TAI Hurkus

Basic Trainer / Counter-Insurgency Attack Aircraft [ 2018 ]

The TAI Hurkus basic trainer and light attack platform began in a 2006 initiative between TAI and the Turkish government.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/23/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from official Turkish Aerospace Industries marketing materials.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Continuing their attempts to become a more self-sufficient world military power through a growing military-industrial complex, the nation of Turkey welcomes its new, indigenously designed and developed, TAI "Hurkus" to serve as primary and basic trainer for the Turkish Air Force. The aircraft originated from an Air Force requirement for fifteen such platforms to which a development contract was given to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in December of 2006. In April of 2009, the final design was accepted and a prototype went airborne for the first time on August 29th, 2013 - setting the stage for what should be a follow-up procurement phase. The name "Hurkus" is taken from Turkish aviation engineer Vecihi Hurkus (1895-1969), the country's first civilian pilot and a World War 1 (1914-1918) veteran. As of November 2013, the Hurkus is represented by two completed prototype samples which are being used in ongoing testing.

In overall scope, the aircraft will be similar to the American Beechcraft T-6 "Texan II", the Brazilian Embraer EMB 314 "Super Tucano" and the Swiss Pilatus PC-21 series - all competing in the basic trainer/light strike market. The Hurkus will replace the aged fleet of Turkish Air Force T-37 "Tweet" trainers, two-seat, turbojet-powered aircraft brought about in the 1950s. The Air Force has a stock of approximately 65 such aircraft.

Design of the Hurkus is largely conventional with a slim, aerodynamic fuselage tied to low-mounted, forward-set straight monoplane wing appendages. The engine is housed in a forward compartment in the usual way while the empennage utilizes a single vertical tail fin with a pair of low-mounted horizontal planes. All wing surfaces feature clipped tips. The fuselage sports seated for a crew of two under a large, clear canopy shell offering excellent elevated views around the aircraft from both positions. The cockpit includes all-modern avionics and controls to serve as a proper stepping stone for graduation to more advanced flight systems. The aircraft makes use of Martin-Baker Mk T-60 N "Zero-Zero" ejection seats for both crew.

The Hurkus relies on a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68T series turboprop engine delivering 1,600 horsepower to a five-blade aluminum propeller by Hartzell. The combination of airframe design/configuration and powerplant are expected to provide the Hurkus with a maximum speed of 360 miles per hour, a cruising speed nearing 290 miles per hour, a range out to 920 miles and an operating service ceiling of 34,700 feet. Rate-of-climb is 4,300 feet per minute.

TAI is set to deliver the Hurkus in two, possibly three, distinct production forms - Hurkus-A, Hurkus-B and Hurkus-C. Hurkus-A will be the basic civilian airspace variant designed around European Aviation Safety Agency certification. The Hurkus-B will be of a more advanced trainer form featuring HUD (Head-Up Display), a mission computer and weapons-simulating Multi-Function Displays (6"x8" MFDs) at each cockpit. A third, more military-minded, variant is being proposed as the "Hurkus-C". This model would feature support for light armament (gun pods, cannons, bombs, rockets, missiles) to fulfill the light attack/strike/Close-Air Support (CAS) role.

The Hurkus project has not been without its delays. The initial prototype's flight was scheduled for sometime in 2009 and initial deliveries would have followed in 2011. However, the aircraft was not formally displayed until June 2012 and its initial flight did not occur until August of 2013.

It is conceivable that the Hurkus will be offered to interested foreign parties for purchase at some point. it will most certainly serve Turkish aerospace engineering well as a starting point for more advanced indigenous aircraft designs.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

July 2016 - The Hurkus aircraft has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval. This marked the Hurkus as the first indigenous aircraft to receive certification.

January 2017 - First-flight for the Hurkus-B model is scheduled for December 2017. First deliveries to the Turkish Air Force are expected around the middle of 2018. An an initial batch of fifteen aircraft is sought with the possibility of forty more to be added.

June 2017 - The TAI Hurkus has made its public debut at Le Bourget during the 2017 Paris Air Show.

November 2017 - Hurkus was showcased at the Dubai Air Show to prospective customers.

January 2018 - The first Hurkus-B (production-quality) model has gone into the air for its initial flight.

June 2018 - Delivery of a batch of fifteen Hurkus basic trainers is set to begin to the Turkish Air Force with deliveries commencing the following year.

October 2018 - October 1st, 2018 saw the first delivery of a Hurkus-B trainer to the Turkish Air Force.

June 2019 - Among other TAI products, the Hurkus Advanced Trainer has been showcased at Paris Air Show 2019.

February 2022 - TAI has certified the Hurkus HYEU Forward Air Controller trainer variant of its Hurkus aircraft line.

Specifications

Turkish Aerospace Industries - Turkey / Pilatus Aircraft Limited - Switzerland
Manufacturer(s)

Turkey
Operators

2018
Service Year

Turkey
National Origin

In-Development
Project Status

2
Crew

4
Units

CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.

TRAINING
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).

36.6 ft
(11.17 meters)
Length

32.7 ft
(9.96 meters)
Width/Span

12.1 ft
(3.70 meters)
Height

8,047 lb
(3,650 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight

monoplane / low-mounted / straight
Mainplane Arrangement

Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represents the most popular modern mainplane arrangement.

Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.

Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.

1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68T turboprop engine developing 1,600 horsepower driving five-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

357 mph
(574 kph | 310 knots)
Max Speed

34,646 ft
(10,560 m | 7 miles)
Ceiling

920 miles
(1,480 km | 799 nm)
Range

4,300 ft/min
(1,311 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

VARIABLE (if armed):
12.7mm heavy machine gun pods; 20mm cannon pods; 2.75" multi-shot rocket pods; air-to-surface missiles; conventional drop bombs.

4
Hardpoints

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Hurkus - Base Series Designation

Hurkus-A - Basic civilian-minded aircraft

Hurkus-B - Basic trainer with HUD, mission computer, weapons simulation-capable MFDs; enhanced Aselsan avionics suite.

Hurkus-C - Proposed armed military light strike platform; support for light munitions.

Hurkus HYEU - Air-Ground Integration Support variant for Forward Air Control training; type certified in February 2022.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images

1 / 1

Image from official Turkish Aerospace Industries marketing materials.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)