RAF buys spy planes to monitor enemies from the sky

[XV277]

Ta. I tried clicking on the second .

Dratted interweb!

I note the 'Royal Air Force' is not in the corporate style. No doubt a strongly worded memo is called for.

[barnstormer1968]

XV277

Thanks for agreeing with my post #62

Plus, I am an old school interpreter and I still can't see the RAF logo, but I guess I won't lose too much sleep over the whole issue.

[Woff1965]

How much does it cost to uplink all those platforms by satellite. I mean does the MOD have its own comms sats with enough bandwidth to cope with all these netcentric platforms or do they have to pay commercial rates for this.

[CirrusF]

Announcement on Diamond website about further orders for DA42MPPS

Diamond Aircraft :: Major break through for Diamond Airborne Sensing; UK MoD operates DA42MPPs

Major break through for Diamond Airborne Sensing; UK MoD operates DA42MPPs

The Royal Air Force is conducting surveillance operations with Airborne Sensing’s DA42MPP in the UK and other parts of the world.
The Austrian produced DA42MPP is a modern composite low maintenance aircraft, powered by two turbocharged JETA1 fuel engines, with a total fuel flow of 4,4 US GAL per hour.
On the aircraft side, the de-icing option to fly in known icing conditions, the oxygen system to go up to 18.000ft, the Traffic Advisory System to avoid near misses, and the passive surveillance kit, lowering the noise, the thermal signature and the daylight recognition to a stealth level, allows to operate the platform in all possible flight and weather conditions.

The platform with its endurance of up to 13 hours, when loitering over the target area and a range of about 1.200NM is the perfect long endurance surveillance tool for any kind of observation mission like homeland security, surveillance, border control and costal surveillance.
The Multi Purpose Platform carries a gyro-stabilized daylight and thermal video camera, like the MX15i from L3 Wescam, the Star Safire III from Flir or the Polytech’s Ultra Force 350, a line-of-sight downlink system for high quality transfers with a range of more than 100NM and other radios like UHF or a VHF and even military radios.
Since the platforms started transmitting crystal clear stable pictures each flew more than 1000hrs in less than four months without any problems. The all weather capabilities turned out to be an important factor.
Diamond Airborne Sensing expects a follow-up order for 2009 of six more complete surveillance systems

[Tester07]

Surveillance

A far better option!

[Truckkie]

Who's flying them?

[Biggus]

I fail to see how any company can see a sale to the UK MOD as a "major breakthrough".

If they really want minuscule orders, from a customer who probably pays as late as possible, then I suppose they have made a major breakthrough...!!

[Warmtoast]

The platform with its endurance of up to 13 hours, when loitering over the target area and a range of about 1.200NM is the perfect long endurance surveillance tool for any kind of observation mission

13 hours in the WSO's seat shown here:

Diamond Aircraft GmbH

Rather him than me!

..and is it certified for IFR flight?
ISTR that Diamond's Katana composite bodied trainer is not certified for IFR flight due to the lack of lightning protection.

[CirrusF]

13 hours in the WSO's seat shown here:

Diamond Aircraft GmbH

Rather him than me!

There is a better configuration than shown in that photograph. Some other aircraft I have seen have the entire RHS front seat removed and replaced with a purpose built operator unit, giving much more room.

..and is it certified for IFR flight?

Yes, but only really suitable for "IFR Lite" - ie IFR "on top" but with ability to climb and descend through weather at terminals. The TKS de-icing system works very well, but only has 2.5 hours endurance, and a lot less on maximum setting. I have once flown on through a big thunderstorm and it was scary. It has a lightly loaded high-aspect wing so it is very lively in severe turbulence and maximum roll rate can easily be exceeded. A colleague behind me in an identical plane lost an engine possibly due to storm discharge, and did will to get down in one piece. There is a stormscope fitted as an option but it is not really accurate enough to thread your way through embedded thunderstorms in a big frontal system. One was lost in a thunderstorm in Germany ASN Aircraft accident 15-APR-2008 Diamond DA42 Twin Star D-GLLL. They are definitely not as "all weather" as say a Pilatus or a King Air. But having said that, you maybe won't be wanting to fly a surveillance plane in a severe storm anyway.

I fail to see how any company can see a sale to the UK MOD as a "major breakthrough".

It is a very prestigious customer. I know that there are several other smaller European militaries and para-militaries following the progress of the UK order with a lot of interest.

Who's flying them?

There was speculation earlier in the thread that they may be operated by civilian contractor pilots.

[L J R]

err, I have got to ask you Cirrus, ..... What the FXXXCkk were you flying into a thunderstorm for?

[CirrusF]

err, I have got to ask you Cirrus, ..... What the FXXXCkk were you flying into a thunderstorm for?

It was embedded. I couldn't see it until I was in it. That was the flight when I explored the limitations of the stormscope

[Daysleeper]

the Traffic Advisory System to avoid near misses

Shurley some mishtake?

[will fly for food 06]

Just renewed my IR on a DA42. Cant imagine sitting in it for 13 hours.

[CirrusF]

Cant imagine sitting in it for 13 hours.

It has been done!

Diamond Aircraft :: Operation Pegasus - Airborne 13 Hours Non-Stop

The pilot who did it is about 6'7" too.

[will fly for food 06]

Ah I see he has got a bigger canopy than standard. Cruise speed of 76kts that just what you need in Iraq.

[hudjunkie]

Its a Loiter speed not cruise speed

Fly for beans, the 76 Kts is a loiter speed, not a Cruise speed. Pulling the thrtls back allows the Fuel Flow to turn into a gentle trickle, thus giving the exceptional endurance.

[will fly for food 06]

Il try that. At 70% you get 140kts IAS and 10 gals an hour. I flew recently at the same place some of the pilots were getting trained up on the DA42.

[CirrusF]

Il try that. At 70% you get 140kts IAS and 10 gals an hour.

That's with the old Thielert engines. The new Austro-Engine gives 20% more power for the same fuel consumption. Cruise IAS is about 160kts, and climb about 1400ft/min, all with a 50kg higher MTOW. Also 100% power available to a density altitude of 10000ft, as opposed to 6000ft with the Thielerts.

[will fly for food 06]

Interesting, thank you for the figures.

[Cloud Chaser]

The three airframes mentioned earlier in the thread are all fitted with "Thielert TAE 125-02-99" engines. At least they were very recently.
I could understand a refit, but not this early in their life.

will fly for food - were the guys being trained at the same airfield depicted in the photos above?