KARI TR-60

History

The TR-60 is another global entry into the world of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) rotors. The aircraft is more specifically a tiltrotor, neither a true fixed-wing aircraft nor a helicopter, and is designed for a wide range of military and civilian missions. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is developing it with support from Korean Air.

Unveiled at DX Korea in 2016, it is based on the institute's TR-100 UAV "smart" tiltrotor, a project that originated in 2002.

Autonomy is the name of the game for the TR-60, allowing takeoff, landing, hovering, and travel actions to be all automated. In addition, the tilt-rotor capability of this UAS enables it to operate in confined spaces and on the decks of mobile warships, while maintaining comparable fixed-wing UAS performance.

The layout of the aircraft is much like a conventional aircraft, relying on a centralized circular fuselage, wing main aircraft and T-tail. The horizontal plane of the tail is located high on the vertical tail.

The main-wing aircraft are centrally mounted on either side of the fuselage, each containing a rotatable engine nacelle that drives a three-bladed propeller unit. The optics/sensor blister is attached to the "chin" position of the fuselage, and the landing gear is shown in several configurations - a three-legged wheeled version, a quadrupedal wheeled version (with main legs on centerline with outboard support legs), and Helicopter type skid arrangement.

The specified payload is approximately 30 kg.

The dimensions of the aircraft include a total length of 3 meters and a wingspan of 5 meters. The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 210 kg.

Power for the twin-prop configuration was provided by a 55 hp unit with a drive shaft connected to the engine through the main plane of the wing. As a result, the UAS can reach a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour and a height of 144,500 meters. The range (radius) is limited to 200 km.

The TR-100 was the predecessor to the TR-60 and was developed over a decade to provide the framework for the new model. It advertises a top speed of 500km/h, a payload capacity of up to 90kg and an MTOW of 995kg.

The launch of the TR-100 marks South Korea as the second country in the world to produce a viable tilt-rotor drone design after the United States.

Proposed roles for the TR-60 include search and rescue (SAR), humanitarian support, general reconnaissance, long-distance transportation of supplies and cargo, communications relay, and surveillance.

July 2017 - July 7, 2017 UAS TR-60 successfully demonstrated automatic takeoff and landing from a moving vessel.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes