Jordan has selected the Slingsby T67M260 Firefly to meet primary and basic training requirements. Meanwhile, the USAir Force has chosen AMT-200S Super Ximango motor gliders from Brazil's Grupo Aeromot to replace its grounded T-3 Fireflys.
The Jordanian air force will take delivery of its 16 Fireflys in the second half of next year. They will be equipped with the 194kW(260hp) Lycoming AEIO-5405 engine, air conditioning and a full instrument flight rules capability.
The USAF's 14 Super Ximangos will be used on the USAF Academy's Introductory Flight Training Programme (IFTP) flight-screening/primary-training operation. At least 13 types were test flown at the academy with the Diamond Aircraft IndustriesDA-20C1 Katana Extreme and the Super Ximango being shortlisted.
IFTP is due to replace the Enhanced Flight Screening Programme, which used T-3As. This role has been performed by civilian flying schools training students to a basic private pilots licence standard following the grounding of the Fireflys in 1997.
The Super Ximango deal is worth around $3 million and the first five airframes should be delivered by March. Deliveries for the remainder are still to be defined. More acquisitions could follow a review of the IFTP which is contracted out to private flying schools.
Although the motor gliders will be delivered to US Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness standards, they will feature changes to the cockpit fittings and avionics modifications for the new military role.
Source: Flight International
