Three potential designs for a planned TFX Turkish fighter concept have been shown for the first time at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul, with the programme's current initial design phase due to conclude later this year.
Images depict a single-engined aircraft with and without canards and a twin-engined design, with these having been influenced by discussions between the Turkish air force and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
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Tolga Ozbek/Tim Bicheno-Brown/Flightglobal |
TAI says the initial designs will be assessed against air force requirements during a workshop, with a report to be submitted by Turkey's undersecretary of defence industries by the end of September 2013.
TAI was awarded a contract last year to perform the activity, with the company working with Swedish manufacturer Saab.
Under current plans, the TFX project could lead to the first flight of a Turkish-built fighter in 2023, with the type to potentially be acquired as a replacement for the air force's oldest Lockheed Martin F-16Cs.
Source: Flight International