Various aviation projects from South Africa

kaiserbill · 9 July 2014

Once again, excellent post Graugrun.

I was not even aware that an indigineous turboshaft engine was being worked on.

EDIT: Just as an aside on the engine development front, I have known about Project Ballast for a while, but not of the detail behind it.
It was more of a project to develope educational and core competencies with regard to gas turbine development, and thus would have been part of an overall existing programme. (Project Apartment for example started a decade earlier.)
It stretched back into the 1980's as far as I can ascertain, with different educational bodies focusing or specialising on various components.

For example:

The approach is one of funding existing centres of expertise available throughout the tertiary educational system in South Africa, and to develop new ones where appropriate. This project has been running in various different guises from the late 1980’s and as such many of these centres both at research institutions and within academia have a long history with certain subsystems of gas turbine engines and this institutional memory is a key factor to be developed. Students move through the system, sometimes to be employed within the system, but mostly it is the institutional memory with the research institutes and academic staff whose building knowledge is the key to unlocking value to the SANDF.

https://ledger.wikispaces.com/BALLAST

Of course, the focus these days is fundamentally shifted to smaller work and maintenance, but you do gets little peeks, such as this, at what was clearly part of the local gas turbine effort.

hesham · 19 July 2014

Hi,

the Russian/South Africa LCPT Project;

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,4578.msg36225.html#msg36225

kaiserbill · 27 July 2014

I'm trying to find out a little more about the Impala Extended Range Wing project that is mentioned in the CSIR Experimental Aerodynamics section below.

Testing of the Impala aircraft during the conceptual study for the extended range wing

http://www.csir.co.za/dpss/expaero.html

It makes sense that Atlas would have had programmes to firstly improve on the basic MB326 Impala design, followed most likely by a replacement eventually.
There was some work done on the Impala that resulted in RWR antennae and chaff/flare dispensors amongst other mods, but does anyone have any info on the Extended Range Wing?

sa_bushwar · 15 August 2014

Poor Sara 3 looking a bid sad now...

Maveric said:
...SARA III...

Grey Havoc · 17 September 2014

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/south-africa-relights-jet-engine-development-403824/

South Africa has dusted off a long-abandoned project and restarted development of a family of jet engines for local and global clients.

The goal is to develop a 750lb-thrust (3.3kN)-class turbojet to power new target drones and a 1,300lb-thrust (6kN)-class turbofan engine derived from the same core for broader applications, says an official with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

South African government and industry have recently taken an interest in rekindling several technological advances achieved during the apartheid era, including ongoing talks focused on restarting combat helicopter production based on Rooivalk technology.

In the early 1990s, South African aerospace engineers also experimented with jet propulsion for target drones, cruise missiles and unmanned air vehicles.

A government project codenamed Apartment led to development and testing of the 65kg (143lb) APA350 engine, featuring a four-stage all-blisk compressor and single-stage turbine.

Although early testing seemed promising, the project was dropped amidst the upheaval caused by the transition to a post-apartheid regime.

As interest in the project was renewed recently, CSIR researchers had to track down one of the test engines, the agency official says. It was rediscovered and displayed in the CSIR exhibit booth at the African Aerospace and Defence airshow.

“This was in some lady’s garage,” the CSIR official says. “Her husband had worked for the programme and he had taken one. So we had to go and get this back from her.”

The development programme has received enquiries from foreign countries. One client is interested in the 1,300lb-thrust engine, but not for a target drone application, the official says while declining to elaborate.

Complicating the effort is a need to retrace the technical details. The archive of engineering documents on the project are incomplete, so CSIR engineers are working to reverse-engineer the technology.

kaiserbill · 18 September 2014

Fascinating development, Grey Havoc.
Thanks for the article.
I see this comes from AAD2014 that is ongoing today.
I hope someone gets another pic and details of the APA on display.

A couple of questions I have regarding the local engine.
Firstly, the Skua is powered by what is described as the Apex TJ450.
I can't find anything related to such an engine. Does anyone know anything further?

It appears that the APA engine, or Project Apartment, was the initial technology phase.
There was that more advanced turbofan that was displayed at a show. This is shown on Page 1, reply 3 of this thread.

One would assume this to be quite normal, considering that a slew of cruise missiles/UAV's/ drones were designed or tested back in the 90's, as mentioned in the article, and as can be seen on a few threads here. One thinks of the Skua, MUPSOW, Torgos, Flowchart/Seraph, all of which would use a small turbine engine.

Clearly an engine/engine family more advanced than the basic APA was required, unless the designation APA is applied to increasingly sophisticated developments as opposed to a single design.

The article alludes to a lower powered turbojet and a more powerful turbofan developed from its core, and I wonder if this mirrors the pictures we have of the early APA turbojets, and the more advanced engine mentioned that was displayed (pg1, reply 3), of which we know nothing about.

tab28682 · 19 September 2014

cluttonfred said:
The Patchen Explorer was designed by well-known author and ex-Grumman designer David Thurston and was his attempt to popularize the pylon-mounted engine layout in landplanes for the great visibility and the safety of getting the prop away from the people in ground operations. It is essentially a landplane cousin to his Thurston Teal.
.............

FYI, the one and only Patchen Explorer is back in the air. See http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/cee839804f2b9e298bf7eb3fdb56b4e8/Patchen-Explorer-flies-after-more-than-a-decade--20130407

Cheers,

Matthew

I happen to be looking out the end of a hangar at the Africa Aerospace and Defense 2014 airshow and the Patchen Explorer is sitting there in sight of me right now.

cluttonfred · 19 September 2014

PICTURES PLEASE!!! ;D

kaiserbill · 19 September 2014

This pic has just been posted from the ongoing AAD 2014.

Does anybody know what project this Denel twin engined aircraft being displayed is?

compton_effect · 19 September 2014

'Yesterday at AAD, Denel Aerostructures’ CEO, Ismail Dockrat, unveiled a model of the company’s SARA (South African Regional Aircraft) project, thereby revealing this exciting enterprise to the public. SARA has been initiated to provide an aircraft that can be used on short, low-density routes, in particular to link destinations in areas where the road and rail infrastructure is poor.

The seeds of the project were planted around two years ago, as Denel looked for projects that could harness the expertise residing in the company and its suppliers, while at the same time ensuring that new skills were developed. SARA is seen not just as a Denel project, but as a wider scheme to develop South African infrastructure and technical capability as part of the national objective. Following market analysis, Denel identified the point-to-point small aircraft niche as being underserved, with a gap in the market for a modern 15- to 24-seat aircraft.

SARA has emerged as a twin-turboprop aircraft with a range of approximately 1,500 nautical miles and maximum take-off weight of 8,400kg. A high-wing configuration has been adopted, with the wing mounted above the fuselage so that the cabin remains unobstructed. The fuselage has a ‘wide-body’ look that allows four-abreast seating in a 2+2 layout.

The wide fuselage also helps the natural laminar flow around the aircraft, making it very fuel-efficient. In addition to the passenger version, Denel envisages a cargo version that can carry three LD2 pallets, and a Combi version that can carry one pallet and 12 passengers.

Denel has begun an 18-month feasibility study, which could lead to the funding required to initiate the development phase. The latter is expected to last from five to seven years, and the aircraft could enter service in around 2020-21. The company has stressed the need for input from other South African stakeholders.

As well as filling a niche in the market, SARA is also important to South Africa’s human resource development. Many of the country’s leading technical institutions and government agencies are in the SARA team, including universities. Around 10 post-graduate students are already focusing their efforts on the project, and ultimately it is expected to contribute greatly to the number of new engineers and technicians in the South African aerospace sector.'

tab28682 · 19 September 2014

Here are a couple of pictures of the Patchen Explorer on display at AAD 2014. I thought the display panel for the aircraft had a lot of good info in it and was well worth posting.

kaiserbill · 20 September 2014

Another couple of pics of the Denel SARA.

cluttonfred · 21 September 2014

tab28682 said:
Here are a couple of pictures of the Patchen Explorer on display at AAD 2014. I thought the display panel for the aircraft had a lot of good info in it and was well worth posting.

Great stuff, much appreciated. Note to self, "High-mounted engine puts strain on nose gear on landing, make it extra strong, perhaps a double wheel." ;-)

kaiserbill · 21 September 2014

A recent photo of some South African designed and built aircraft.
AHRLAC, Seeker 400, and Rooivalk in the top row.

Graugrun · 27 September 2014

Kaiserbill, pity they did not get the all composite ACE turboprop trainer in the above pic as well...

Here is an odd one - the C-Wolf, which still seems to be going (see the link - http://www.eaa.org.za/node/135) - article out of the free AAD daily show magazine. I found the part regards the engine rather interesting.

kaiserbill · 29 September 2014

A 320 hp multi fuel unit with FADEC.

When they say biofuel, I assume they mean bio diesel?

Graugrun · 1 October 2014

kaiserbill said:
A 320 hp multi fuel unit with FADEC.

When they say biofuel, I assume they mean bio diesel?

I would guess so...

Graugrun · 1 October 2014

The Puma gunship has not been mentioned yet, developed from the two Puma (XTP-1) testbeds modified for the development of Rooivalk. Here is the full brochure (Part1).

Graugrun · 1 October 2014

Puma Gunship brochure (Part2)

kaiserbill · 1 October 2014

I see quite a few components there that were part of the Helicopter Industrialisation Programme, such as the ballistic protected seat.

I recall that this programme was quite comnprehensive on a wide range of components, and manifested itself particularly in this armed Puma programme, the Oryx, and the Rooivalk. From mundane items such as acrylic panels all the way through to hot section engine components. It would have been interesting to have seen what would have followed on from first the Oryx and then the Rooivalk, had things continued the way they did.
One would assume a lighter helicopter with a naval variant, to replace the Alouette and the Wasp.

Graugrun, I've said it before, but thanks again for posting all these brochures you have collected over the years.
They are really an excellent contribution, and have shed light on many otherwise poorly known or understood programmes across the threads.

Graugrun · 2 October 2014

Kaiserbill, I'm glad I can contribute - I have learnt a lot from your and various other peoples posts, so we all benefit in the end.

Yes there was a drive to manufacture, refine, and generally improve various components (especially by replacing metal with carbon fibre components), I remember one being the replacement of the Puma's 4 control arms on the rotor head with composite ones, they were much lighter, stronger and far more resistant to heavy caliber strikes (12,7 and Russian 13.5mm rounds tested).

I agree with your take on the development/progression of our aviation industry (after the ACE II all composite trainer) I also think we would have moved to developing and producing a light helicopter, Then properly the Carver fighter etc.

BTW the helmet site featured above is the Kentron Hesperus (a low cost version of the Hermes fighter pilot helmet sight, developed for attack helicopters), developed in the early 1980's it featured an aiming reticule, target range, weapon status, ammunition status etc. unlike the more expensive Hermes helmet, it featured a mechanical arm atop the helmet.

I would like to cover our use and development of helmet mounted sites at a later date, as we were one of the true pioneers in the military world with this.

Below is a much later (now Denel Atlas) 1 page brochure on the Puma Gunship.

Abraham Gubler · 2 October 2014

Great posts Grey Green. Thanks alot.

Graugrun · 3 October 2014

Here's some more info on the Bateleur MALE UAV - courtesy Janes IDR November 2004.

Graugrun · 7 October 2014

I wonder as to who remembers this... The Sokol 3 'Huzar' - certainly not our helicopter, however the converting to an attack helicopter was. Called the Huzar in it's attack helicopter form, the formal designation was: Sokol W-3K/W-3WB.

It involved Denel Kentron installing a a Optronic/FLIR ball sight atop, forward of the rotor, a servo controlled 20 mm GA-1 cannon (slaved to a Kentron helmet sight), 8 X ZT3 (Ingwe) laser beam riding anti-tank missiles and 68/70mm rocket pods.

One was built and tested by Kentron in South Africa in 1993. It apparently was quite successful, however another country with far better political clout in Poland stepped in when they saw that we had a good business opportunity going - and that was the end of that...

I have scanned the back of the brochure even though it only concerns the optronic site, just for completeness. The 3 view drawing is off of the net.

kaiserbill · 7 October 2014

I'm back after a few days away...

I recall that Sokol project, Graugrun.
Especially with that name....

I seem to recall a brief period of time, perhaps for a couple of years, when there were a few South African/Polish defence projects.

CostasTT · 7 October 2014

Graugrun said:
I wonder as to who remembers this... The Sokol 3 'Huzar' - certainly not our helicopter, however the converting to an attack helicopter was. Called the Huzar in it's attack helicopter form, the formal designation was: Sokol W-3K/W-3WB.

The 3 view drawing is off of the net.

I remember it, too.

The three-view was also published in the Typy Broni i Uzbrojenia book on the Sokol, from which the profile drawing, two-view and loadout diagram come from. The other pics are from the net.

bigvlada · 11 October 2014

If the Polish meaning of the word Sokol is identical to Serbocroatian one it means falcon. What is Huzar?

Wim · 11 October 2014

Huzar=Huzzar B)

Petrus · 11 October 2014

bigvlada said:
If the Polish meaning of the word Sokol is identical to Serbocroatian one it means falcon. What is Huzar?

Huzar is a Polish equivalent of English hussar, French hussard, Dutch huzaar etc.

Piotr

Graugrun · 12 October 2014

Huzar pictured in South Africa at DEXSA 1994 I think - looks like some of the conversion to attack helicopter work may have been done - but certainly not all of it. ZU markings confirm it as a South African registered machine.

Graugrun · 12 October 2014

Looking through the thread I am rather surprised that someone has not posted anything on good 'ol trusty rusty Alpha XH-1!

A first step, basic test bed with the intention to start developing the initial engineering skills and know-how needed for the later Rooivalk attack helicopter program. It got some basic risk reduction studies done, let the engineers try their hands on a small, safe, uncomplicated project etc. The design and manufacturing contract for the prototype was signed in March 1981, first flight of said prototype was on 3 Feb 1985.

BTW the orange dayglow 'pole' atop the main rotor head was meant for test and measurement purposes, however drag aside, it was discovered that this 'pole' had a very positive effect in damping the main rotor's vibration (quite important for accurate shooting/firing missiles, comfort and machine fatigue/stress). There was talk of taking a patent out on it - however I think the extra drag, visibility factors and perhaps complexities put paid to the idea - maybe someone else can tell us more on this...

The small rectangular 'hole' just behind the front mainwheel in the first and second pics was for the weapons pylon - I have never seen it fitted, perhaps again, someone else can provided us with a pic of it attached (if ever it was).

sa_bushwar · 12 October 2014

This article appeared in the local Afrikaans press after the Gharra (Israeli UAV system) was shot down over Maputo in 1984. Launched from a secluded road in the Kruger National Park near Lower Sabie the mission was the post strike target assessment on an ANC facility bombed the previous day. It is said that after this was done, a female intelligence officer requested the pilot to scan over the harbour for an assessment of shipping traffic when a missile just missed the plane. The second missile struck home and downed the UAV. The Gharra was locally further developed to become the Seeker range of UAV's. The Eyrie in the picture in not related to the Seeker and the newspaper article could have been a deliberate intelligence diversion. The downing of the UAV caused a diplomatic outcry at the time.

sa_bushwar · 19 October 2014

Graugrun said:
Looking through the thread I am rather surprised that someone has not posted anything on good 'ol trusty rusty Alpha XH-1!

A first step, basic test bed with the intention to start developing the initial engineering skills and know-how needed for the later Rooivalk attack helicopter program. It got some basic risk reduction studies done, let the engineers try their hands on a small, safe, uncomplicated project etc. The design and manufacturing contract for the prototype was signed in March 1981, first flight of said prototype was on 3 Feb 1985.

BTW the orange dayglow 'pole' atop the main rotor head was meant for test and measurement purposes, however drag aside, it was discovered that this 'pole' had a very positive effect in damping the main rotor's vibration (quite important for accurate shooting/firing missiles, comfort and machine fatigue/stress). There was talk of taking a patent out on it - however I think the extra drag, visibility factors and perhaps complexities put paid to the idea - maybe someone else can tell us more on this...

The small rectangular 'hole' just behind the front mainwheel in the first and second pics was for the weapons pylon - I have never seen it fitted, perhaps again, someone else can provided us with a pic of it attached (if ever it was).

The insides-converted Alouette III.

sa_bushwar · 19 October 2014

sa_bushwar said:
Graugrun said:

Looking through the thread I am rather surprised that someone has not posted anything on good 'ol trusty rusty Alpha XH-1!

A first step, basic test bed with the intention to start developing the initial engineering skills and know-how needed for the later Rooivalk attack helicopter program. It got some basic risk reduction studies done, let the engineers try their hands on a small, safe, uncomplicated project etc. The design and manufacturing contract for the prototype was signed in March 1981, first flight of said prototype was on 3 Feb 1985.

BTW the orange dayglow 'pole' atop the main rotor head was meant for test and measurement purposes, however drag aside, it was discovered that this 'pole' had a very positive effect in damping the main rotor's vibration (quite important for accurate shooting/firing missiles, comfort and machine fatigue/stress). There was talk of taking a patent out on it - however I think the extra drag, visibility factors and perhaps complexities put paid to the idea - maybe someone else can tell us more on this...

The small rectangular 'hole' just behind the front mainwheel in the first and second pics was for the weapons pylon - I have never seen it fitted, perhaps again, someone else can provided us with a pic of it attached (if ever it was).

Click to expand...

The insides-converted Alouette III.

And the cockpits...

Graugrun · 19 October 2014

Very nice pics sa_bushwar - I've never seen the 'inside' of the Apha XH-1 as such - much appreciated! I should have mentioned in my above post that it was a modified (or heavily modified) French Alouette III (although I think most could have seen that).

Here is a small pic of what looks like a wind tunnel model of the Advanced Combat Wing, with wing-tip rails on a aerodynamic model of the Cheetah. At least that's what I'm sure it is....I got a little excited at first - thought it might just be something else...

! It was stuffed in a whole lot of tiny pics within a CSIR brochure on their wind tunnel expertise. I have on the odd occasion spotted some very interesting pics in amongst a bland collage of small pics on some brochures.

Pity it's so small - scanned at a high resolution for better scale - it's the best I can do.

sa_bushwar · 20 October 2014

Graugrun said:
Very nice pics sa_bushwar - I've never seen the 'inside' of the Apha XH-1 as such - much appreciated! I should have mentioned in my above post that it was a modified (or heavily modified) French Alouette III (although I think most could have seen that).

Here is a small pic of what looks like a wind tunnel model of the Advanced Combat Wing, with wing-tip rails on a aerodynamic model of the Cheetah. At least that's what I'm sure it is....I got a little excited at first - thought it might just be something else... ! It was stuffed in a whole lot of tiny pics within a CSIR brochure on their wind tunnel expertise. I have on the odd occasion spotted some very interesting pics in amongst a bland collage of small pics on some brochures.

Pity it's so small - scanned at a high resolution for better scale - it's the best I can do.

On the topic of wind tunnels - here is a wind tunnel model of a Mirage F1 with what appears to be some leading edge and nacelle modifications. Picture taken in 2000.

kaiserbill · 20 October 2014

Graugrun, I also sat up when I saw that pic. I thought it might have been one of the Carver wind tunnel models too.

Alas, it appears to be the Cheetah ACW wing with wingtip rails, as you mention. At least, I think it is...

SA Bushwar, I wonder if if there were any windtunnel models of the original Super Mirage F1.

Basically, from what I can gather the plan was to upgrade the Mirage F1's once the Cheetah C's were in service. The upgrade was to mirror the avionics of the Cheetah C. When the cockpit and avionics suite was designed and selected for the Cheetah C, they deliberately designed and kept compatability with the Super Mirage F1 in mind, according to a fellow from the SAAF forum who worked on the project.
According to him, amidst other tweaks, the nose was to have been changed to a similar style to the Cheetah C as it would have had the same radar, and there was a bulge at the base of the verticle stabilizer, similar to the F-16 or Lavi, housing extra avionics.

All this was to basically ensure commonality across a fleet of upgraded F1's and Cheetahs pending the eventually introduction of Carver.

sa_bushwar · 20 October 2014

kaiserbill said:
Graugrun, I also sat up when I saw that pic. I thought it might have been one of the Carver wind tunnel models too.

Alas, it appears to be the Cheetah ACW wing with wingtip rails, as you mention. At least, I think it is...

SA Bushwar, I wonder if if there were any windtunnel models of the original Super Mirage F1.

Basically, from what I can gather the plan was to upgrade the Mirage F1's once the Cheetah C's were in service. The upgrade was to mirror the avionics of the Cheetah C. When the cockpit and avionics suite was designed and selected for the Cheetah C, they deliberately designed and kept compatability with the Super Mirage F1 in mind, according to a fellow from the SAAF forum who worked on the project.
According to him, amidst other tweaks, the nose was to have been changed to a similar style to the Cheetah C as it would have had the same radar, and there was a bulge at the base of the verticle stabilizer, similar to the F-16 or Lavi, housing extra avionics.

All this was to basically ensure commonality across a fleet of upgraded F1's and Cheetahs pending the eventually introduction of Carver.

Also from DEXSA 2000 is this wind tunnel model of a Cheetah C. It does not appear to have the advanced leading edge.

kaiserbill · 20 October 2014

That's quite interesting.
It has an enlarged spine.

sa_bushwar · 20 October 2014

Close-up of the Cheetah leading edge...

Various aviation projects from South Africa

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