New Generation Basic Trainer (HÜRKUŞ) Development Program contract was signed between the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries and Turkish Aerospace in March 2006. HÜRKUŞ with day and night mission capability; will be able to realize instrument flight, navigation and formation training phases.
Within the framework of the program; two aircraft configurations are being developed.
- HÜRKUŞ-A: Basic version which is to be certified with EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) according to CS-23 requirements.
- HÜRKUŞ-B: Advanced version with integrated avionics (including HUD, MFDs, and Mission Computer). Following the completion of taxi tests, the first aircraft of HÜRKUŞ-A Configuration successfully performed its first flight on August 29, 2013 at Turkish Aerospace's facilities. Consequent to the flight permission of SHGM (Turkish Civil Aviation General Directorate) and EASA the first flight, which lasted 33 minutes, was performed with open landing gear position at a height of 9500 ft. During the flight, the first checks were performed on control surfaces and a successful landing was realized.
The second aircraft has performed its first flight on September 10, 2014.
HÜRKUŞ, tandem two-seat, low-wing, single-engine, turboprop aircraft, is designed to ensure superior performance as a new generation advanced trainer aircraft and light attack & armed reconnaissance combat aircraft, in order to fulfil the complete training gap between elementary training and fighter aircraft conversion, as well as satisfying close air support roles in most demanding operational theatres.
Full scale static tests and fatigue and damage tolerance tests have been performed with 2 different structural aircraft.
545 documents have been produced and approved by EASA and SHGM. Also maintenance documents are ready for usage.
The type certificate from EASA and SHGM has been taken on 11 July 2016.
The acceptance phase of the aircraft is ongoing with SSM.
As a resolution of SSIK's meeting, held on Sept. 26, 2013, in order to meet the 15 new-generation trainer aircraft requirement of TurAF, contract regarding the serial production of HÜRKUŞ was signed with Turkish Aerospace. The production and assembly of the serial aircraft are ongoing.
