problem about the engine which is not an unusual snag in most Turkish indigenous programs. Apparently, the Turkish helicopter will be dependent on a non-Turkish engine and nobody knows which one would best fit,” he said.

He added: “From a realistic point of view, I would expect a slew of problems regarding costs and timeframe.”

TAI officials hope to fly their own helicopter within five years.

August/06/2013

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[KemalPasa]

It will be hairy and 5 years seems unrealistic to me. But if you guys notice, engines are the main problem for every step we take both air and land. Before these major projects, we need to give our full concentration to MGG.

 

[Baykuş]

It will be hairy and 5 years seems unrealistic to me. But if you guys notice, engines are the main problem for every step we take both air and land. Before these major projects, we need to give our full concentration to MGG.

Very true, we need to learn how to design our own engines instead of producing others' under license.

 

[Tshering22]

You guys should go for it.

There will be hurdles but that is how you will learn.

That is how you will evolve.

All the best.

And don't worry about engine now.

You can always learn to develop engine in parallel.

That's what we did with our Dhruv project.

Turned out extremely beneficial

 

[T-123456]

You guys should go for it.

There will be hurdles but that is how you will learn.

That is how you will evolve.

All the best.

And don't worry about engine now.

You can always learn to develop engine in parallel.

That's what we did with our Dhruv project.

Turned out extremely beneficial

How long did it take for you to develope the Shakti engine?

 

[Tshering22]

How long did it take for you to develope the Shakti engine?

Well, all in all, the entire project took about 10 years before we could get Dhruvs up in the air with Shakti engine. Turbomeca was the partner for engine and the erstwhile MBB was the consulting partner.

Barring that, if you can get the helicopter design right and if your government is as fast with this as they were with ALTAY tank, then you should be able to get one up in 5-7 years time. You could use the models to phase-wise let the engine be installed.

Like the Dhruv Mk.3 which is the latest has a lot of upgrades, compared to the one that came out in 2002.

 

[airmarshal]

Five years I think is a very unrealistic time line.

 

[Tshering22]

Five years I think is a very unrealistic time line.

There has to be some target mate.

Turkish firms aren't DRDO.

They need to meet deadlines like any other corporation that has ambition to expand and have a brand image.

 

[gslv mk3]

There has to be some target mate.

Turkish firms aren't DRDO.

Come on dude,what about LCH??

 

[Mosamania]

We are going to have a first flight of our first designed and made helicopter this year, maybe this is one of the few things we can help you about

 

[olcayto]

Someone needs to fly a fighter plane in his behind of this Burak Bekdil.

İt seems to me he's skeptical about every military project we're running.

 

[T-123456]

Someone needs to fly a fighter plane in his behind of this Burak Bekdil.

İt seems to me he's skeptical about every military project we're running.

Its better to start negative so you want be disapointed.
You know all the projects we start take ages to finish,at least this way it can only get better and we know all the possible setbacks.

 

[T-123456]

We are going to have a first flight of our first designed and made helicopter this year, maybe this is one of the few things we can help you about

Do you have pictures or a link?
Never heard of it.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

All the best to Turkey. Turkey's domestic military industries had been developing so fast since 1990.

Its better to start negative so you want be disapointed.
You know all the projects we start take ages to finish,at least this way it can only get better and we know all the possible setbacks.

Nothing comes as fast as bees, you need to work hard to introduce a state-of-the-art Helicopter.

 

[Tshering22]

Come on dude,what about LCH??

I said DRDO.. did I say HAL?