Student pilots from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School flew the new Textron AirLand Scorpion ISR/strike jet and Beechcraft AT-6 light ...
Student pilots from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School flew the new Textron AirLand Scorpion ISR/strike jet and Beechcraft AT-6 light attack aircraft as part of the school’s Capstone Project.
Five students and three instructors spent a week in Wichita with teams from Textron AirLand and Beechcraft to evaluate the two new production/prototype aircraft with a set list of criteria.
The student pilots participated in both classroom and cockpit ground training, as well as in preparatory and evaluation flights.
A total of 19 flights were successfully completed in four days – 12 demos on the Scorpion and seven on the AT-6 turboprop.
Textron AirLand’s Scorpion™ Jet was introduced in 2013 and has completed several hundred hours of flight testing. Scorpion is designed to be a highly affordable, multi-mission aircraft offering diverse capabilities including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, advanced training and precision strike. Aircraft features include twin-engine power, two-seat operation, large internal payload capacity, high-definition ISR cameras, wing-mounted weapons stations, modern avionics, all-composite structure.
The Beechcraft AT-6 is a multi-role, multi-mission aircraft system designed to meet the spectrum of needs for the light attack mission. It is powered by a single Pratt and Whitney PT6A-68D turboprop engine and features CMC Esterline’s mission modified Cockpit 4000, Lockheed Martin’s A-10C-based mission system and L-3 WESCAM’s MX-15Di sensor suite. The aircraft has successfully demonstrated high-end net-centric and light attack capabilities and is fully compatible with U.S. and NATO Joint Terminal Attack Controller systems.
Scorpion returned to Wichita on May 5 th after completing its 10 day, 6,627 nm round-trip, international journey. During the trip, Scorpion completed 17 sorties, added 28.1 hours to the plane, and executed six demo flights (four on the first day) for a prospective Air Force customer. The flights achieved 100% mission availability and 100% mission accomplishment. Along the way, Scorpion participated in two static display events in Florida (SOUTHCOM in Miami and CENTCOM in Tampa) – also without the need for additional support aircraft or personnel.
