SMALL-SIZED TURBOJET ENGINES AND THEIR COMBAT APPLICATION IN UNMANNED AVIATION

Abstract

The relevance of the work is due to the urgent need to respond to the changing nature of the combat operations of unmanned aircraft of Ukraine by timely development of preliminary measures of both tactical and technical content. The purpose of the work is to draw attention to the expansion of the possibilities of using unmanned aircraft with a small turbojet engine (MTRE) as a propulsion system. The task of the work is to analyze the features of the MTRE workflow and design, determine its advantages and disadvantages, features of operational characteristics and scope of application on military drones. Research methods include the study and analysis of literature, statistical data, information and reports from the front on the Internet. The analysis of the combat operations in the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine showed the unforeseen in terms of scale and consequences of the use of unmanned aircraft in them. This caused fundamental changes in the tactics of military operations, and subsequently in the organizational structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The paper considers the possibilities of increasing the effectiveness of the use of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the strike type. The features of the design, control and operation of existing drones and their engines are presented. It analyzes how the nature of the combat use of strike drones on the front and in the enemy's near rear changed during the four years of the war. Technical and tactical factors are identified that significantly weaken the combat capabilities of helicopter-type aircraft with a battery engine, which are operated by the AFU. To take these factors into account, it is proposed to massively introduce aircraft-type strike drones with MTRD as an engine into combat operations. The main advantage of such an engine is its ability to provide high maneuverability, speed and flight altitude of the UAV, while providing a significant load on board in the form of ammunition and fuel. According to the most general operational characteristics of the UAV, its take-off weight and engine type, MTRD is most suitable for light and medium-class drones. The use of a strike drone with MTRD is usually one-time or, at least, multiple. Therefore, the choice of parameters of the working process and engine design must ensure its technical resource that would correspond to the short life cycle of the attack UAV. In this case, the engine becomes structurally simple and cheap to manufacture, although less economical than a full-size turbojet.