Enaer has taken the wraps off its proposed Cessna A-37 Dragonfly avionics upgrade, while partner Snow Aviation hopes to begin work on re-engining a T-37 demonstrator in August with a new Williams FJ33 powerplant.
The Chilean manufacturer has produced a cockpit mock-up of a proposed A-37 upgrade based around a Honeywell avionics suite. The package is being primarily targeted at Latin American operators of the light attack aircraft.
At the heart of the new cockpit are twin Honeywell EFIS 40 electronic flight instrument displays, KLN 90 global positioning system, KXP 756 transponder, KTR 908/909 digital communications suite, KRA 405 radio altimeter, KDF 806 automatic direction finder, KDM 706 distance measuring equipment and KNR 634 navigation system.
Other elements include the Litton LCR-93 attitude heading reference system, a locally developed DTS radar warning receiver, night vision compatible lighting and Flight Vision head-up display (HUD). Some elements could also be retrofitted to the T-37 trainer version of the jet, says Enaer.
US-based Snow is marketing its own T-37 Tweet avionics upgrade, which draws heavily on its proposed Lockheed Martin C-130M upgrade programme. The new cockpit has three 200 x 150mm (8 x 6in) active matrix liquid crystal displays and the option of a HUD.
With Enaer, the company proposes to replace the training aircraft's twin 1,025lb-thrust (4.6kN) Teledyne Continental J69 engine. The new FJ33 powerplant would be rated at 1,200lb thrust in the T-37 and would produce a 45% saving in fuel consumption, says Snow president Harry Snow.
The US company has two Chilean T-37s at its plant in Columbus, Ohio, awaiting test installation of the new engine. The first aircraft could fly within six months of work starting.
Significant numbers of A/T-37s remain in service but are becoming increasingly difficult to support as the engine and systems are no longer in production.
Source: Flight International
