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Design work on Neuron to start soon
By Karl Schwarz
Following a design review at the beginning of June, two years of detailed development work on the Neuron UCAV test platform is set to commence at Dassault and its five partners. Meanwhile BAE Systems is pushing ahead with its own Taranis project.
Although unmanned air vehicles of all sizes are rapidly becoming established for surveillance and reconnaissance roles, the development of unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) is a much more difficult undertaking. Even in the USA, the big Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) programme was abruptly terminated last year shortly before the prototypes were completed, as the priorities of the US Air Force and Navy had meanwhile shifted to different directions. However, the work carried out by Boeing and Northrop Grumman was not completely wasted, as on 2 April 2007 they were allowed to submit fresh proposals for a UCAS Demonstrator (UCAS-D) to the US Navy. This time around a billion dollars is available to demonstrate the suitability of an unmanned combat jet platform. The winner of the competition is due to be announced in June.
The biggest European UCAV programme also faces an important milestone at the beginning of June. Following the conclusion of risk reduction studies and tests, the final design review is expected to give the go-ahead for detailed design of the Neuron. “The AP781-30 configuration will constitute the basis for further development,” explained deputy project manager Mats Ohlson in an interview with FLUG REVUE in the middle of April. Ohlson works for Saab, the second most important partner of prime contractor Dassault Aviation. Other companies involved include Alenia, EADS CASA, RUAG and Hellenic Aerospace Industry.
At the time of the interview the external shape of the Neuron had been largely decided. “Now it is a matter of fine tuning,” says Ohlson. “It is important for the flying wing to have good flying characteristics in all the velocity bands.” To validate the accuracy of the aerodynamic calculations, testing is currently under way in the high-speed wind tunnel of the Research Institute of the Swedish Armed Forces in Stockholm, using a 1:16 scale model. In March Dassault investigated the low speed range in the ONERA F1 wind tunnel. Tests with special models of the air intake, which is bent for stealth reasons, are also on the agenda for 2006/2007.
In the forthcoming preliminary design phase a number of engineers from the partner companies will initially work at Dassault in St Cloud, a suburb of Paris. With the aid of the standard design program CATIA 5, their most important task will be to define the interfaces between the individual systems and assemblies. After that it will be possible for the detailed work to continue in the various national bases, with access to the central digital model of the aircraft passing over secure data lines. As well as CATIA, the PLM software from Dassault/IBM has been used on the Neuron project right from the start. This is supposed to guarantee efficient data management throughout the entire life cycle of the system. Neuron is the first military procurement in Europe on which PLM has been used.
The allocation of work on the programme, which has a budget of Euro405 million, has already been clearly defined (see box). Great importance has been attached to defining clear lines of responsibility and avoiding duplication of work. Ultimate responsibility will in every case lie with Dassault, as prime contractor to the French DGA arms procurement agency, which also represents the interests of the partner nations. All the other companies will only be subcontractors, even if Saab and Alenia are involved in the programme management and overall design too.
As far as the exchange of technology is concerned, the individual companies will be contributing their specialist skills but will retain the rights to their research results. “For example, we are jointly responsible with Volvo for the thrust nozzle and will be contributing our expertise on how to reduce the radar signature in the design of the landing gear doors, while Dassault will be seeing to the stealth characteristics on all the leading edges,” explains Mats Ohlson.
Composite materials will play an important part in the design. However, aluminium is also to be used on the internal structure even if, according to Ohlson, the precise mix has not yet been determined. To simplify transportation, the outer wings are detachable. To keep down the costs, the landing gear will utilise elements from the Mirage 2000 and Falcon 900. The avionics is to be largely made up of off-the-shelf computers and equipment. These have to be selected in the course of the year, so that the extensive software can then be developed with original equipment.
“Parts production will commence at the end of 2008,” says Ohlson. Assembly and equipping of the single Neuron are then expected to take about two years. The target date for the maiden flight in Istres, the south of France, is 2011. Later tests, including the release of bombs from the two weapons bays, will then be carried out in Vidsel (northern Sweden) and in Italy.
Meanwhile BAE Systems is planning to get its own Taranis UCAV, currently under development, in the air before Neuron, in 2010, in Woomera, Australia. Whereas the Neuron programme, originally initiated by France in mid-2003, was officially launched upon contract award in February 2006, BAE only received its contract in December of last year. The UK Ministry of Defence and participating companies are investing £124 million (Euro190 million) in the demonstrator, which builds on extensive preliminary work, especially in the area of stealth technologies.
Like Neuron, Taranis will be powered by a Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca Adour 951, the same engine used on the Hawk jet trainer. At a weight of eight tonnes, Taranis will be somewhat heavier than the six-tonne Neuron. The results of the flight trials will flow into the deliberations of the Royal Air Force, with a view to introducing an unmanned long-range bomber to replace the Tornado as early as 2020.
In the Neuron partner nations, which in several cases are in the process of introducing new manned fighter aircraft, such a requirement is not currently viewed as urgent. To this extent Dassault is also stressing the research character of the UCAV, which will never be series produced in its present form. Nevertheless, the programme is extremely important to the industry as a potential means of retaining its teams of engineers and of thus safeguarding its technology base once development work on the Gripen, Rafale or Eurofighter comes to an end. Moreover, only through independent research and development is there any chance of achieving independence of the USA in sensitive areas such as stealth. KARL SCHWARZ
Neuron – the partner nations
FRANCE
Budget: approx. Euro 180 million.
Dassault: programme leader, general design authority, final assembly, air intake, stealth technology, weapons bay, flight control system. Subcontractors: Thales (data links and RR/Turbomeca (Adour engine).
SWEDEN
Budget: approx. Euro 75 million (of which Saab's share is Euro 66 million).
Saab: involved in programme management and overall design, aerodynamic design and certification, avionics, landing gear doors, forward and central fuselage, fuel system. Subcontractor: Volvo (exhaust nozzle).
ITALY
Budget: approx. Euro 75 million.
Alenia: Partner in programme management and overall design, also certification. Weapon bay flaps and, later on, “intelligent” weapons bay (Smart Weapons Bay). Air data system, electrical system. Subcontractor: Galileo Avionica (electro-optical sensors, target classification software).
SPAIN
Budget: Euro 35.5 million.
EADS CASA: ground station, wings, datalink management.
SWITZERLAND
Budget: approx. Euro 20 million.
RUAG: aerodynamic testing, weapons carriage.
GREECE
Budget: approx. Euro 20 million.
Hellenic Aerospace Industry: rear fuselage, software for test equipment.
From page 12 of FLUG REVUE 6/2007
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