Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has successfully completed a pre-flight centre of gravity "CG Forward" testing of the indigenously manufactured Hurkus primary and basic trainer aircraft, from an undisclosed location.
The aircraft has flown 40 sorties, for a total of 43 flight hours, reaching an altitude of 15,500ft and a top speed of 255k, and also underwent additional tests since completion of its maiden flight test.
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Hurkus performed its initial test flight from TAI’s facility in Kazan, Ankara, Turkey, in August 2013, during which it flew with open landing gear at a height of 9,500ft for 33 minutes.
Powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6 turboprop engine, Hurkus is a two-seat aircraft being developed by TAI to address the Turkish Air Force’s training requirements, as part of a contract signed with the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) in March 2006.
Developed in three variants, a civilian-targeted Hurkus A, a B-model military trainer and a C-variant for close air support missions, the aircraft is likely to be used for basic pilot training, instrument flying, navigation training, and weapons and formation training missions.
The aircraft is fitted with a pressurised cockpit and onboard oxygen generating system (OBOGS), and an analogue and digital cockpit with a tandem seat configuration, enabling both a student pilot and instructor to be seated during training exercises.
Around 15 B-model Hurkus aircraft are expected to be ordered by the Turkish Air Force to supplement the 40 Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 aircraft in future, as reported earlier by Flightglobal.
Image: Hurkus aircraft during its maiden flight test at TAI’s facility in Ankara, Turkey. Photo: © 2014 TAI – Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc.
