The "Kaman-12" was unveiled in early-2019 and is thought to have entered service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) in mid / late 2020. The type serves as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) role reportedly relying on modern optics, sensors, and systems. By all accounts, this entry is largely conventional in both form and function.
The core design of the Kaman-12 is traditional as modern ISR drones go: a twin-boom tail arrangement, with straight, high-mounted mainplanes, is used. The fuselage is centralized in the design with the nose section of rather bulbous shaping to house the avionics set. The mainplanes are capped by winglets and the twin booms run from the mainplane trailing edges rearwards, conjoined by a shared, high-mounted horizontal plane (supported by twin vertical rudders). The booms straddle the engine which has been arranged in "pusher" configuration driving a twin-bladed propeller unit. For ground-running, a simple wheeled, fixed tricycle undercarriage is fitted.
Based on published reports, the drone has a ferry range out to 1,245 miles while able to travel at speeds of 125 miles-per-hour, giving it some ten hours of continuous flight time. The cargo load can reach 220lb while the aircraft's MTOW is rated at 1,000lb. The aircraft operates from prepared runways / airfields and a waypoint-to-waypoint autonomous capability is assumed.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
✓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).
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
PUSHER-PROP
Design incorporates rear-facing pusher-prop arrangement, a contrast to the more conventional puller-prop layout.
RUGGED AIRFRAME
Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.
HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE
Can accelerate to higher speeds than average aircraft of its time.
EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.
UNMANNED OPERATION
Design features ability to fly sans pilot, actions controlled onboard through programming and / or ground-based operator.
AUTONOMOUS OPERATION
Design features autonomous flight operations made possible through onboard artificial intelligence or pre-programming.
CAMERA EQUIPMENT
Payload supports photographic equipment providing still and / or real-time image / video results.
Empty Wgt
772 lb (350 kg)
MTOW
992 lb (450 kg)
Wgt Diff
+220 lb (+100 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base IRIAF Kaman-12 production variant)
monoplane / shoulder-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Shoulder-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper section of the fuselage, generally at the imaginary line intersecting the pilot's shoulders.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base IRIAF Kaman-12 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Conventional engine driving two-bladed propeller unit in pusher arrangement.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base IRIAF Kaman-12 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 equipment related to the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) role.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings:
Kaman-12 - Base Series Designation.
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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