The TR-60 represents another global entry into the rotary-wing world of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs). The vehicle is more precisely a tilt-rotor, neither true fixed-wing aircraft nor helicopter, and being designed for a plethora of military and civilian roles. Development is being handled by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) along with support from Korean Air. It was debuted at DX Korea in 2016 and is based on the Institute's "smart" TR-100 UAV tilt-rotor with program origins in 2002.
Autonomy is the name of the game with the TR-60 so take-off, landing, hover and travel actions can all be accomplished automatically. Furthermore, the tilt-rotor functionality of this UAS allows it to operate from confined spaces and from the decks of moving warships -all this while retaining the performance capabilities of a comparable fixed-wing UAS.
The air vehicle is largely arranged as a conventional aircraft relying on a centralized, rounded fuselage, wing mainplanes and a T-style tail unit. The horizontal planes of the tail unit are seated high atop the vertical tail fin. The wing mainplanes are mid-mounted at the fuselage sides and each contains a swiveling engine nacelle driving a three-bladed propeller unit. An optics/sensor blister is fitted to the fuselage's "chin" position and the undercarriage has been shown in several arrangements - a three-legged wheeled version, a four-legged wheeled version (main legs inline at centerline with outboard supporting legs) and a helicopter-type skid arrangement. A payload of about 30 kilograms is listed.
Dimensions of the aircraft include an overall length of 3 meters and a wingspan of 5 meters. Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) is 210 kilograms.
Power to the twin propeller configuration is by way of a 55 horsepower unit with drive shafts connecting the engines through the wing mainplanes. This provides the UAS with a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour reaching altitudes of 144,500 meters. Operational range (radius) is limited to 200 kilometers.
The TR-100 was a forerunner to the TR-60, developed over the period of ten years, and provided the framework for the new model. It promoted a maximum speed of 500 kmh, a payload capability up to 90 kilograms and an MTOW of 995 kilograms. With its introduction, the TR-100 marked South Korea as the second country in the world to produce a viable tilt-rotor UAS design - following the United States.
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July 2017 - On July 7th, 2017, the TR-60 UAS successfully demonstrated an automated take-off and landing from a moving ship.
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).
✓Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.
✓Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
Length
9.8 ft (3.00 m)
Width/Span
16.4 ft (5.00 m)
MTOW
463 lb (210 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base KARI TR-60 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Engine developing 55 horsepower and driving a pair of three-bladed tilting engine nacelles.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base KARI TR-60 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None. Mission fit to consist of optics and sensors as well as a 30 kilogram payload.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
TR-60 - Base Series Designation.
TR-100 - Dimensionally larger version with 995kg MTOW, 90kg payload capability and 500 kph maximum speed; Overall length of 5 meters.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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South Korea (possible)
