Short Tucano

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Tucano

Short Tucano of No. 72 Squadron RAF

Type Trainer aircraft
Manufacturer Short Brothers
Status Active
Primary users Royal Air Force
Kenya Air Force
Kuwait Air Force
Developed from Embraer EMB-312 Tucano

The Short Tucano T Mk 1 is a two seat turboprop basic trainer used by the RAF. It is also used by the Air Forces of Kenya and Kuwait.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

The Short Tucano was developed by the British Short Brothers company in order to meet a requirement to replace the Jet Provost as the basic trainer for the RAF, as laid down in Air Staff Target 412. It is an adaptation of the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano fitted with the more powerful 1100 shp Garrett turboprop engine in place of the EMB-312's 750 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engine, to give higher climb performance.

Aside from a different powerplant, the other differences between the Short Tucano and the EMBRAER Tucano are:

  • A strengthened airframe.
  • A new cockpit layout similar to the Hawk advanced trainer.
  • A four, as opposed to three, bladed propeller.
  • Ventral airbrake and restyled wingtips.
  • The fitting of Martin-Baker MB 8LC ejection seats for both crew.
  • A new oxygen system
  • A new flight data recorder
  • A modified canopy

The Tucano was selected in 1985 in preference to the Swiss Pilatus PC-9 and the British Hunting Firecracker. The first Garrett engined Tucano flew in Brazil on 14 February 1986, with the first Shorts built production aircraft flying on 30 December 1986 [1] . The decision to replace the 750 PT-6 engine used in the standard EMBRAER model with the 1100shp Garrett TPE331-12B engine and "bird-strike" proofing of the cockpit canopy to UK standards (combined with the fitting of Martin Baker ejection seats) caused a number of problems which delayed the introduction of the aircraft, so that it was 1989 by the time it came into service. Most of the delay was understandable, given the cumulative effect of the major changes to the original design.

[edit] Operational history

Since first deliveries to the RAF in 1989, the Tucano has been operated primarily from No 1 Flying Training School at RAF Linton-on-Ouse to provide basic fastjet flying training to RAF and RN student pilots. The deployment is officially to 72 (Reserve) Squadron and 207 (Reserve) Squadron. Student pilots fly around 130 hours during their training course on the Tucano before progressing to the Hawk T1 aircraft at RAF Valley.

In service the Tucano has proven to be 70% cheaper to operate than its predecessor. With a greater range and endurance than the Jet Provost, it can fly two consecutive sorties before being refuelled. One of the key performance requirements was that it can climb to 15,000ft in six minutes, in comparison to the Jet Provost's 15 minutes; this gave considerably more training value for each one-hour sortie.

[edit] Variants

Short Tucano T1 at RIAT 2005.
Short Tucano T1 at RIAT 2005.
Tucano T1
Two-seat basic trainer for the RAF.
Tucano Mk.51
Export version for Kenya.
Tucano Mk.52
Export version for Kuwait.

[edit] Operators

Flag of Kenya Kenya
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom

[edit] Specifications (Tucano)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989 [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1-2
  • Length: 32 ft 4 in (9.86 m)
  • Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 1¾ in (3.40 m)
  • Wing area: 208 ft² (19.3 m²)
  • Empty weight: 4,447 lb (2,017 kg)
  • Loaded weight: lb (kg)
  • Useful load: lb (kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 7,220 lb (3,275 kg)
  • Powerplant:Garrett TPE331-12B turboprop, 1,100 shp (820 kW)

Performance

Armament

  • Provision for 1,000 lb (454 kg) of stores on four underwing hardpoints

[edit] See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Taylor, JWR (Editor) (1988). Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989. Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0 7106-0867-5. 

[edit] External links

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