Turkish aerospace industry has made tremendous strides in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the military sphere in the past decade and this through several notable high-profile designs (including its TAI "Anka" line detailed elsewhere on this site). The next logical step becomes indigenous design, development, and manufacture of a combat-capable (UCAV) able to deliver precision munitions at altitude and range. This role is set to be fulfilled by the Baykar Makina "Akinci" which was unveiled at its assembly facility in mid-2018. As it stands, the company hopes to record a first-flight in 2020 and begin deliveries in 2021.
The design carries a twin-turboprop propulsion scheme (each engine driving five-bladed propeller units). The engines are set outboard of a centralized fuselage structure. The wing mainplanes are cranked upwards towards the engine mounts and sport winglets at their tips as a fuel-efficiency measure. A single vertical tailfin is featured at the rear of the aircraft. The frontal section of the fuselage houses the optics (Aselsan Cats) and avionics fit. Under each wing will be three hardpoints (totaling six weapon stations in all) and these will be cleared to carry and deliver in-service Turkish Air Force ordnance such as Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) as well as Mk 82-type conventional and precision-guided drop bombs. Full SATellite COMmunications (SATCOM) will be featured in the design. The external carrying capacity is set to become up to 900 kilograms with an internal option for an additional 450 kilograms.
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December 2019 - The Akinci UAV completed its first flight on December 6th, 2019, originating from Corfu Airport near Istanbul. The flight covered some sixteen minutes in the air.
May 2021 - Baykar Makina has flown, for the first time, a production-quality version of its Akinci MALE UAV.
August 2021 - The Akinci has formally entered service with the Turkish military through four early examples, two for Army service and two for the Air Force.
April 2022 - It was reported that the Akinci prototype had successfully engaged a mock target at sea for the first time.
GROUND ATTACK
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
MARITIME / NAVY
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.
UNMANNED
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
65.6 ft (20.00 meters) Width/Span
9,921 lb (4,500 kilograms) Empty Weight
14,330 lb (6,500 kilograms) Maximum Take-Off Weight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represents the most popular modern mainplane arrangement.
Mid-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted along the midway point of the sides of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
2 x TEI PD170 turboprop engine developing 550 horsepower and driving five-bladed propellers in puller / tractor arrangement. Propulsion
Internal mission payload of up to 450 kilograms and external weapons payload of up to 900-950 kilograms.
Planned support for 2 x Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) held underwing as well as 4 x Mk 82 series conventional drop and laser-guided / precision-guided bombs.
6 Hardpoints
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardpoints Key:
Centerline
Wingroot(L)
Wingroot(R)
Wing
Wingtip
Internal
Not Used
Akina - Base Series Name.
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
44
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 200mph
Lo: 100mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (186mph).
Graph average of 150 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
Unit Production (1)
1
36183
44000
Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).
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Images
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Image from official Baykar marketing materials.
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