FLUG REVUE July 2006: EADS Barracuda UAV demonstrator flies

July 2006

BARRACUDA TAKES TO THE AIR

By Karl Schwarz

An early start was required of the EADS test team on 2 April. On the still dark apron at the Spanish military base of San Javier on the Costa Blanca, the first job on the agenda was to perform the final checks for the Barracuda. By the time the sun rose that morning, the new unmanned air vehicle (UAV) was finally ready for its first flight. From that point onwards everything proceeded automatically: the JT15D-5C turbofan started up according to the predefined programme, the grey air vehicle with tail code 99+80 accelerated and rotated after around 800 metres of runway. About 20 minutes later the test vehicle, which weighs over three tonnes, floated back to the runway and touched down with almost centimetre accuracy on the centre line.

EADS Barracuda first flight preparations

EADS Barracuda first flight preparations

This flight, the only one so far, signified the successful end of the first test phase, which also included extensive testing in the laboratory and on the ground in Manching. Before the flight envelope is extended in the autumn, some supplementary mission equipment now needs to be installed.

The work required to do this was suspended for a while to allow the Barracuda to appear at the Berlin Air Show, where the EADS MAS business unit demonstrated its ability “to independently develop and test a demonstrator for future agile, autonomous and network-capable unmanned mission systems”. As Johann Heitzmann, CEO of Military Air Systems, explained, “This brings us closer to our goal of capturing major shares of the UAV market, which in future will continue to grow in significance and sales potential.”

In advance of any orders materialising, the company had to make a heavy investment from its own resources. Together with almost 30 suppliers, EADS has invested an undisclosed sum in the new UAV over the last three years. The aim was that the Barracuda would lay the groundwork on which to develop different production variants as required. The advanced features of the experimental platform include, for example:

An airframe constructed entirely out of carbon fibre composites, with internal longerons and crossbeams which are covered with large shells. On the fuselage, built in Augsburg, substantial use was made of the vacuum assisted process (VAP), which enables one to dispense with costly autoclaves. The detachable wings were built by EADS CASA in Getafe.
The design dispenses with hydraulic components (apart from the landing gear, which comes from the S.211, and the nose wheel steering). Instead, electromechanical actuators produced by Liebherr are used in the “more electric aircraft”.
A triplex flight control and navigation unit. This provides high operational reliability, and will pave the way to certification for flying operations in controlled airspace. The flight control computer was developed and built by MTU Aero Engines.
A modular avionics system with open architecture, which facilitates the integration of a number of sensors. According to EADS, these include electro-optical and infrared cameras, laser target markers, detectors for radar beams and imaging radars. The equipment can be accommodated in a central payload bay, which could in future hold weapons too.
Stealth technologies have been taken into account in the shape and positioning of the air inlet. Integration of the Pratt & Whitney JT15D was supported by MTU, which also contributed the nozzle (in this case part of the airframe).

The question of which specific requirement profile the expertise gained from Barracuda will be used for remains open. At any rate, the German military have made a system for reconnaissance and monitoring deep in the operational area their top priority. It is to be procured as early as the end of the decade. “We can meet this time frame with a Barracuda derivative,” Johann Heitzmann affirmed at the Berlin Air Show. However, he was not prepared to divulge any details, although bigger wings would be one possible modification.

Much will depend on exactly what requirement profiles crystallise over the coming months. In this connection it is already clear that there will have to be compromises, “since there is no system in sight that covers all the requirements,” as Lieutenant Colonel Eckstein, from the Defence Ministry pointed out. At any rate, he added, “We need the capabilities sooner rather than later to support our soldiers in their various operational scenarios.”

Diehl VA Systeme sees the time factor as an opportunity for its turboprop-powered General Atomics Predator B. According to the company, this is already in service and available immediately, moreover, it satisfies all the Luftwaffe's requirements. It would seem therefore that the pressure of competition is high in the UAV area as well.

From page 54 of FLUG REVUE 7/2006

Last updated 8 June 2006

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