The TAI Hürkuş (Free Bird) is a tandem two-seat, low wing, single engine, turboprop aircraft being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as a new basic trainer and ground attack aircraft for the Turkish Armed Forces. The aircraft is named after Vecihi Hürkuş, a Turkish aviation pioneer and the first Turkish airplane manufacturer.
The TAI Hürkuş Development Program started with an agreement signed between Turkish Under secretariat for Defense Industries and TAI in March 2006. Under the agreement the company will design, manufacture and complete the civil certification the aircraft to European Aviation Safety Agency CS 23 standards.
By June 2012 the Hürkuş program had consumed one million man-hours with the work of 140 engineers. About a quarter of the Turkish engineers who have worked on Hürkuş are female, as well as two of the three project heads.
It is a two-seat, single-engine turboprop aircraft being developed from the KAI KT-1 trainer. It is being built principally to meet the requirements of the Turkish Air Force (TAF). The aircraft will be used to execute basic pilot training, instrument flying, navigation training, and weapons and formation training missions. The Hurkus will also be exported as a civilian and military flight trainer aircraft. The first aircraft was rolled out in June 2012. Its maiden flight, which was expected to take place in 2009, was first delayed until November 2012 and then further until mid-2013.
The Hürkuş will be equipped for day and night flying as well as basic pilot training, instrument flying, navigation training, weapons and formation training. The aircraft will have good visibility from both cockpits with a 50 degree down-view angle from the rear cockpit, cabin pressurization (nominal 4.16 psid), Martin-Baker Mk T-16 N 0/0 ejection seats, an on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS), an Environmental Control System (Vapor Cycle Cooling), an anti-G system, high shock absorbing landing gear for training missions, and Hands On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS). Microtecnica of Turin, Italy has been selected to provide the aircraft’s environmental control system. The Hürkuş has been designed for a 35-year service life.
The Hürkuş development program has been subject to delays. In 2007 it was forecast that the first prototype would fly in late-2009 with first delivery, upon completion of the certification process, forecast for 2011. On 27 June 2012, the Hürkuş was officially rolled out at a ceremony held at TAI’s Kazan premises. The forecast date for the first flight was then delayed until later in 2012 and actually occurred on 29 August 2013 when the aircraft flew from the Ankara Akıncı Air Base on a 33-minute flight.
The Turkish government has indicated that the aircraft is expected to attract export sales, possibly from Middle Eastern countries, African countries or countries with limited airforce budgets. According to a news report from CNN Türk, Australia and Sweden are interested in the aircraft.
Specifications
Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 11.17 m (36 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 9.96 m (32 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68T turboprop aircraft engine, 1,200 kW (1,600 shp)
Propellers: 5-bladed Hartzell Propeller HC-B5MA-3
Maximum speed: 574 km/h (357 mph; 310 kn)
Cruising speed: 463 km/h (288 mph; 250 kn)
Stall speed: 143 km/h (89 mph; 77 kn)
Range: 1,478 km (918 mi; 798 nmi) at 15000 ft (4572 m)
Endurance: 4.25 hours at 15000 ft (4572 m)
Service ceiling: 10,577 m (34,701 ft)
g limits: +7/-3.5
Rate of climb: 22 m/s (4,300 ft/min)
Guns: 12.7mm and 20mm pods
Rockets: Roketsan Cirit, 2.75 inch rockets
Missiles: Roketsan UMTAS
Bombs: Mk-81, Mk-82, Tübitak SAGE HGK-3 (82), Tübitak SAGE KGK-82, BDU33 and MK106 training ordinance
TAI Hurkus Basic Trainer Aircraft was first posted on November 21, 2013 at 12:23 pm.
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