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| The Neuron UCAV is Europe only cooperative combat drone programme. Amazingly enough, this combat drone ressembles a sclaed-down Northrop B-2 bomber, a testimony at Northrop's excellence in creating advanced concepts © Dassault-Aviation |
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Neuron UCAV enters definition phase
By Antoine Philippe
in Paris, France
On June 12th, 2007, in Paris, the Neuron Strategic Board consisting of representatives from the armament procurement services of Italy (Segredifesa), Sweden (FMV), Spain (DGAM), Greece (GDDAI), Switzerland (Armasuisse) and France (DGA) reported having decided on the launch of the future UCAV's 'definition phase' for an amount of 130 M.
The definition phase, with a 19 month duration, is aiming at validating the UCAV concept, and to freeze the overall shape of the demonstrator including its subsystems and their interfaces. This phase will be followed by the development and assembly of the first and only Neuron demonstrator for a first flight planned in the first half of 2011. In-flight tests will take place in France, in Sweden then in Italy during nearly one year and a half.
This stage follows the feasibility phase carried out during the first fifteen months of the programme, performed jointly by Alenia Aeronautica, SAAB, EADS CASA, HAI, RUAG Aerospace, Thales and Dassault Aviation, which is the prime contractor of this joint-venture. Feasibility tasks were led within the framework of technological roadmaps linked to innovative aeronautical domains such as stealthness, flight control of a tailless vehicle, open modular avionics or development of internal weapon bays.
The process has made it possible to make significant breakthroughs relating to the precise definition of external volumes, manufacturing of stealth materials, avionics architecture and choice of the engine which is based on the purchase of an off-the-shelf fighter engine: this advances ensure waiving of the main program risks bound to the most advanced technologies. Those were accomplished according to the initial program schedule particularly thanks to the fulfilment of various wind tunnel tests, stealth level measurements in anechoic chamber and laboratory technological tests.
It should be recalled that the first Neuron wind tunnel testing carried out by Saab is currently in progress. The testing involves high speed testing up to the speed of sound. A 1:16 scale steel model has been installed in the wind tunnel belonging to the Forces Research Institute (FOI) in Stockholm. The model is tested in the same conditions as the real aircraft will later be subject to. During the testing, pressure is pumped into the wind tunnel. The tests aim at verifying that the aircraft can be controlled and steered inside the entire flight envelope, and that requirements with regards to air resistance and maximum air power at higher speeds are fulfilled
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Wind tunnel test campaigns of the feasibility phase aim at defining external and internal shapes of the Neuron project, in order to reach the best compromise between aerodynamic behaviour in the whole flight domain engine functioning and stealthiness.
Complementary to the Stockholm FOI testings, different compaigns have been done since two years :
Preliminary test in June 2005.
Two low speed tests at Emmen in Switzerland in 2006 in partnership with RUAG Aerospace.
Three air in take tests in 2006 and 2007 at S2 ONERA Modane in France.
One low speed test in March 2007 at F1 ONERA Fauga in France.
With the positive results gained all along these different tests, the Neuron shapes are validated and almost frozen.
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| Scaled down model of the European UCAV drone now under test in Sweden in the FOI high speed wind tunnel © SAAB |
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