With Motor Sich engine: Bairaktar manufacturer tests drone for air combat

Defense Express reports.

Turkish company Baykar started tests with "run" of Kızılelma unmanned fighter, which precedes first flight of any aircraft. During these tests, operation of engine in dynamics, effect of vibration during movement on runway, transition to different operating modes and other aspects of machine are checked. At the same time, separation from earth's surface is not yet carried out.

If we take standard test procedure, then at the next stage a "run" will be carried out until take-off speed is reached. And after that - first flight will be made. Thus, this stage of testing is penultimate step to skies, Defense Express reports. According to the plan, first flight of Kızılelma is scheduled for 2023.

Kızılelma drones use AI-25TLT turbojet engine from Ukrainian Motor Sich company. This engine should provide this drone with fairly high flight characteristics - speed of up to 800 km/h, 5 hours in the air, maximum ceiling of up to 12 km and combat load of about one ton.

It is worth recalling that among main features of development is the ability of Kızılelma to conduct full-fledged aerial battle. And the production of this and other UAVs from Baykar is planned to be deployed, in particular, in Ukraine at the company's research and production center.