TH-400 Celestial Transport Helicopter

[Mikoyan-Guryevich]

Gemballa Avionic Development

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TH-400 Celestial



The TH-400 Celestial is a large heavy lift cargo helicopter, with tactical and strategic application. It is currently the largest helicopter in service with the Mikoyan-Guryevich Armed Forces, and is one of the largest rotary wing aircraft ever built. The Celestial incorporates state of the art technologies, allowing it to fly further and faster with a greater load. The Celestial is a simply enourmous aircraft by any standards and is capable of performing any mission, including MedEvac, Insertion, Cargo Transport, as well as a wide range of civillian uses. This versatile helicopter is also inservice with the National Paramedic Assocation as a medical chopper.

Origins

The Celestial was first conceived in 2007 as a program study into a heavy lift helicopter capable of meeting the following requirements.
- Seven blade rotor with elastomeric head and high-performance composite blades
- Glass cockpit with four-axis autopilot and sensors for all-weather capability
- Fly-by-wire or fly-by-light
- Modular ballistic protection
- Full composite fuselage
- Reduced signature
Military helicopters have a habit of being applied for civillian uses, such as the Bell Iroqouis and the MD500. Therefore, the TH-400 was also designed to be able to operate as a civillian helicopter, simply by removing the defensive aids suite and other defensive systems

[Mikoyan-Guryevich]

Avionics


The TH-400 features a sophisticated digital fly-by-wire system. The computers "read" position and force inputs from the pilot's controls and aircraft sensors. They solve differential equations to determine the appropriate command signals that move the flight controls in order to carry out the intentions of the pilot.

The programming of the digital computers enable flight envelope protection. In this aircraft designers precisely tailor an aircraft's handling characteristics, to stay within the overall limits of what is possible given the aerodynamics and structure of the aircraft. For example, the computer in flight envelope protection mode can try to prevent the aircraft from being handled dangerously by preventing pilots from exceeding preset limits on the aircraft's flight-control envelope, such as those that prevent stalls and spins, and which limit airspeeds and g forces on the airplane. Software can also be included that stabilize the flight-control inputs in order to avoid pilot-induced oscillations.



Since the flight-control computers continuously "fly" the aircraft, pilot's workloads can be reduced. . The primary benefit for such aircraft is more maneuverability during combat and training flights, and the so-called "carefree handling" because stalling, spinning. and other undesirable performances are prevented automatically by the computers.

The TH-400 also features the Cervelo SDH-5 threat detection radar. This alerts pilots to when a radar lock is engaged, and also allows the pilots to track enemies with a very narrow radar wave, which can be as focused as precisely to 1° by 1° in azimuth and elevation. This is not featured on civillian helicopters.

Cockpit

The cockpit was designed from the outset to be a fully glass cockpit wihtout any tradtional analouge instruments. This gives and advantage of having accurate and fail-safe data displays that are often much easier to read than analouge instruments. The cockpit itself is surrounded by kevlar plating, offering a high degree of protection to the pilots. Each pilot has a small compartment to store a 'go-bag' which will contain anything the pilot needs during the case of a forced landing.

The main features of the TH-400 cockpit include a simple and rapid start-up procedure, a highly developed Human-Machine Interface, a lightweight crew helmet designed from automotive racing helmets incorporating carbonfibre and kevlar, large anthropometric accommodation and highly integrated threat warning system. The cockpit of the TH-400 is large enough for a crew of two or more, with ample room provided for the two pilots, the defensive suite operator and the the load masters. A small compartment directly behind the cockpit houses a lavatory and basin, which may become necessary on long flights.



The TH-400 also features a special night vision system not unlike the system on the RM-30 Bomber. A strip of Infra Red sensors are mounted directly below the windshield of the TH-400, and when these are engaged, they project the image directly on to the windshield itself, giving the pilots the impression the world has illuminated as such. This system is automatically disabled during cases of intense light, to prevent pilots from experiencing blindness.

Defensive Suite

The TH-400 also employs a DAS. A defensive aids system (DAS) is a military aircraft system which defends it from attack by surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles and guided anti-aircraft artillery. A DAS typically comprises chaff, flares, and electronic countermeasures combined with radar warning receivers to detect threats. On the TH-400, the entire system is integrated and computer-controlled, allowing an aircraft to autonomously detect, classify and act in an optimal manner against a potential threat to its safety. The engines have extremely intense insulation and cooling, eliminated their heat signature and hindering enemy heat seeking missiles' ability to track the TH-400.

The DAS is not available on civillian helicopters

The TH-400's stealth is reliant its low observance throughout the entire spectrum of sensors including radar signature, visual, infrared, acoustic, and radio frequency.

[Mikoyan-Guryevich]

Thrust and Rotor Blades

The TH-400 employs a seven blade main rotor and a five blade tail rotor. The four blade design was selected due to its superior lift and noise supressing ability. The TH-400's blades slice cleanly through the air, instead of hammering it like normal helicopters, this greatly reduces noise and boost fuel efficiency, by allowing the rotors to turn at a slower speed. The rotors are made from composite materials which greatly improve 'hot and high' performance.

The rotor blades, being of composite design themself, are primarily made from Magnesium-aluminium alloy, a material which is extremely resistant to heat yet still quite light and able to have significant amounts of force placed upon. Mg-Al is primarily seen on wheels of sports cars, hence the name 'Mag wheels.' To give the rotors added strength, heat resistance and durability, all five blades of the main rotor were covered in a carbon-fibre skin. This carbon fibre is an epoxy not only reinforced by carbon fibres, but also by Kevlar fibres making this a very strong material.

The TH-400 also has an 'auto yaw' feature, keeping the aircraft straight without the crew members needing to keep their foot on the rudder constantly. This is part of the fly-by-wire system.

Thrust is provided by three Kintech GZ-1100 Turboshaft engines mounted either side of the fuselage, with heat suppressing devices to control heat emissions. The engines are rated at 2000kw each, providing an enourmous amount of power for lift.

The turbine itself and the compressor fan are made from a carbon-ceramic blend, which is enourmously strong and able to resist the extremely high temperatures inside the engine. Other parts of the engine are made from Aermet 100 which is a steel blend designed to cope with high temperatures and offer a high compressive and tensile strength.

The cruise speed of the TH-400 is 320 kmh and the maximum speed possible is 350kmh. Pilots are never to exceed 375kmh, after which they will experience significant rotor stall which will cause the TH-400 to fall from the sky. These comparitively high speeds are made possible by a low drag airframe, and advanced rotor technology, such as the composite materials previously discussed.



The cruise speed of the TH-400 is 320 kmh and the maximum speed possible is 350kmh. Pilots are never to exceed 375kmh. These comparitively high speeds are made possible by a low drag airframe, and advanced rotor technology, such as the composite materials previously discussed.

Airframe

The TH-400 was designed to be as light as possible in order to maximise payload, however because many of the possible roles of the TH-300 may involve placing the helicopter in situations where it may come under fire, designers decided to opt for a composite material set up which would provide enough resistance to offer some protection against bullets and other projectiles, yet would still be light enough so as not to impact too heavily on payload.

To keep the weight of the fuselage to the bare minimum, large swaths of the fuselage which were originally intended to be made with aluminium were replaced with composite materials. Composite construction is a generic term to describe any building construction involving multiple dissimilar materials, in this case carbon-fibre reinforced polymers are used. CFRPs are comprised of a polymer, in this case epoxy, which is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener", is re-inforced with fibres of carbon which give the material it's strength. CFRPs have an extremely high strength to weight ratio which makes them ideal for use on aircraft. The downside of CFRP's is that they can be extremely expensive to replace and require much more mantinence than more typical aircraft materials such as aluminium would. Therefore, these CFRP's have been made into panel forms allowing them to be easily removed and replaced should they be damaged, as well as being covered by a layer of outer aluminium.

Al-Li or Aluminium-Lithium alloy was also used extensively as a cover for the CFRP's body. Lithium is the least dense elemental metal, much less dense than alumiunium which is in itself less dense than most other metals, therefore when the two are alloyed together, the density and weight of the resulting material is less than that of the alloy while being stiffer at the same time and more resisitant to strain. Al-Li was a perfect choice to act as a cover for the damage and mantinence-prone CFRP's which are layed under it.

If this still isn't enough protection, a 5mm layer of Aermet 100 steel is placed over the Al-Li covering on the entire underside of the fuselage which is most likely to be damaged. Aermet 100 is a very strong steel which is particularly resistance to compressive forces, making it a perfect choice for the under armour.

The TH-400 retains a retractable landing gear operated electronically. In event of an engine failure, pilots may execute a 'gravity drop,' where the gear uses it's own weight to fall into place and lock.

The body of the TH-400 is made from 70% carbon fiber reinforced polymer and kevlar, 16% aluminium, and 11% titanium. The rotors are made from fiber-plastic able to withstand combat damage and bird strikes. Protection against lightning and electromagnetic pulse is ensured by embedded copper/bronze grid and copper bonding foil.

Cargo & Transport

Heavy lift helicopters are the largest and most capable of the transport types. The TH-400 is capable of lifting up to 70 troops and moving small AFVs internally, without using an under slung load as many other helicopters do. These helicopters operate in the tactical transport role in much the same way as small fixed wing turboprop air-lifters. The often lower speed, range and increased fuel consumption of helicopters being more than compensated by their ability to operate anywhere, giving them a huge advantage over aircraft.

The TH-400 is capable of lifting one 18 tonne armoured vehicle inside its hull, giving an option of rapid deployment to a certain site. Five TH-400 helicopters are capable of delivering up to 350 troops, or five armoured vehicles or a mix of both in a 600km range.

Entry to the cargo bay can be done via the large rear cargo door, or through the two side doors which permit direct access to the cargo bay. For civillian or humanitarian aid missions, a winch cable and harness can be mounted on the rear fuselage to allow air rescue missions to occur from a much safer place rather than the side of the fuselage. The cabin floor and rear ramp are fitted with flush tie-down points, a semi-automatic cargo release unit (SACRU). The ramp (4x3.2 m) can accommodate an eighteen tonne load, allowing it to carry armoured vehicles in a Roll on Roll off method. A cargo hook under the fuselage can carry external loads of 5,440 kg via the use of a SACRU. A rescue hoist and a hover trim controller are fitted at the cargo door.



The TH-400 can also be fitted to act as a medical transport, capable of carrying up to ten doctors and nurses, along with twenty patients and required medical gear.

[Mikoyan-Guryevich]

Specifications

Crew: 2 Pilots
Capacity: 70 troops, or 19.35 tonnes of cargo
Length: 24.2 metres
Rotor diameter: 18.6 metres
Fuselage Height: 3.5 metres
Fuselage Width: 3.9 metres
Cargo Bay length: 16 metres
Max takeoff weight: 41,000 kg
Powerplant: 4x GZ-1100 (4950kw each)
Rotor systems: 7 blade main rotor, 5 blade tail rotor

Performance

Maximum Speed: 350 km/h
Cruise Speed: 320 km/h
Never exceed speed: 375 km/h
Maximum combat range: loaded: 600km
Ferry Range: 1200km

Purchasing the TH-400
The TH-400 is availabe for $26,200,000 per unit

The Domestic Production Rights are available for $450,000,000,000