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ATAK-2 helicopter starts engine for the first time

The Heavy Class Attack Helicopter, popularly known as "ATAK-2", started its engine for the first time.

Mehmet Yılmaz, Chief Product Engineer of the Heavy Class Attack Helicopter Project, told AA correspondent that he has been working at TAI for 13 years and has assumed responsibility in many helicopter development and modernization projects carried out by the company.

Pointing out that the ATAK-2 Project was signed in 2019, and that they officially started work as of April, even though there were activities before, Yılmaz said: "We had a very fast development process. We had a very fast design process. About two years ago, an early flight decision was taken. We started and accelerated our work in line with the early flight decision. We have been producing parts and procuring equipment for about a year. For the last 3-4 months, we have carried out the fuselage assembly and final assembly of our helicopter."

Emphasizing that the entire team has made a very intense and serious effort and that a very devoted work has been carried out, Yılmaz said: "Day and night, all the friends took care of their systems. They did not leave the helicopter. They conducted tests morning and evening. They supported the assembly activities. At the same time, our assembly team, production planning control team and production engineering team provided very serious support. As a team, we really worked very devotedly and intensively to make our helicopter ready in such a short time. As far as we know, there is no such example in the world at the moment. We have progressed very quickly in terms of making this decision, finalizing the design, transitioning from this design to the product, assembling the product and bringing it to the testing phase. As of yesterday (April 23), we started both engines separately. Our friends are making final preparations for the next engine start. We have some measurement and adjustment activities. We have maintenance activities. They are performing these. After realizing these, we will continue our engine operation activities."


Exposed to difficulties they will not face in flight
Explaining that the building numbered 993, where the helicopter is located, was primarily designed for the GÖKBEY helicopter, and that it was designed to be large enough to be used for subsequent helicopters, Yılmaz said: "This is a building where we conduct particularly challenging tests. We completely connect the helicopter to the ground. Even in flight, we conduct difficult tests that the helicopter will not see, while it is tied to the ground here. We completely connect the helicopter to the ground and first verify all the systems, structure, transmission, rotor, engine integration, avionic and electrical system integration of our helicopter with engine starts, resonance tests and then load tests, and then we say, 'Yes, the helicopter is safe for flight after this stage' and we give it to flight. This is the purpose of this building. We have a monitoring room upstairs. Our helicopter is seriously instrumented. There are around 600 sensors on it. We also receive data from digital lines. Together with these, we have approximately 10-15 thousand data. These are transmitted live to our control room above. In all tests, our design teams examine this data in real time, and if there is any problem, if an anomaly is detected, they can directly intervene in the test. They manage the entire test from the control room in this building."

First flight after engine tests
Stating that at the point the project has reached, there are engine tests they have planned and that they will complete them as a priority, Yılmaz said: "After completion, we have a taxi test. We are testing the helicopter on the runway. We are verifying the telemetry and remote communication part. After that, the helicopter is ready for flight. In the next step, we make our first flight. Our first flight is a relatively simple flight. First-time pilots also need to get used to it. In the simulator, we conduct these tests in a virtual environment, but this is the first time they fly it in real terms. Therefore, we start with simpler tests. We lift our helicopter and make it perform simple maneuvers, but then we build on it and add to it. After this stage, we have development and improvement activities for the next prototype. We will realize these and produce more than one prototype. Here, we will carry out the qualification process of our helicopter by conducting tests in parallel. After this stage, we will actually carry out prototype design, production, development and qualification activities to qualify the helicopter."


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Countdown to the first flight
Stating that the first flight will be carried out with the ATAK-2 platform, which is currently undergoing tests, Mehmet Yılmaz said, "With this helicopter, we aim to run the engine on the ground for about 15 hours. After that, it will be ready for flight. There are no problems at the moment. We are carrying out our maintenance and measurement activities. If there are no problems, we aim to actually go for a flight within a week. If there are any problems, we will evaluate them, but I can say that ATAK-2 will be able to fly in the not too distant future. If things go well, we will progress faster, but if there is a hitch, there is nothing we cannot solve. It has happened to us before, and we have done it. Our team is also very experienced. We will overcome possible problems and we will definitely fly."


Created with the contribution of 1000-1500 personnel
Mehmet Yılmaz said that the number of personnel who have touched the ATAK-2 or worked on the project in some way is around 1000-1500.

Pointing out that there is a very serious labor involved in the project, Yılmaz made the following assessments: "From the design team to program management, from production planning to production engineering, and from our technicians, everyone has made a very serious effort. We have a design team of approximately 500 people. All of them are specialized in their fields, with one of our teams doing the body design. The transmission is a very special unit, where we control the power of the helicopter. One of our teams does that. One team does the design on the rotor side. We have a separate team for engine integration. We designed the landing gear ourselves, and had it manufactured here. Many of our subsystems are indigenous, we are localizing them, and we are working with local subcontractors. We had our fuel system designed, produced, tested and installed by a local subcontractor. Similar to our landing gear, we design and produce our transmission ourselves. We design and manufacture our rotor by ourselves. Our tracks, for example, are a very special technology. It is a serious technology that we started with the ATAK, built on with the GÖKBEY, and reached the final point with the ATAK-2. We also design and produce this ourselves. In other words, we can say that this product is completely ours. There is a very serious effort here, from designers to planners, production and technicians. Especially in the recent period, you can easily see this labor on the helicopter. They worked on a 24-hour, 3-shift basis. I can say that they worked here day and night, almost without eating, drinking or sleeping. Sometimes they even skipped their meals and made very serious efforts. By working very devotedly, we have brought the product to this state together."

To be equipped with advanced electronic warfare and weapon systems
Providing information about the helicopter's features, Yılmaz said that since the ATAK-2 is an attack helicopter, the payload it can carry and its maneuverability are important, and that it must have powerful engines for this purpose.

Pointing out that the helicopter has 2500 horsepower engines, Yılmaz said that the maximum take-off weight of the helicopter is 11.5 tons.

Yılmaz gave the following information: "It is a high level helicopter in its class. It can carry 1.5 tons of payload. This is a very serious advantage. We have a 30 millimeter cannon on the front. We have a camera on it. Our pilots will see and detect it with the camera. They will be able to detect and target with the fighter helmet, which we are familiar with from the ATAK, and shoot with the 30 millimeter cannon. Compared to the ATAK or similar helicopters, we have increased our wing stations from 2 to 3 stations. We have 6 stations from 3 stations each, so we will be able to carry 6 different ammunition launchers. We are working very closely with Roketsan. We will integrate our local munitions. In addition to ATAK, we will also have some ammunition here. We will also integrate air-to-air missiles. In that sense, we will have gained a very serious capability. The target speed of our helicopter is 175 knots. This is a very high speed. Our pilots demanded this in terms of maneuvering and speed capability, and we designed a product accordingly. Currently, this helicopter is designed to perform serious manoeuvres, escape and diving manoeuvres at 175 knots. Likewise, we will install all domestic and national equipment developed in our country in terms of avionics and electronic warfare on this helicopter. Our helicopter will have a complete electronic warfare suite. Here, all equipment from the missile warning sensor to the DIRCM and all equipment from the RF jammer will be integrated. It will have a fully self-protection capability, an electronic warfare suite with very advanced features, weapon features, avionics suite, communication and capabilities. We would like to thank everyone who supported and contributed to the development of this helicopter. We did this together, we achieved it together, and we will continue to build on it from now on. We will qualify our helicopter and offer it to the use of our forces."

For those who think this is it from TAI, there is more to come in the doming decade:

We can expect a turboprop 'attack' UCAV in the class of the Akinci, ELINT UAV, EW UAV, bigger ANKA-III UCAV and a fighter UCAV starting in 2024 and with swarm capability later on.

Deino said:

Sorry to say, but while the Hürjet looks nice, the TFX/MMU interesting, this one is only ugly.

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I agree and most Turkish defense industry watchers think the same too. It is almost like they dressed an engine test rig. The EO assembly is right above the muzzle of the autocannon and the crew has no useful field of view. Looks quite dissimilar to previous renders too. What we see was definitely rushed for elections.

With the step we have taken today, Turkey will now establish a facility in Turkey where it can produce its own chips at 65 nanometers. Here we are in cooperation with Qatar.


TÜBİTAK and Qatar Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) will cooperate to establish a "chip production facility" in Gebze. The required machinery will be provided by HBKU. Production facility, clean rooms and management will be made by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1651088840084389891

BoraTas said:

I agree and most Turkish defense industry watchers think the same too. It is almost like they dressed an engine test rig. The EO assembly is right above the muzzle of the autocannon and the crew has no useful field of view. Looks quite dissimilar to previous renders too. What we see was definitely rushed for elections.

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Meh... who cares at this moment? One aircraft more or less isn't going to make or break the elections for Erdogan.

The ATAK-2 helicopter developed within the scope of the 'Heavy Class Attack Helicopter Project', implemented in cooperation with the Presidency of Defense Industries and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), was displayed for the first time by A Haber.

Temel Kotil's statements in A Haber:

We expect it to be in the skies within the next 1-2 days. This is our private place and we operate the helicopter here. Our pilots were in it and we ran it 4 times. Currently, Atak-2 is tied to the ground and when it tries to take off, it tries to lift 11 tons. In fact, practically this helicopter is flying here right now. We do this as a ground test. A huge gust of air is pushing down. There is a large facility under it. He's swallowing air, or it'll get mixed up. Its shaft rotates with 4 thousand horsepower. Let it be clear. The largest helicopter in the world as an attack helicopter. Our helicopter is longer than Apache. That helicopter weighs 8-9 tons and Atak-2 11 tons.

The Russians have Mi-28s, and we are talking about a powerful system. Newly designed, everything Turkish. Its engine comes only abroad, insha'Allah Türkiye will make it too. A completely domestic and national helicopter. It has a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons of explosives. Normally, helicopters cannot approach the battlefield because they are too vulnerable to attack. We saw this in Ukraine's struggle against Russian helicopters. Atak-2 can engage remotely. It can do this together with the electronic warfare system, guidance system and self-protection system on it. Atak-2 will take off for this week. We will deliver it in 2025.

When you build a helicopter, you have to do its transmission. Turkish engineers designed it, and so was Gökbey. We produced it and ran it. As TAI, we did this as Turkey. Our engineers made the propeller systems in the tail. Let's not forget our technicians, they have great efforts. Atak-2 is a very powerful platform. The next version will have 6,000 horsepower. Other helicopters do not have such power. We used better material. The weapon systems that will come upon it come from Roketsan. Roketsan is number 1 in the world in this regard. The electronic warfare system that will come upon it comes from ASESLSAN. He's still number one. Türkiye has revolutionized and is now number one. Because we can make our own original design. We can troubleshoot and test everything. We can certify it and sell it.

ANKA-3 is currently taxiing. We will see him in the skies soon. Our goal is to do this within weeks Of course, we will do this after reviewing their safety. We do all the tests again and again. Our pilots are training with the simulator and we are coming with a very serious preparation. We have 1 or 2 weeks left. We are working on so many products, it is not easy to produce so many products in a short time. We said that as March 18, there was a deviation in this, but our citizens should tolerate us a little. Because there is no one in the world that produces such high-end 4 products. Here the real pride belongs to the technicians and engineers. The design is completely Turkish product, no one has any idea about it. These are the work of Turkish engineers.

Hürjet flew, the National Combat Aircraft did what it had to do. There is ANKA-3, there is Atak-2. Then we have the invisible UAV. We are also making unmanned helicopters here. We want to go about our business and finish it. We wanted to come to the 100th anniversary with serious preparation. This is our whole effort. The next century will be ours. We believe this together. They put us to sleep saying 'no way, it can't', but young people and we opened our eyes. We can make this century ours. There was Atak, Atak-2 is coming, there was Gökbey and the bigger one is coming. We are making unmanned helicopters. Gökbey's biggest will be delivered in 2026. The important thing here is the deliveries. We will have delivered 3 of these in 2025. We're going to do two a month. It will be very good for sale. We have created such a range in helicopter.

A fan was formed on the fixed wing with Hürkuş, Hürjet and MMU. We had Anka in the UAV, which sells very well and brings good money to Turkey. There is Aksungur, which is also sold a lot. It will be ANKA-3 and there will be a fan here. The latest technology will be able to fly supersonic. The bombs are hidden inside so that they cannot be seen. Whatever the world is doing, we are undressed to it. All efforts are to be a fan. TUSAŞ, as an aircraft industry, is in the position of doing what the world is doing. We started with 1 thousand engineers, we came to 6 thousand and we have a goal of becoming 7 thousand engineers. For the future, we will continue with 10 thousand and 20 thousand engineers.

sequ said:

We are working on so many products, it is not easy to produce so many products in a short time. We said that as March 18, there was a deviation in this, but our citizens should tolerate us a little. Because there is no one in the world that produces such high-end 4 products.

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All is forgiven Temel, all is forgiven...

"There were those who did not like the nose of Atak-2, described it as the "ugly king", referred to it as a "Black Sea engineer" The primary target flight in P0. Changes to Atak-2 are planned and will be in the next prototype. We can see different nose in P1 "

LOL

sequ said:

"There were those who did not like the nose of Atak-2, described it as the "ugly king", referred to it as a "Black Sea engineer" The primary target flight in P0. Changes to Atak-2 are planned and will be in the next prototype. We can see different nose in P1 "

LOL

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1651304329003794444

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It look like hugely optimised with big access panels and modular fuselage for parts to be easily accessible and dismantled. It look like it's a prototype to test all subsystem and the shape of it will probably change in the final product. The giant empty volume behind the second seat is astonishing, It will certainly be filled in the final product. A fuel tank will go there probably.