M-346 may get first flight soon

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Date Posted: 16-Apr-2004

JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – APRIL 21, 2004

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Engine runs promise M-346 first flight soon
Michael J Gething JDW Aerospace Consultant
London

Aermacchi began engine test runs of the two Honeywell F124-GA-200 twin-shaft non-afterburning turbofan engines installed in its new M-346 lead-in fighter trainer on 13 April. This is a significant milestone ahead of the aircraft’s first flight, delayed from November 2003, which an Aermacchi spokesman told JDW will now happen by mid-2004.

The M-346 is a comprehensively redesigned and Westernised version of the Yakovlev Yak-130 joint venture with Russia, but each partner is now developing the design on its own. Aermacchi began autonomous development in 2000, focusing the features and performance of the aircraft to the requirements of the Eurotrainer group.

The engine runs took place at the company’s Venegono Superiore flight-test centre, near Varese, where three pre-production aircraft are under construction. According to Aermacchi, “the first engine runs demonstrated the satisfactory operation of the engine electronic control units and of the fuel system both in the transient and the continuous-operation phases”.

The tests were conducted with the aircraft stationed on the runway with the engines in ‘ground idle’ conditions. The data from these tests will be integrated with other ground qualification test and later flight-test data to complete the validation of the other aircraft systems.

The M-346’s Honeywell F124 turbofans each provide 27.9kN thrust with a specific fuel consumption of approximately 0.79lb/h/lb st. The air intakes are located under the wings, allowing a uniform airflow at high angles of attack. The engines are fully interchangeable and can rapidly be removed and replaced. A maximum level speed of 585kt (1,083km/h) is predicted.

The twin-engine solution was adopted for the M-346/Yak-130 to improve the effectiveness of training and the aircraft’s reliability in flight over very heavily populated areas, such as in Europe.

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