Baykar Bayraktar Mini UAV

Bayraktar Mini UAV
Artist impression
General information
TypeMiniature UAV
National originTurkey
ManufacturerBaykar
StatusActive Since December 2007
Primary userTurkish Armed Forces
Number built500+
History
Manufactured2005
First flightOctober 2006

The Bayraktar Mini UAV is a miniature UAV produced by the Turkish company Baykar.[1][2]

Development

System design activities started in 2004 with the concept of short range day and night aerial reconnaissance and surveillance applications. The initial prototype, Bayraktar A, was developed in 2005, and following successful autonomous flight demonstrations, Baykar received a contract to begin serial production. The first batch of the order by the Turkish Armed Forces was composed of 19 aircraft which were mainly deployed to the southeast parts of Turkey to be used in counterterrorism operations.[3] After hundreds of hours flight trials and feedback, the system was subjected to major modifications and a superior version began development. The Bayraktar B Mini UAV System was completed and became operational in December 2007 to be operated by the Turkish Armed Forces.[4][5] Due to its success in the region, the system was also awarded with an export deal to the Qatar Armed Forces in 2012.[6][7] The development of the aircraft is being continued. According to the company, the most recent version, the Bayraktar MINI UAV D, has 2 times greater communication range and 3 times higher maximum altitude compared to its predecessors.[8] [9]

Overview

Bayraktar Mini UAV
Bayraktar is launched by a soldier

Bayraktar B is a hand-launched, portable UAV system, designed to operate under harsh geographic and meteorological conditions.[10][11] Bayraktar B is fielded with small army units, and as of 2021 have recorded more than 100,000 flight hours.[12] System offers a complete autonomy with protective features with a high rank of reliability and easiness for the operators, which makes it a valuable technological asset.[citation needed]

The main features of the Bayraktar B are:

  • Automatic waypoint navigation
  • Secure digital communication
  • Home return and automatic parachute landing in case of lost communication
  • Smart battery management system
  • Remote-range command/control and monitor (WAN Relay)
  • Ground control switching
  • Automatic take off
  • Automatic cruising
  • Automatic belly landing / parachute deployment
  • Joystick assisted semi-automatic control
  • Automatic stall control in case of electric motor dysfunction
  • Automatic spin control in case of very harsh wind conditions
  • Real-time Google Earth integration (display of telemetry data, routes etc. in real-time)
  • On-screen video display
  • Target coordinate estimation with an accuracy of within 10 meters
  • Automatic tracking antenna system
  • Enhancing Situational Awareness by FLIR's Tau Core[13]

Operators

Confirmed Operators Of Bayraktar Mini UAV

Specifications

Portable flight terminal
Specification Bayraktar A Bayraktar B Notes
Length 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Wing Span 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in), optional 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Weight 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) 4.5 kg (9.9 lb)
Power / Source Electric / Battery Electric / Battery
Take Off Hand Launch Hand Launch
Landing Belly Landing Belly Landing / Parachute Landing
Communication Range 10 km (6.2 mi) 15 km (9.3 mi) With Auto Tracking Antenna System
Endurance > 60 minutes > 60 minutes (with 1000 meters operational Altitude)
Operational Altitude 1,000 ft (300 m) 3,000 ft (910 m)
Maximum Altitude 12,000 ft (3,700 m) 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
Cruise Speed 70 km/h (43 mph) 55 km/h (34 mph)
Payload 1 CCD Camera (Fixed Mount) CCD Camera (Tilt Axis Movement) CCD Camera (2 Axis Movement)
Payload 2 Thermal Camera (Fixed Mount) Thermal Camera (Tilt Axis Movement) Thermal Camera (2 Axis Movement)
Structure Composite material Composite material
Operating Crew 2 2

References

  1. ^ a b "Bayraktar UAV". Army-Technology. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  2. ^ "The three brothers who produced the 'Bayraktar'". 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
  3. ^ Farooq, Umar (May 14, 2019). "How Turkey Defied the U.S. and Became a Killer Drone Power". The Intercept. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  4. ^ Turkish army orders mini-UAVs Archived 2013-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, 8 August 2006
  5. ^ "Bayraktar Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - Army Technology". www.army-technology.com. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  6. ^ "Turkey sells mini drones to Qatar". 2012-03-13. Archived from the original on 2014-08-09.
  7. ^ "Procurement: Turkey Exports UAVs". 2012-03-19. Archived from the original on 2014-08-09.
  8. ^ "Bayraktar Mini UAV D with Advanced Features is Ready to Enter the Inventory". RayHaber | RaillyNews. 2021-03-22. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  9. ^ Efsane geri döndü: Bayraktar Mini İHA, artık daha gelişmiş özellikleriyle sahada (in Turkish), retrieved 2021-04-08
  10. ^ Turkey's Kalebaykar reveals VTOL UAV demonstrator test programme Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine, 14 August 2006
  11. ^ Bayraktar Mini UAV system brochure Archived July 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Baykar Makina
  12. ^ "BAYKAR Technology | Selçuk Bayraktar | Haluk Bayraktar | Bayraktar Mini UAV". www.baykartech.com. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  13. ^ "Enhancing Situational Awareness for Baykar UAV using FLIR's Tau Core". www.azooptics.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-18. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Oryx. "An International Export Success: Global Demand For Bayraktar Drones Reaches All Time High". Oryx. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
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