TAI Hürjet trainer aircraft takes off
First TAI Hürjet in the air, 23 April 2023
Turkish aviation industry, led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), continues to work on the creation of a promising training and combat aircraft Hürjet. To date, the design has been completed and the first prototype has been built. After the necessary ground tests, he took to the air. Flight tests will continue for about two years, after which the start of mass production is expected.
national project
The combat and training units of the Turkish Air Force are fully equipped with foreign-made aircraft, and in some cases we are talking about obsolete models. For this reason, a fundamental decision was made several years ago to develop a number of our own projects. In particular, the Air Force wanted to get a training aircraft with the possibility of combat use.
Preliminary study of the new project has been carried out since 2016-17. by the state aircraft manufacturing company TAI. In November 2017, such a project received government approval and moved to a new stage. In July 2018, the Department of Defense Industry issued an official order for a full-scale design to the development company. The promising project was named Hürjet, referring to the existing TAI Hürkuş training aircraft and indicating the use of a jet engine (Jet).
By the time it received an order for a full-scale development, TAI had managed to shape the appearance of the aircraft and solve some of the technical problems. Thanks to this, in the same July 2018, a full-size mock-up of the future Hürjet was shown for the first time at the air show in Farnborough, UK.
By the end of the decade, TAI completed the design and soon began building the first prototype aircraft. The finished car was rolled out of the assembly shop in December 2022. Then it was reported that the necessary ground tests would take place in the coming weeks or months, after which the Hürjet would take off from the TAI factory airfield near Ankara.
According to the announced plans, four aircraft will be built at the current stage. Two fully equipped Hürjet will be involved in flight tests. Two more airframes with an incomplete composition of the units are needed to conduct ground static tests.
At the test stage
Reportedly, the end of December and January went to check the operation of systems and mechanisms. On January 30, the engine was started for the first time on an experimental aircraft. On March 18, Hürjet moved independently for the first time and moved around the airfield. In addition, the first high-speed runs along the runway took place.
The first flight of an experienced "Khurdzhet" took place on April 23. The aircraft under the control of the test pilot performed a run and took off. The flight, accompanied by an Air Force fighter, lasted approx. 26 min. During the first flight, the aircraft reached a speed of approx. 460 km / h and climbed to a height of more than 4200 m. Various simple maneuvers were also performed.
The start of the Hürjet flight tests naturally attracted attention and is presented as the most important event in stories Turkish aviation industry. The fact is that Turkey for the first time took off a jet supersonic aircraft of its own design. At the same time, the military and political leadership of the country expects that this project will not be the last, and new domestic aircraft will appear in the future.
Plans for the future
At the moment, TAI is solving two main tasks within the Hürjet project. The first is to build test equipment. One flight model has already been built, and a second should appear within the next few months. It is also required to produce two prototypes for ground testing.
The second task is to conduct full-scale flight tests of the aircraft. First, one and then two Hürjet will have to confirm the design characteristics, as well as demonstrate operation in all design modes. In addition, during the tests, they will work out the possibility of creating two modifications of the aircraft with different functions - training and combat.
TAI is making very optimistic plans. For flight and static tests of four experienced Hürjet take about two years. Already in 2025, it is planned to complete all checks, obtain the necessary permits and start mass production. Accordingly, no later than 2026-27. The Turkish Air Force will be able to receive the first aircraft of a new type.
Hürjet is offered to be produced in two modifications for different purposes. First of all, the Air Force will receive Hürjet-B trainers. In addition, the Hürjet-C variant is being developed - a light combat aircraft with the ability to carry unguided and guided weapons to work on air and ground targets.
A preliminary agreement is already in place for the construction and delivery of 16 Hürjet-B trainers, and a firm contract is expected to be signed. In the future, new orders should appear, due to which a complete re-equipment of the training units will be completed. The serial "Hurjets" will have to displace the American T-38 and F-5 aircraft. In addition, it is expected that the Türk Yıldızları aerobatic team will switch to Turkish technology.
Model of "Khurdzhet" at one of the exhibitions of the recent past
The combat modification of the training Hürjet is still under development, and its exact prospects have not yet been determined. The Turkish Air Force is showing interest in such a machine, but even preliminary agreements are not yet available. Perhaps the fate of the Hürjet-C project will be determined by the results of testing the base sample.
Recently, it was announced the fundamental possibility of creating a deck modification. Such an aircraft in the distant future will be able to replenish the aviation group of the latest Anadolu landing ship or the next similar pennants.
Technical features
Hürjet is a training aircraft for the so-called. advanced stage of training of flight personnel of tactical aviation. With its help, they plan to train pilots of fighter-bombers of existing and expected types. Such tasks significantly influenced the appearance and capabilities of the aircraft.
The training Hürjet is built according to the normal aerodynamic scheme. There is a large elongation fuselage, a significant part of which is given over to a two-seat tandem cabin, and a propulsion system is placed in the tail. Used swept high wing. The tail of the traditional layout includes a stabilizer with a small negative V. Outwardly, the Turkish aircraft is similar to some foreign models of its class, in particular the Russian Yak-130.
The aircraft has a length of 13,6 m and a wingspan of 9,5 m. The weight of an empty car is only 1200 kg, the maximum takeoff is 6,5 tons. The combat modification can carry up to 3 tons of weapons on an external sling.
Combat version of the Hürjet aircraft
At the current stage, the Hürjet is equipped with one General Electric F404-GE-102 turbojet engine with a thrust of 8000 kgf. In the future, it is planned to replace it with a Turkish-designed motor. In the current configuration, the aircraft must reach speeds of up to Mach 1,4, climb to an altitude of 13700 m, and show a maximum range of up to 2200 km.
"Hurdzhet" has a double cabin tandem layout. The pilot-instructor and the trainee have a full set of controls and various instruments at their disposal. According to known data, the aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire control system with the ability to simulate the behavior of different aircraft. Due to this, it is planned to simplify the training of pilots to work on specific types of equipment.
Due to its training role, the Hürjet does not carry built-in weapons, and its basic modification does not have external hardpoints. On the combat version of the Hürjet-C, seven hardpoints are provided under the wing and fuselage. It will be able to carry air-to-air missiles or various air-to-surface weapons. First of all, Turkish-made weapons are considered.
Real success
Thus, the development program of the Turkish "national" aircraft Hürjet continues successfully and demonstrates new successes. The creation of a promising machine began only six or seven years ago, and now the first prototype has taken off. In the near future, new prototypes and full-scale tests are expected.
It is assumed that in just a few years the new "Hyurjet" will go into series and begin to replace obsolete foreign models in the Air Force. It is possible that such plans are overly bold and will not be completed on time. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that sooner or later the Turkish Air Force will receive the desired training aircraft of its own design.
Information