The Turkish unmanned fighter aircraft Bayraktar Kizilelma has completed its first flight tests with a new afterburning engine, Baykar announced in a press release.

The third production prototype, the Kizilelma PT3, made a test flight at medium altitude for 53 minutes. It is reported that the aerodynamic system was successfully tested during the flight.

Based on the experience gained from the previous prototypes, Baykar has made significant changes to the third prototype of the aircraft. In addition to structural improvements, its avionics architecture has been enhanced.

In addition, during the flight tests, the prototype was fitted with an alternative afterburning engine. According to the company, the new, more powerful engine will bring Kizilelma closer to the speed of sound. Aerodynamic enhancements will also enable it to perform more complex maneuvers at higher speeds.

Bayraktar Kizilelma

The design of the Turkish unmanned aircraft, now known as Kizilelma, was first shown in 2021. At that time, the UAV was called by the acronym MİUS, which stands for Muharip İnsansız Uçak Sistemi.

The first prototype rolled off the assembly line on November 14, 2022, and was then sent to the AKINCI Flight Training and Test Center in Çorlu, Tekirdag. After the rapid completion of ground tests on December 14, 2022, the aircraft successfully made its maiden flight. In other words, the Bayraktar Kizilelma took to the skies in just one year, a record-breaking achievement.

Initially, it was planned to make its first flight in 2023, but it managed to take to the skies for the first time in December 2022. Prior to that, it was tested with a lift-off from the ground.

It is known that in 2021, the Turkish company BAYKAR ordered AI-322F and AI-25TLT jet engines from the Ukrainian state-owned enterprise Ivchenko-Progress to be installed on a promising Turkish combat drone. At the same time, the supply of engines continued in 2024.

Kizilelma has a maximum flight altitude of 13,700 meters and an operational altitude of 7,600 meters. It can stay in the air for more than 3 hours. It is planned that the drone will be created in several versions: subsonic, transonic and supersonic. The subsonic version has a cruising speed of Mach 0.6 and a maximum speed of Mach 0.9. Its wingspan is 10 meters, length is 14.5 meters, and height is 3.5 meters.

The maximum takeoff weight is 8,500 kg, and the payload weight is 1,500 kg. All stages of the flight, including takeoff, landing, cruising and taxiing, are performed autonomously.

The UAV is equipped with an electro-optical sighting system, an infrared optical system, and a multimode radar with airborne surveillance. It is planned that the UAV will be armed with laser-guided munitions, rockets and long-range cruise missiles.