The Scorpion Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)/Strike aircraft completed its first flight at 10:30 a.m. CST on Dec. 12, 2013.
The aircraft produced by Textron AirLand LLC, a joint venture between Textron Inc. and AirLand Enterprises LLC, took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan., and conducted a range of handling maneuvers for approximately 1.4 hours of flight. The flight marks one of the fastest developments of a U.S.-built tactical jet, progressing from initial design to first flight in less than 24 months.
“Today’s first flight is a major milestone for the Scorpion as the program transitions into the flight test phase,” commented Textron CEO Scott Donnelly. “When the design phase began less than 2 years ago, we were confident that we would deliver a uniquely affordable, versatile tactical aircraft by taking advantage of commercial aviation technologies and best practices.” He added that the flight met all expectations, and keeps the company on track toward certification and production.
Scorpion’s first flight crew consisted of pilot Dan Hinson, an engineering test pilot with more than 5,000 flight hours in 79 different types of aircraft, and co-pilot David Sitz. “The flight was completed according to plan,” said Hinson. “Having flown many tactical aircraft throughout my 23-year career with the U.S. Navy and with other aircraft manufacturers, I can say that the Scorpion compares very favorably to more costly aircraft currently used for low-threat missions. It showed impressive stability and responsiveness closely matching all of the predicted parameters for today’s maneuvers — it’s going to be a highly capable aircraft for the ISR and homeland security mission set.”
The Scorpion was announced in September 2013 as a demonstration aircraft designed to accommodate the budget constraints and shifting mission requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. partner nations. Powered by twin turbofan engines generating 8,000 lb of thrust, the Scorpion transitions easily between low speed and high-subsonic speed, as needed for diverse missions such as irregular warfare, border patrol, maritime surveillance, emergency relief, counter-narcotics, and air defense operations, according to Textron.
The Scorpion has a cruising speed of up to 450kts (517mph), with a ferry range of 2,400nm. The aircraft carries an internal payload of up to 3,000 lb, as well as wing-mounted precision munitions.
Source: Textron