THE FIRST OF three Schweizer special-reconnaissance aircraft for the US Coast Guard (USCG) will undergo flight tests this month, six months later than previously planned, according to company officials.
Unofficially known as the SA 2-38/RG-8A Twin, the aircraft is a heavily modified version of Schweizer's SA 2-37A/RG-8A single-piston, two-place aircraft used by the USCG since 1988 for a range of missions, including search-and-rescue, patrol and counter-narcotics operations.
The original $3.5 million contract called on Schweizer to modify two SA 2-37As operated from Miami, Florida, into more-capable, twin-engine aircraft, incorporating a push-pull engine combination with a twin tail-boom design similar to that of the Cessna 337.
The USCG, however, has found additional funds to buy a third, new aircraft.
The first modified aircraft will be ready in March for a flight test programme, expected to last up to four months. The USCG could receive the initial SA 2-38 Twin in June.
The SA 2-38 Twin's crew consists of a pilot and a sensor operator. The USCG payload includes a forward-looking infrared sensor, a television camera and AlliedSignal APN-215 weather radar, with search and surface-mapping modes.
Source: Flight International
