Raytheon Aircraft is embarking on a world tour with its upgraded T-6B turboprop trainer to seek potential customers' advice on its avionics outfit.
The tour, starting later this year and running until roughly mid-2005, will see the T-6B - making its public debut at Farnborough - being demonstrated to air forces in Europe, the Middle East, Far East and South America.
Schedule
"We want to get input over the next year and a lot of the certification schedule will depend on what we find as we demo the airplane and as our customers get back to us," said Sherry Grady, Raytheon's vice-president, government business, at a show briefing yesterday.
The T-6B differs from the T-6A in service with the US Air Force primarily in its upgraded avionics. "In the international market, the expectation is that they want the aircraft to do more than the US government does. That became obvious very quickly," says Grady.
Bob Atac, vice-president, military aviation with avionics suppliers CMC Electronics, adds: "There probably isn't a new training aircraft without a full HUD-class cockpit.
"That's a basic requirement now for training aircraft. It's definitely a market-driven thing."
Advanced
The T-6B will have advanced cockpit management functions employed in modern front-line fighters and include an open architecture computer giving the aircraft both a training and light attack capability.
It will include a modular mission display processor, head-up display, stores management and multifunction displays.
Its wing structure has been beefed up to cope with a payload of up to 1,350kg (3,000lb) on six underwing pylons.
Raytheon is looking at a price tag of around $6.2 million for a T-6B compared with a typical price of $5 million for the T-6A.
ALAN DRON
Source: Flight Daily News
