| AMD Alarus | |
|---|---|
| Role | Personal use & Trainer aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Aircraft Manufacturing and Development |
| Designer | Chris Heintz, Zenair, Ltd. |
| Introduction | 1995 |
| Primary user | Iraqi Air Force |
| Produced | Eastman, Georgia |
| Unit cost | $139,000[1] |
| Variants | Zenair CH 640 |
The AMD Alarus CH2000 is a two-seat, fixed tricycle gear general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training. It is manufactured by Aircraft Manufacturing and Design Co. in Eastman, Georgia. It is a low-wing aircraft, with one door located above each wing, respectively.[2] It can be considered a competitor to similar aircraft used for flight training, such as the Diamond DA20.
The Alarus features Garmin avionics and a 46-inch-wide (1,200 mm) cabin.[2]
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Currently the Alarus is offered in two variants: the AMD Alarus CH2000 general aviation aircraft[2] and the SAMA CH2000 Military Tactical Surveillance Aircraft (MTSA).[3]
The SAMA CH2000 is a military surveillance variant of the Alarus. It is equipped with forward looking infrared – a multi sensor imager offering high performance, precision and high level imaging.[3]
The aircraft is also equipped with state-of-the-art communications systems for secure air-to-air and air-to-ground communications and is equipped for day and night missions. The aircraft is manufactured in Amman, Jordan and Baghdad, Iraq.[3][4]
The first SAMA CH2000s were delivered to the Iraqi Air Force 70th Squadron, based in Basrah on 29 October 2004. The Iraqi Air Force acquired between 8 and 16 aircraft at a cost of USD$5.8M with deliveries completed by the end of March 2005.[3][4]
The four seat kit aircraft derivative of the Alarus is the Zenair CH 640.[5]
The Alarus can currently be found operating at some flight schools in the USA.[2]
In February 2008 there were 113 CH2000 Alarus registered in the USA[6] and four in Canada.[7]
The only confirmed military user of the CH2000 is the Iraqi Air Force, currently operating 16 aircraft. Aircraft are operated by the Iraqi 70th Reconnaissance squadron.
Data from AMD Website [8]
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
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