defense

TÜMBAŞ (National Bomb Launcher and Rocket Launching System of the 1960s)

Our aim is not to introduce the systems for releasing and launching training ammunition (bombs and rockets) from the aircraft, but to replace the US-made systems that were inadequate in terms of number and capacity many years ago; (The name of the system is derived from the Turkish, Mehmet, BAŞAĞ), which enables jet fighter aircraft to both release bombs and launch rockets in a single sortie; and who designed and coordinated the mass production of the TÜMBAŞ (the name of the system is derived from Turkish, Mehmet, BAŞAĞ) Bomb Release and Rocket Launch System; and who was awarded the Turkish Air Force "Distinguished Service Medal" for this tremendous achievement, (E) Hv. Slh.Kd.Bçvş. Mehmet BAŞAĞ, who designed the TÜMBAŞ System and became one of the legends of the Turkish Air Force with this system; to commemorate with mercy and respect our great inventor, deceased, weapon systems expert; and to talk about his work TÜMBAŞ, which has served for many years, with a little technical express

(E) Hv.Slh.Kd. Sgt. Mehmet Başağ and TÜMBAŞ Training Bomb and Rocket Release/Launch System (Disperser and Launcher Pod)

In jet fighter aircraft, in order to provide pilots with technical skills and experience before firing live ammunition, training ammunition release and launch systems called "dispensers and launchers" are installed on the aircraft to train the release and launch regimes of live ammunition from the aircraft. This training provides pilots with experience, and also contributes greatly to the economy of the Air Force by not using live ammunition until a certain level is reached. In addition, live ammunition firing training is conducted only at designated and specially designed live ammunition firing ranges.

TEMAD E.Hv.Slh.Kd.Bçvş. Mehmet Başağ's life and achievements were published on the website in 2014 "See. Ref (1)"

The life and achievements of our esteemed elder are described in a very good manner on TEMAD's website given in reference (1) below. It would not be right to take the same information verbatim and put it here. In order to set an example, TEMAD has fulfilled its duty to introduce the deceased to new generations on its website in 2014, enabling access to a large number of people, and thus fulfilling its "loyalty to duty" service. We strongly recommend reading this article, especially to the younger generations.

Furthermore, HAVACILAR.COM website also publishes a very good and detailed information article about our late comrade in the link given in reference (2). We especially recommend reading this article.

Mr. Mehmet BAŞAĞ, while on duty in Bandırma, decided to develop "an adapter that releases/launches both training bombs and training rockets" in order to prevent the loss of time and fuel caused by the firing of training bombs and 2.75'' training rockets by F-5 and F-100 aircraft in separate sorties with separate adapter releasers/launchers. For this purpose, he conducted research in Kayseri (2nd HIBM Command and Eskişehir Air Supply Maintenance Centers (1st HIBM Command) and in 1965, he realized his idea by combining (integrating) the US designed and manufactured B-37 K1 Bomb adapter with the MA-2 Rocket adapter. Unfortunately, no technical information and documents on these two systems could be found in the open source literature.

He made efforts to test the adapter he manufactured with the means of the Union, but could not get it accepted. According to his family, Brigadier General Tahsin ŞAHİNKAYA, Commander of the 6th Main Jet Base in Bandırma, agreed to test this system himself. Tahsin ŞAHİNKAYA, Cezmi ARI and Necdet HIZEL carried out the first trials as pilots. Finally, the system, which was examined and tested at the Eskişehir Supply and Maintenance Center Command, was accepted and mass production was started. The system entered the inventory of the Turkish Air Force under the name TÜMBAŞ.

The dual mission mode release/launcher adapter designed by Mr. BAŞAĞ with integration and adaptation is similar to the SUU-20 Bomb Dispenser & Rocket Launcher Pod of the American Marvin Group, which entered the inventory of the Turkish Air Force along with the F-16. Information on when the SUU-20 entered service could not be found in the open source information of the manufacturer Marvin Group. However, since it is an adapter used in F-5, F-15, F-16, F-111, Super Tucano aircraft, we can evaluate that it had not yet entered service when TÜMBAŞ was designed. Even if it is in service, it is not possible to procure every system at all times, both financially and politically.

TÜMBAŞ was used not only on F-100, F-104 and F-5 aircraft of the Turkish Air Force, but also on F-4E aircraft. This information was not found in the articles on Mr. BAŞAĞ, but the TÜMBAŞ plaque (see Figure 1) at the Air Museum (Istanbul) indicates that it was used on the F-4. In addition, the author of these lines also witnessed the use of the F-4E during his youth. For a period of time, SUU-20 was also integrated into our F-4E aircraft, but it did not yield good results; subsequently, the 1st HİBM Command designed the KOBRA training ammunition release/launch adapter for the F-4E. The features of TÜMBAŞ and the experience it provided to the Air Force were also utilized in the design of this adapter. The integration process to the F-4E was carried out with the "Aircraft Systems Test and Integration Discipline". The TÜMBAŞ system and its designer, Mr. BAŞAĞ, are among the pioneers of this discipline in the Turkish Air Force.

What Mehmet BAŞAĞ has actually done?

He has been the "Leader Who Started the Relay Race" in aircraft weapon systems R&D studies.

In the limited opportunities of the 1960s, Mr. BAŞAĞ carried out and realized a very valuable R&D project by adding his creative thinking and vision to his personal knowledge, experience, skills and determination. The system he created has served the Turkish Air Force's F-100, F-5, F-104 and F-4 aircraft for many years. It was the inspiration for the Cobra adapter. In fact, it has been the leader in the aircraft weapon systems R&D relay race.

We learned that TÜMBAŞ was also used on F-84 aircraft for a short period of time, but that it was not fully efficient due to the JATO take-off system of the aircraft. I believe that the reason for this was that these aircraft, which can only take off after a very long runway run with the JATO reaction system, put high resistance pressure on TÜMBAŞ from the front fuselage to the rear, which caused structural damage such as cracks etc. to the system.

Sortie production has created an enormous saving in cost. At the same time, it also contributed to preventing the rapid expiration of the airframe life of the related aircraft.

Our fighter jet aircraft of the 1960s (F-100, F-104 and F-5), which used TÜMBAŞ, were able to perform both training in a single sortie, without having to make two separate sorties for both training bomb release and training rocket launch. This has resulted in enormous savings in jet fuel. In addition, unnecessary extra sorties/hours were avoided, thus preventing an increase in airframe life.

Designing TÜMBAŞ in accordance with the F-104's airframe profile and low flight regime is a serious aerodynamic design foresight.

The F-104 was the first jet fighter with twice the speed of sound (MACH 2). For generations of jet fighters, see Ref. Ref (3).

Its main missions are to climb at high speed with a very steep climb angle (89⁰), to reach high altitude as soon as possible, and to dive on enemy attack aircraft at lower altitudes and hit them with missiles or cannon angles,

In the bomber mission, it is to take a single tactical nuclear bomb to the underbody center release, enter the enemy lines at a very high speed and make a "deep strike" and exit the area quickly after releasing the bomb.

It is a very high-speed aircraft with a low fuselage area, but also a low wing area and therefore very low maneuverability. It is not suitable for dog-fight air combat and tactical low-level conventional munitions bombing missions. It is one of the rare aircraft that increases underwing pressure and opens the throttle during landing in order to hold in the air.

It is also not suitable for low altitude, high dive angle training bomb release and rocket launch missions. Compared to the F-5, whose rocket launch dive pattern is shown in Diagram 1, releasing bombs and firing rockets in a high-angle dive at low speed is risky as its air hold will decrease at low speed. It must enter and exit the bomb release and rocket launch pattern at high speed and low dive angle. In this case, especially the placement of the rocket launchers at an oblique angle to TÜMBAŞ, instead of being parallel to the linear axis of the F-104 fuselage profile, provides a suitable trajectory that gives the F-104 the advantage of hitting the target at high speed and low angle patterns.

As can be seen in this graph, the F-104's steep-angle, low-speed and then steep-angle altitude acquisition profile is risky compared to the F-100 and F-5, even if it is not as risky as rocket firing. In this profile, TÜMBAŞ also conforms to the F-104 regime. In the following years, the CF-104s purchased from Canada were able to fire this shot at a higher altitude, at high speed and very accurately with the help of the INS (Inertial Navigation System), which was advanced at the time. In fact, due to the fact that they consistently came first in air-ground shooting championships, the users of other aircraft objected, and some special, more difficult competition criteria were developed for them. I was a referee in shooting competitions, and I remember that CF-104s would always use TÜMBAŞ pods during training firing.

TÜMBAŞ R&D Process

When the studies carried out are examined, we think that the designer Mr. BAŞAĞ carried out the TÜMBAŞ R&D process as follows.

Conclusion

In the eyes of Turkish Air Force personnel, TÜMBAŞ was the embodiment of nationalism, creativity, determination, knowledge, skill and talent. When we were young, we thought that the surname of our late grandfather was TÜMBAŞ. In every environment where creativity was in question, the inventor of this system, Lt. Mehmet BAŞAĞ has always been a source of inspiration. He has always been the representative of the determination of "Don't think about whether you can do it, work, strive and do it". In the mid-1990s, as in the rest of the world and the country, a storm of TQM (Total Quality Management) philosophy and storm blew through the Turkish Air Force, and this storm contributed greatly to the development of the Turkish Air Force. During this period, the idol of the "Quality Circle" activities, which were widely used, was always remembered, the valuable person who created TÜMBAŞ almost out of nothing was remembered, his success story was repeated and he was remembered with mercy.

I wish he had lived to see our national vehicles that fly, float and walk, designed and manufactured by the grandchildren of his generation.

We bow with respect in front of your precious memory, and we will continue to remember you with all our hearts, with mercy and gratitude.

Acknowledgement Note I would like to thank my valuable and dear comrade-in-arms, aircraft weapon systems expert, (E) Hv.Slh.Kd.Bçvş. I owe a debt of gratitude to Satılmış YILMAZ.

Abbreviations

TÜMBAŞ (Turk, Mehmet, Başağ)

Turkish Air Force (Turkish Air Force Command)

TEMAD (Turkish Retired Petty Officers Association)

(R) (E) (Retired)

R&D Research and Development.

HİBM.K. (Air Supply Maintenance Center Command)

INS (Inertial Navigation System)

CF-104 (Canadian F-104, Canadian F-104 Aircraft).

Pod (Not an acronym. It is a noun. It means a storage container in which something is placed. Also called pot in Turkish related professional jargon).

STRASAM Strategic Research Center