At the MAKS-2015 air show, the Kronstadt group of companies (an aviation division brought under separate management as a result of the reorganization of the Transas group of companies) presented the high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Fregat. The main feature of the Fregat are rotary engines, which make it possible to classify the UAV as a tiltrotor categories...
According to its creators, the device will be able to perform vertical takeoff and landing, as well as take off and land like an airplane. This makes it possible to use it in the absence of prepared sites and airports. The "Frigate" will be able to carry from 1 (for helicopter take-off) to 1.7 (for airplane take-off) tons of payload and stay in the air for up to 10 hours. At the same time, its speed will reach 600-700 km/h, inaccessible for modern helicopters.
The device is planned to be used for aerial reconnaissance missions and for the transfer of cargo. As Kronstadt representatives stated, serial production of the Frigates will be launched by 2022, and the Advanced Research Fund (PRF) and VEB will take part in financing the development.
A prototype of the multi-purpose heavy vertical take-off and landing drone "Fregat" is planned to be created by 2020. Vadim Smirnov, General Director of Aviation Technologies JSC (part of the Kronstadt group of companies), told TASS about this. “We are seriously developing the project of a civilian version of the Fregat drone for multi-purpose use. A prototype will be created approximately around 2020,” - he said.
"Fregat" is a heavy drone, and on its basis it is planned to develop a whole line of such devices weighing over 1 ton, Smirnov noted. Their range will be over 1 thousand kilometers. Such a drone will be able to stay in the air for up to 8-10 hours. According to Smirnov, an experimental flight model has recently been tested. “It has a very serious payload capacity and a flight speed of over 500 km/h; it is an aircraft-type UAV, but is capable of landing and taking off both from a standstill and from limited areas with a short takeoff run,” the agency’s interlocutor noted. He clarified that the drone is being developed on an initiative basis; it can be offered to customers not only in Russia, but also abroad. “The scope of application of such a drone is extremely wide. This includes the oil and gas industries, monitoring, and cargo transportation,” explained the head of the company. According to him, the most effective use of the Fregat will be in areas where airfield infrastructure is not developed, for example, in the Arctic. At the same time, the possibility of deck-based deployment is provided for law enforcement agencies. “The control of such a device is as automatic as possible, although in the future it is possible to create an optionally manned version,” summed up the agency’s interlocutor.
The Kronstadt company has created a flying model of the Fregat unmanned tiltrotor. Vladimir Voronov, deputy general director of the company and head of the Center for Advanced Research, spoke about this in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Kronstadt has created a drone that can fly both like an airplane and like a helicopter. Thanks to this quality, its flight range is increased three times compared to a helicopter drone,” Voronov said.
He noted that by combining the qualities of an airplane and a helicopter, the flight range of the drone will be increased. According to Voronov, this type of tiltrotor design is a global trend. “The vertical take-off vehicle is the holy grail of modern aviation. Agusta Westland and Lockheed Martin, as well as other world aviation leaders, are working on this,” Voronov emphasized.
“The creation of a flying model demonstrates the feasibility of the concept of creating a device of a similar design as a whole, which in turn opens the way to starting work on heavier variants of UAVs - unmanned aerial vehicles,” Denis Fedutinov, an expert in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, told the agency.
The Fregat tiltrotor is designed for aerial monitoring, cargo delivery and aerial work at long distances from troop bases. Depending on the configuration, the take-off weight of the device during vertical take-off ranges from 500 kg to 1400 kg, and during horizontal take-off - from 650 to 1800 kg.
The payload of the drone varies from 125 to 300 kg. The wingspan is from 4 to 7 m. The flight speed is on average 60-70 km/h. The flight range ranges from 1.5 to 3 km. The flight duration is from 4 to 7 hours.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of Russia, Colonel General Viktor Bondarev, said that in Russia they began to work on the creation of heavy UAVs and tiltrotors for army needs.
“Work in Russia is going on in all directions: small, medium, large unmanned aerial vehicles, and tiltrotors,” Bondarev said. According to him, in the future, drones will work in a unified control system and perform tasks in a “flock.” He noted that the creation of such a network-centric system will further reduce the cost of training drone operators.
“The unmanned topic is developing. Be that as it may, it is more expensive to train a pilot than to install a good autopilot on a plane. If an operator can already control one or two drones, then over time, with the development of the ground component, he will be able to control five or even ten devices, so it will be even cheaper,” added the commander-in-chief of the Aerospace Forces.
The Kronstadt Group presented at the Robotization in the Armed Forces exhibition a complex of unmanned systems, including the promising non-airfield-based Fregat UAV, Stanislav Vartanyan, head of the external communications department of the Kronstadt Group, told the Zvezda TV channel. “The device was created according to the tiltrotor design. and combines the capabilities of a helicopter scheme - vertical take-off, as well as the advantages of an aircraft scheme - greater speed and flight range,” said Vartanyan. “Frigate” is intended for the dispersed use of aviation forces and assets in areas with no airfield infrastructure, as well as for deck-based solving problems of ships and naval formations. Vertical takeoff and landing are provided by rotary high-pressure fans. Moreover, the device is presented in two dimensions. The model with a wingspan of seven meters has a maximum flight range of 3,000 kilometers, and a maximum take-off weight for vertical take-off is 1,400 kilograms. At the same time, the “Fregat” can stay in the air for up to seven hours. Vartanyan clarified that the use of the “Fregat”, which is being developed as part of the Aeronet roadmap of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, is not limited only to the military sphere. “Its application is quite wide - any tasks associated with unmanned aerial vehicles in conditions of limited ground infrastructure. Since the device does not need a runway, it can carry out tasks in hard-to-reach areas of the Arctic, where there is no developed airfield infrastructure,” Vartanyan explained. He also added that deck-based deployment can be carried out not only in the interests of the Ministry of Defense, but also in the interests of the offshore mining. “In this case, deck-based can be expressed in an oil-loading platform, and the helipad with which the platforms are usually equipped is quite enough to fulfill the entire set of aviation tasks,” Vartanyan said. So far, according to him, the state order for the device is not yet available, but there is quite a lot of interest in it. In addition, Vartanyan said, the company presented at the exhibition a small-sized unmanned complex “Vyakhir”, which allows you to perform any range of tasks that is not associated with a large payload. This device can monitor buildings and structures, monitoring of road situations and public events, environmental monitoring, monitoring in the interests of agriculture, as well as solving a whole range of tasks for search and rescue operations. The device, weighing six kilograms, can carry an infrared camera, a digital video camera, a high-resolution photo camera, a multispectral camera and measurement equipment. “We are also developing different payload options for unmanned systems, both for those that are being developed in our group and in general for the drone industry. One of these developments is an airborne radar complex,” said a representative of the Kronstadt group. In addition to unmanned systems, the company presented at the exhibition a universal manipulator that allows you to control manned UAVs. It is a robotic arm with which the operator controls the UAV and payload. 
Photo: Kronstadt Group
During the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2015, the Kronstadt Group presented a promising high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle without an airfield base, Fregat.
As part of the program for creating unmanned aerial systems, JSC Kronstadt is starting to develop a high-speed UAV without an airfield base, the Fregat. According to the technical design, the Fregat will combine the versatility of vertical takeoff and landing with the flight performance characteristics of the aircraft design, which will make it possible to carry out aerial work in areas with undeveloped aviation infrastructure at a great distance from their bases, the company explained.
The Fregat UAV, designed to solve aerial reconnaissance and cargo delivery tasks, will be capable of carrying up to 1,700 kg of payload during airplane takeoff and up to 1,000 kg during helicopter takeoff. The maximum flight altitude will be 8000 meters, the expected duration is about 10 hours.
The project will be implemented in several stages. At the first stage, a flight demonstrator model is created to test the main technical solutions. At the second stage, the development and testing of an experimental model of limited capabilities based on a serial aircraft engine is carried out. Depending on the results of the second stage, a decision will be made to carry out R&D to create a prototype, the company noted.
At all stages of the project, the resources and competencies of the Kronstadt Group will be used, obtained during the implementation of other projects in the field of development, production and operation of unmanned systems.
“The development of a UAV without an airfield base, Fregat, meets modern trends in the development of aviation technology,” noted Nikolai Dolzhenkov, general director of the unmanned division of Kronstadt JSC. “A device with similar characteristics has serious prospects and will be in demand by a wide range of consumers to perform various tasks: from air monitoring to prompt delivery of goods.”
“Serial production of the Fregat will be launched in 2022,” Dolzhenkov added.
CHARACTERISTICS
Span, m: 19, with folded consoles - 10;
Height, m: 3.1;
Flight duration, hours: 10;
Practical range, km: 5000;
Max payload during takeoff according to aircraft, kg: 1700;
Max payload for vertical take-off, kg: 1000;
Take-off weight during vertical take-off, kg: 7000;
Flight speed range km/h: 0-600;
Maximum flight altitude, m: 8000
In terms of energy, a three-stage implementation is envisaged:
-demonstration model with electric drive;
- a model with a diesel engine, which will allow you to realize a size of about 1500 kg;
- ultimately, the TV7-117 engine will be used, which will ensure the operation of UAVs up to 7000 kg in size, while providing propeller thrust - 2 x 4.3 t.s., fenestron - 125 kW, rate of climb during vertical take-off - 5 m/s.
At all stages, an existing (serial) main engine will be used to reduce the cost of work.
"Frigate"
The presented project of the Fregat UAV is the development of a longer-term perspective.
“Its creation is being carried out jointly with the Advanced Research Foundation (APF) and Vnesheconombank (VEB). The device is a concentration of innovative technologies based on high-pressure lifting and sustaining fans developed jointly with TsAGI,” Nikolai Dolzhenkov described the highlights of the project. In addition, he considered the manufacturing of the airframe structure using coal infusion technology and a new integrated control system (ICS) to be the advanced components of the project.
The high-speed non-airfield-based UAV “Fregat” (the company prefers not to pronounce the term “convertiplane”), according to Dolzhenkov, will be able to combine the advantages of an airplane and a helicopter due to vertical take-off and greater transport efficiency compared to a helicopter. The speed of the UAV will reach 600...700 km/h, which is not feasible on a helicopter aircraft. Vertical take-off/landing will allow the device to be used in areas with poorly developed infrastructure, for example, in Western and Eastern Siberia, at a great distance from its base (practical range - 5000 km). The aircraft will be able to be used to solve aerial reconnaissance and cargo delivery tasks and will be capable of carrying up to 1,700 kg of payload during an airplane takeoff and up to 1,000 kg during a vertical takeoff. The maximum flight altitude will be 8000 meters, and the duration will be about 10 hours.
“A device with similar characteristics has serious prospects and will be in demand by a wide range of consumers to perform various tasks: from aerial monitoring to operational delivery,” said Nikolai Dolzhenkov, general director of the unmanned business of Kronstadt JSC, regarding the range of potential customers and operators. “Marketing work has been carried out: we are talking with Gazprom on this topic, Yug-Neft, and other enterprises, and we see a certain interest.” Of course, this is not advertised, but such an ambitious project cannot be focused only on the civilian market, which is still limited to individual needs due to the specifics and price of such a UAV. Well-known expert in the field of UAVs Denis Fedutinov points to this: “If successfully implemented, the device will be able to find application both in military tasks and in the civilian sphere.” Of course, it is only a coincidence that the stars of the Russian Air Force were displayed on the wing of the presented model.
According to the press release, the project will be implemented in several stages. At the first stage, it is planned to create a flight demonstrator model to test the main technical solutions. At the second stage - to develop and test an experimental model with limited capabilities based on a serial aircraft engine. Next, depending on the results of the second stage, a decision will be made to carry out R&D to create a prototype. In words, Dolzhenkov described this process as follows: “we have a clear step-by-step work plan that ensures the creation of a conceptual model, a demonstration sample, carrying out R&D and entering mass production after 2022.” Currently, the company is just starting development.
Already from the preliminary (by the way, patented) layout of the presented model, one can see that the device will have a very original design. Regarding the features of the power plant, it became known that two lifting propulsion fans in a profiled ring will receive multi-bladed variable-pitch propellers with an independently controlled rotation drive. The power plant will include one engine with a torque transmission unit (mechanical gearbox). Pitch control will be carried out using a fenestron engine located in the rear fuselage. Dolzhenkov noted that the energy plan envisages a three-stage implementation: a demonstration model with an electric drive; a model with a diesel engine, which will make it possible to realize a size of about 1500 kg; Ultimately, the TV7-117 engine will be used, which will ensure the operation of UAVs up to 7000 kg in size, while providing propeller thrust of 2 x 4.3 tf, fenestron of 125 kW, rate of climb during vertical take-off - 5 m/s. At all stages, an existing (serial) main engine will be used to reduce the cost of work.
Characteristics of the UAV "Fregat" (plate):
Swing - 19 m
Swing with folded consoles - 10 m
Height - 3.1 m
Flight duration - 10 hours
Practical range - 5000 km
Max. payload, during airplane takeoff - 1700 kg
Max. payload, with vertical take-off - 1000 kg
Max. fuel mass - 2400 kg
Take-off weight (vertical take-off) - 7000 kg
Flight speed range - 0…600 km/h
Maximum altitude - 8000 m