European RPV and UAV projects from the 70's

[Matej]

UAU! In 1976!!

VFW-Fokker has now published a proposal for an unmanned
attack aircraft which could be cost-effective in
preparing heavily defended target areas for attack by
manned aircraft. It would also be capable of penetrating
up to 100km into enemy territory from behind the friendly
SAM missile belt. Three stages of sensor and controlsystem
sophistication are proposed, ranging from today's
established technology to a remote target-seeking and
attack capability. The aircraft would have a single turbojet
mounted above the fuselage and could carry bombs
or missiles in a semi-submerged centreline weapon station.
Gross weight would be 2,000kg (4,4001b), weapon load
500kg (1,1001b), top speed Mach 0.9 at 100m (320ft), and
radius of action 300km (180 miles).
The first-stage aircraft would have a basic low-flying
system designed to keep it at under 300ft. A strappeddown
inertial system would be updated by terrain
terraincomparison
(Tercom) radar and beacons to fly the aircraft
over a programmed stationary target within the coverage
of a BL.755 cluster bomb or a Rockeye weapon. The
aircraft would take off and land on a normal undercarriage,
making automatic landings with the aid of the
German Setag or Mitag microwave landing systems. Peacetime
training would require virtually no flying, as is the
case with current missile batteries.
The second-stage VFW-Fokker unmanned aircraft would
add to the first the Sensor System fur Vorausgewahltes
Sehen (Sevas), embodying FLIR and a ranging and
tracking laser. The 40 FLIR detectors, having a + 20°
vision arc, would pick up any infra-red-radiating target
once they were turned on at the end of a programmed
approach flight. Then, without any telemetred contact with
the control station, the weapon would be released on
the target. The FLIR would simply provide a degree of
last-minute automatic detection and the laser would help
solve the aiming equation. Alternatively, the aircraft could
be set to detect and attack a target illuminated by a
ground-based laser designator. Sevas would give the aircraft
a degree of "intelligence," but it could be diverted
by decoy targets.
Only at the third stage is a live air-to-ground data link
envisaged. The link would be triggered to transmit a still
picture to the ground operator whenever the Sevas detected
a heat-radiating target. The operator would quickly
examine the picture and simply reply "Attack" or
"Ignore." It is felt that he would not have time to observe
a continuous visual image or to exercise real-time control.
The aircraft could also carry passive-warning radar to
identify transmitting SAM vehicles amidst a large
armoured force.
The low data rate of the proposed link might allow
the use of HF or even lower frequencies, which would
eliminate the need for line-of-sight contact. Control range
could be extended 200km (120 miles) into enemy territory
and there would be no need for airborne relay
stations. Countermeasures would be made extremely difficult
by both the low frequency and the low transmission
rate.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1976/1976%20-%200763.html

 

[Antonio]

Dornier projects

Source: Flug Revue July 1977

Models shown at Le Bourget 77

 

[Matej]

Barracuda!

 

[Antonio]

VFW-Fokker

Source: Flug Revue Setember 1976

 

[AeroFranz]

what are the cylindrical objects under the belly?
[edit: semi-submerged payload]

 

[Matej]

Yay, my 2000th post here. Hope it is worth the number. To complete the collection, here are the Dornier and MBB proposals, known also as the LA-RPV (Luft Angriffs RPV). Found thanks to Dr. Jürgen Engel from EADS LFK. The description of the program (to be updated in the next few days) is here:

http://www.hitechweb.genezis.eu/UCAV03.htm

 

[Matej]

A7430598 I Experimental system for future remotely
piloted vehicles. J. Spintryk. Dornier-Post (English Edition), no. 2,
1974, p. 22-25.
Unmanned remote-controlled combat aircraft, known as re-
'motely piloted vehicles or RPVr. may well acquire great importance,
alongside the conventional manned aircraft. The German armed
fwces could save upkeep costs in peacetime with the aid of RF'Js.
Oefence capability would not suffer thereby. since RPVs promise
greater efficiency iri operation. An especially rntererting aspect IS the
UY of RPVs agaimt attacking armored units and other strongly
;defended ground taigets in thn combat area. The RPV system
:envisaged by Dornier ;onsis!s 01 one or more vehicles, a flying relay
lsta1ion. and a mobile grouiiu control station.

A7534725 System concept and key problems concerning
pilotless, remotely-controlled combat aircraft UKF (Systernkonzept
,urd Schldsselprobleme unbemannter. ferngelenkter Karnpfflugzeuge
/UKF). J. Spintzyk and P. S.arke (Dornier GmbH, Friedrichshafen.
Jahrest,Jgfing. 7rh, Kiel, West Gcrnlany, Sepr. 17.19, 1974, Paper
' 74.076~8. 2 p. 19 refs. In German.
Pilotless, remotely-controlled flight vehicles show great promise
'for combat missions involving strongly defended ground .%gets. An
employment of such unmanned aircraft is considered in the Tase of
'typical area targets in connection with the provision of air support
and missions which have the objective to isolate the combat area. A
;description of the considered vehicle concept is given. Key prob!ems
'are related to target recognition. data transmission, target search at
the proiection screen, flight control, and vehicle navigation.
Attention i s also given to an experimental system for the study of
the various problem areas.

http://www.osti.gov/bridge/purl.cover.jsp;jsessionid=00C876E624865F4D46EC2C6C209E9A5F?purl=/573396-ykvpaP/webviewable/

Does anybody have access to this?

 

[boxkite]

Photographed on Thursday in the Luftfahrtmuseum Wernigerode. Sorry, but no descriptions on the models .

 

[fightingirish]

From Flug-Revue, June 1976, page 30.

 

[hesham]

Hi,


here is the Fokker-VFW RPV,but I don't know what was its name ?.


Flieger Revue 3/1979

 

[fightingirish]

MBB UAV model against heavy defended targets.


It looks like a tiltrotor, but that assumption or any other information is not mentioned in the article.


Source: Interavia (German) - October 1978, page 907

 

[hesham]

Great find my dear Rolf.

 

[Jemiba]

As an UCAV intended "to attack strongly defended targets", as mentioned in the caption,
it probably would have flown one-way missions, I think. And VTOL wouldn't have been
really useful then.

 

[moin1900]

MBB Luftangriffs-RPV Studie
http://retro.seals.ch/digbib/view?pid=asm-004:1979:145::456

VFW-500 submunition
Patent DE 2822355
Transport und Abschussbehaelter
http://www.google.com/patents/DE2822355A1?cl=en

 

[hesham]

From L+K 15/1976,

the VFW VF-500.

 

[hesham]

From L+K 23/1977.

 

[hesham]

From JAWA 1980/81.

 

[Voltzz]

Found two articles in the Dornier Post with some detail on the different configuration they played with for the Luftrangriffs-RPV
Do-Post_77-2
Do-Post_78-3

 

[Roland55]

Hi, the other day I saw this pic online and tried to look for what it was (only info i had was that it was a Dornier Drone), probably the first time i saw something like that on a G.91.

Asked around and they sent me this, turns out its a "Dornier RPV-TZE"

I couldn't find much else about it, let alone dates.