The flight tests of the VTOL UAV are due to be completed soon. The serial production and delivery phases are expected to start in 2022.
With a wingspan of 5 meters (16 feet), the UAV is capable of taking off from a 20-meter by 20-meter (66-foot by 66-foot) area. The new UAV can take off from any place, including naval or mobile platforms, and land at the same places.
The UAV has four electric engines to take off vertically and hover. Its internal combustion engine serves for flying and charging the vehicle’s battery. Thanks to its hybrid engine system, the UAV can fly up to 12 hours.
It has a take-off weight of 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and can carry 5 kilograms of payload.
Its operational altitude is 9,000 feet (2,743 meters), but it can fly up to 15,000 feet.
Baykar calls the VTOL as DIHA for its meaning in Turkish. It callsDIHA a Mini Tactical UAV class aircraft capable of carrying out activities for reconnaissance and intelligence missions.
The vehicle is capable of the automatic cruise, autonomous take-off, autonomous landing and semi-autonomous cruise flight. Bayraktar DIHA, after taking off with electric motors, will switch to cruise flight mode and only the fuel engine is going to be active in cruise flight mode. There are three options for landing: vertical landing, landing on fuselage and parachute landing. The aircraft has a flight control system that can perform automatic route tracking, target tracking, circling and return-to-home modes.
