Aviation

Turkey’s future trainer jet conducts first flight

Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) Hurjet training aircraft made history on April 25 when it completed its maiden flight, marking a significant development for the country’s aerospace industry. The Turkish Air Force is anticipated to replace its American Northrop T-38 Talon trainer aircraft in its fleet with the Hurjet. Hurjet was initially shown at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2018, after TAI began work on it in late 2017.

The Hurjet reached a maximum speed of 250 knots and an altitude of 14,000 feet during its 26-minute flight, according to the Turkish news website. A supersonic aircraft, it can travel at a top speed of more than 1.3 mach. It is a twin-seat trainer aircraft with a single engine that is powered by American General Electric F404 engines. The Hurjet is equipped to perform close-air support operations in addition to training.

HÜRJET, Türkiye’s first indigenous and homegrown manned supersonic jet aircraft, has successfully completed its first flight. pic.twitter.com/YqwI8oVMkv
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 25, 2023

The aircraft has a contemporary glass cockpit with cutting-edge avionics and mission systems, such as a mission computer, multi-function displays, and a head-up display. Additionally, it boasts a digital flight control system that decreases pilot workload while offering greater handling and performance.

The Hurjet can fly up to 2,600 km and reach heights of 45,000 feet. It is a flexible and capable platform for a variety of tasks because to its modern weaponry, which includes air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and guided bombs.

The Hurjet’s indigenous engine, the TR-40, is one of its distinctive features. TAI created this engine, which is specifically built to give excellent performance and dependability in challenging environments. It is also designed to be easily maintainable and to have a long service life.

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Related Topics:Hurjet Turkish aerospace Industry

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.