Hawker/BAe Unmanned Fighter Aircraft

[Tuomasn]

Hawker Siddeley Dynamics designed an unmanned interceptor in the early 1970s. The small canard delta wing aircraft was powered by a Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan, equipped with an air intercept radar, and armed with a single Sky Flash AAM and two AIM-9C or SRAAM AAMs. The drone would be launched under command guidance and be controlled by a pilot on the ground via a TV camera and a two-way data link.

P.1224
The concept was revived in the 1980s as the Unmanned Fighter Aircraft (UFA). The idea was to intercept the first wave of enemy aircraft, preserving manned NATO fighters for later on in the battle. Various configurations were studied in 1983-1987, the aircraft being powered by one Rolls-Royce Viper, Adour or Spey or General Electric J85 engine and armed with two AMRAAM and two ASRAAM missiles. The drone was ramp-launched from an articulated truck containing also the guidance system with tail-sitting recovery.

P.1239-5
One variant of the P.1239 "Versatile SABA" studies in 1987 was an Unmanned Fighter Aircraft armed with two S225X AAMs in internal bays.

P.1243
One variant of the P.1224 studies was re-numbered as the P.1243 in 1988. The aircraft was a tailless delta powered by one Williams turbofan engine. It may have included some LO features.

Any further information is appreciated, especially the picture of the P.1224 that was apparently posted by Deino to the Key Publishing thread on the subject (see below).

Sources:
British Secret Projects vol.3 by Chris Gibson & Tony Buttler, p. 75 and 86.

 

[Matej]

Its a pity that I cant contribute, but I am very interested too. Currently I am writing the another detailed Hitechweb update about the genezis of the British UCAV/armed UAV projects, but I was able to start only from FOAS (1997). Any picture is welcome - I can do some reconstruction of it.

 

[Mike Pryce]

There's some more info and a picture of the P.1243 in a paper I wrote some years ago:

http://papers.sae.org/2003-01-3050

 

[Tuomasn]

I actually looked for that at the Helsinki University of Technology a few years back, but they only had printed versions of the SAE Transactions up to somewhere in the mid-1970s IIRC, and didn't have an electronic subscription.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

P.1243 - influenced by the Testors F-19 perhaps?

Note - its a FLIR in the nose.

 

[Tuomasn]

Thank you, overscan. I might come up with something on the P.1243 in exchange. I presume it is related to the P.1240 and P.1241 "stealth" fighter studies.

 

[Matej]

Reconstruction of the Hawker Siddeley unmanned interceptor. What do you think?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Apologies, but due to advice received, several earlier posts have been removed from this topic.

Please do not repost the removed images here or elsewhere.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Some info from Mike Pryce's Beyond The Harrier article.

During the 1980s Kingston were also studying an unmanned fighter aircraft (UFA), the P1224. This was a supersonic aircraft capable of being launched from a short ramp on the back of a Land Rover (using rocket boost) and of recovering vertically back onto the vehicle. This was effected in a tail-sitting attitude using a pole mounted ‘hook and hoop’ recovery system similar to that of the Ryan X-13. For transport and storage it could be broken down and placed in a hermetically sealed container. A number of variants were looked at with ventral or dorsal intakes, fuselage or wingtip-mounted fins and tailed or tail-less layouts. All were much smaller than any manned fighter, with lengths of 17-30 feet and spans of 11-15 feet. Reheated Adour or Viper engines were proposed with the rear nozzle capable of vectoring in all directions as on the Sukhoi Su-37. In co-operation with blown ailerons this gave control in the transition and hover. The mission equipment included either a FLIR or Blue Vixen radar and a pair of AMRAAM missiles. The basic concept was that these ‘Ferrets’ should be used to intercept a first wave of Warsaw Pact aircraft heading west over the Inner German Border – anything detected could be assumed to be hostile. The ultimate version of the aircraft, the P1224-8, featured a blended wing/body with a rounded delta wing (in place of the previous swept wing), no fins or rudders and a flush intake. The AMRAAMs were recessed in the upper fuselage and this semi-stealthy design was renumbered P1243. Although it seemed well ‘ahead of its time’, the Kingston UFA concept evoked no formal interest from the UK Services and was terminated in 1988.

 

[Antonio]

Mike Pryce's Beyond The Harrier article

Please could you tell us how many pages has the article and how many unbuilt designs are illustrated. I'm thinking about ordering a copy.

Thanks in advance

 

[GTX]

Mike Pryce's Beyond The Harrier article

Please could you tell us how many pages has the article and how many unbuilt designs are illustrated. I'm thinking about ordering a copy.

Thanks in advance

I have the same question.

regards,

Greg

 

[Bgray]

Images or information on the P.1239 ?

as I understand it had a topside weapons pod, but I'm not certain how that would work-- does anyone have information or images of it? Thanks!

 

[TsrJoe]

The design to the fore is thought to depict one of the elusive BAe. UFA. designs (painting currently at Brooklands Museum)

 

[hesham]

Nice find.

 

[Barrington Bond]

A little bit better - forgot I'd taken it.

 

[mrmalaya]

Wow. So this dates back to the 80s then? Given the company it is in, and given the details on the fuselage it suggests a genuine design rather than a concept.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Chris Budgen's recent book Hawker's Secret Projects: Cold War Aircraft That Never Flew has a section on this, so I assume its now okay to discuss

P.1224 UFA was a program to counter the MiG-29 / Su-27 with an asymmetric response, consisting of a supersonic or subsonic UAV using passive sensors (ESM/RWR and FLIR) to identify and target aircraft in a designated area and destroy them using AMRAAM missiles. Various engine were proposed from Viper to afterburning Adour and the design was intended to be reasonably 'stealthy' so as to be able to engage the enemy fighters before being detected. Quite a few configurations were drawn from 1983 to 1988.

The expectation was that the Soviet Slot Back radars would detect the UFA at about 25km, so at least 30km range was needed from the AMRAAM. However, lacking a radar made it difficult to do mid-course updates which the AMRAAM relies on to get it to lock-on range, which would have been a tricky challenge.

Buy Chris's book for a lot more detail and various variant drawings.