Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) Concept, Specs, and Onboard System

Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) Concept, Specs, and Onboard System – Icarus Aerospace, a startup based in Canada, is launching a new and modern Close-Air Support (CAS) attack aircraft through its proposed "Wasp" Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) concept. The design is undoubtedly inspired by the likes of the North American Rockwell OV-10 "Bronco" platform from the Vietnam War years and, indeed, relies on twin engine, dual boom arrays coupled with a shared elevator aircraft at the rear. It has many of the capabilities inherent in the more expensive types of multi-role fighters albeit at a substantially reduced cost commitment. Additionally, the concept is being developed as highly modular and adaptable to customer needs and battlefield requirements for a complete complete solution.

Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) Design and Specs

Specialized CAS aircraft are called upon to take on multiple battlefield roles including direct action against enemy ground elements that often operate within range of allied ground forces. In this way, the platform must be very stable for the delivery of a wide range of weaponry and ammunition options and offer excellent roaming time in the target area while displaying a strong defensive capability against ground threats - i.e. cannon fire - as well. as excellent Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) quality and low-cost maintenance / fast mission completion times.

In general, the Icarus Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) concept has a twin-engine fixed wing monoplane design that can accommodate two crew members simultaneously. Examples include the prop-propelled "Bronco" OV-10 and the single-seat Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) jet. The Soviet-era Sukhoi Su-25 "Grach" also falls into this category of capable attacker as do lighter options such as the Embraer EMB-314 Brazil "Super Tucano".

Current specifications cover an overall length of 52 ft with a wingspan of 51 ft. Maximum Take-up Weight (MTOW) of up to 21,000 lb. Mission endurance will be up to 6.5 hours with internal fuel and increased to 9 hours with support for external fuel storage.

Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) Engine and Performance

Canada's approach to the concept relies on dual turboprop engines housed in slender nacelles on each wing's main fuselage member. The engines (currently up to 1,700 hp each) power a five-bladed propeller unit in tractor (tow) style, providing the performance and survivability needed for "low and slow" flight. The main fuselage has straight edges and clipped ends, again, aiding low-altitude handling. The all-glass / digital cockpit, avionics set, and other associated operating components are all housed in a sleek central nacelle that displays a hint of "chine" (a quality often seen on 5th Generation Fighters such as the F-22 / F-35).

The strength of the CAS design lies in its weaponry carrying capabilities and the Wasp proposal did not disappoint: up to eleven hardpoints were featured including three under each outboard wing nacelles of the engine and there were several fuselage hardpoints as well - all built to support a variety of air launched / dropped weapons including missiles, rocket, precision-guided bomb / dumb bomb. An internal gun in fixed mount and forward firing is also planned with an optional ventral weapon pod also available. Beyond this there will be external fuel carrying capability to increase the operating range.

Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) Cockpit and Onboard Systems

Like the Bronco, the Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) is configured with a two-member tandem cockpit equipped with the latest avionics configuration with sensor fusion and network centric capabilities. Two people (pilot and weapons officer) sit together under a large, clearly visible and unobstructed canopy behind the short nosecone assembly (ejection seats are assumed for each crew). For ground operation, there is a conventional tricycle (wheeled and retractable) undercarriage.

The onboard system on the Icarus Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) is planned to include an Active, Electronically-Scan Array (AESA) radar in the nose assembly with up to two FLIR (Foward-Looking InfraRed) turrets in the retractable housing. Operations will include day and night attack / low light attacks (against land and sea targets) as well as reconnaissance, armed reconnaissance, Forward Air Control (FAC), SPECial Operations (SPECOPS) support, Combat Search and Rescue initiative (CSAR), and COunter- INsurgency (COIN). Inherent rough terrain capability will also be part of the Wasp design such as in-flight refueling (with manned and automatic inputs).

One of the interesting things that Icarus Aerospace offers is an unmanned variant (either long-range pilot or fully autonomous), reducing the risk of a manned crew in contested areas and increasing agility and operating service limits. The aircraft will target aging fixed-wing products, helicopters and drones currently in use in the CAS role. The unmanned variant has wider wings, with an endurance of more than 30 hours at 50,000 ft without refueling, which can be further extended by air-to-air refueling, either manual or automatic.

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