How feasible would be taking a M346 or Yak130 or some similar plane design and turning it into a dedicated unmanned recon aircraft?
The cockpit looking part in the drawing is not a cockpit. It's a large satellite dish cover. Basically, the spot where 2 seats were is partially filled with electronics and comms, and partially by additional fuel tanks. (another 500 kg of fuel, for 2500 kg total internal fuel?) Forward of that area is a new nose, taking the U-2's concept of interchangable noses. So there can be a rotatable radar sensor in the nose, or a rotatable EO sensor and so on.
Other than that, the plane would try to retain as many old parts as possible, for quick production, ease of development etc. Not sure how much problem would rebalancing of the weights involve, or how much aerodynamic impact would a new nose and new cockpit like cover involve. Given the subsonic speeds and not demanding maneuvers, hopefully not too much. I read that Syers2 optical sensor on the U-2 weighs 400-500 kg, which doesn't seem like too much, but then again, it is positioned quite a bit forward on this concept plane. (Grifo 346 radar is allegedly just 100 kg)
M346 allegedly has a flight ceiling of 13 km, so this shouldn't be that far behind? And 2500 km ferry range might translate to like 4 hours of flight endurance with tanks? that's quite low, so hopefully additional fuel tanks might provide another hour or so. Is that realistic? Even 5 hours is still low for recon, probably not offering more than 3 or so hours on station but it's better than nothing.
But, we've added approximately a ton of equipment and fuel, while we deleted the radar, the cockpit equipment, pilots, the canopy and slightly streamlined the forward section. Canopy might be like 200 kg, pilots another 200 kg, seats another 150 kg, and the rest of the cockpit probably a few hundred kg more? Not sure the actual total would be a net positive.
