© Textron Textron AirLand successfully completed the maiden flight of the new tactical twinjet Scorpion Intelligence, Surveillance and...
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| © Textron |
Textron AirLand successfully completed the maiden flight of the new tactical twinjet Scorpion Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)/Strike aircraft, which was announced earlier this year. The Scorpion took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, and flew for 1.4 hours.
The flightmarks one of the fastest developments of a U.S.-built tactical jet, progressing from initial design to first flight in less than 24 months.
Scorpion’s first flight was crewed by pilot Dan Hinson, an engineering test pilot with over 5,000 flight hours in 79 different types of aircraft, and co-pilot n David Sitz.
“The flight was completed according to plan,” said Hinson. “Having flown many tactical aircraft throughout my 23-year career with the US Navy and with other aircraft manufacturers, I can say that the Scorpion compares very favorably to more costly aircraft currently used for low-threat missions. It showed impressive stability and responsiveness closely matching all of the predicted parameters for today’s maneuvers – it’s going to be a highly capable aircraft for the ISR and homeland security mission set.”
The Scorpion was announced in September 2013 as a demonstration aircraft designed to accommodate the budget constraints and shifting mission requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. partner nations.
On the first flight, they kept the speed to no more than 200 knots and the altitude to between 10,000 and 15,000 feet.
The plane showed impressive stability and responsiveness, closely matching all of the predicted parameters for the flight’s maneuvers.
Powered by twin Honeywell turbofan engines generating 8,000 lbs. of thrust, the Scorpion transitions easily between low speed and high-subsonic speed, as needed for diverse missions such as irregular warfare, border patrol, maritime surveillance, emergency relief, counter-narcotics and air defense operations.
The idea of the Scorpion came from visionaries at AirLand and the project was entirely funded by Textron. There are, however, not yet any customers for the Scorpion. “We don’t have any contracts but we certainly have a lot of positive interest both domestically and from the international market,” said Bill Anderson Textron AirLan president. “We could be delivering our first conforming airplane to a customer in 15 to 18 months after a contract has been signed. We have the facilities and the tools to build another airplane immediately.”
The Scorpion has a cruising speed of up to 450 ktas (517 mph), with a ferry range of 2,400 nautical miles. The aircraft carries an internal payload of up to 3,000 lbs., as well as wing-mounted precision munitions.
