The Scorpion armed reconnaissance jet from
Textron Aviation is one-of-a-kind. No other tactical aircraft like it is currently
in existence. The manufacturer took it upon itself to develop
a unique aircraft to meet a specific need in the market no other aircraft could fulfill. In their confidence, they decided to use their
own money against the norm for military aircraft development. Typically, the government foots most of the
bill and becomes the first user. But the Scorpion is not a typical aircraft. It can be built right in the US and then easily
exported to countries all around the world. At a quarter of the price of an expensive
F-16, the Scorpion can cover border patrol, maritime security, drug interdiction, disaster
relief, and counter-insurgency warfare roles. It may not have all the bells and whistles
of a fully loaded fighter jet, but that is one of many reasons it is such an impressive
aircraft. The Project AirLand Enterprises LLC AirLand had a vision
for a new kind of aircraft. The clandestine group of investors sought
to create what they believed to be the "world's most affordable tactical jet aircraft." In October 2011, they made their move, approaching
Textron for a joint venture to bring the concept to life. In just six months, the covert development
of the Scorpion commenced under the guise of the top-secret project, SCV12-1, or simply
"the project." A hand-picked team of designers and engineers
from Textron, Cessna, and Bell Helicopter were sworn to secrecy and assembled in a discreet
location, working tirelessly on the project. Often, they would have to make critical decisions
in hours rather than days, all to comply with a single ideal: "speed is paramount." The objective was to create, fly, and sell
the aircraft as fast as possible, not to miss opportunities. In parallel, all precautions were taken to
avoid arousing suspicion from potential competitors, with non-disclosure agreements, local suppliers,
and the tight-knit community of Wichita, Kansas, all playing their part in maintaining the
project's mystery. Besides, technology from Cessna inventory
and other existing and readily available components and hardware were borrowed to facilitate the
development. Despite the rush, and even if they could build
the aircraft quickly, there was one hurdle left to overcome: finding the right customer. Outside The Lines With military budgets shrinking and aircraft
costs skyrocketing, Textron saw a gap in the market - a need for an affordable and effective
jet. The Scorpion would bridge the gap between
turboprop aircraft and expensive land attack jets. Textron saw a market for the type; thus, it
was explicitly designed to fill the gap between light turboprop aircraft and expensive jet
land attack aircraft, hoping to find customers in the US National Guard and export markets. In a traditional aircraft development program,
the Department of Defense or military service would issue detailed requirements. Instead, Textron AirLand conducted a thorough
market and capability analysis to determine the exact needs of both domestic and foreign
forces currently unable to be fulfilled. Years of development and flight testing were
expected. Still, the team was determined to deliver
the Scorpion as quickly as possible. Instead of an expected four to five years,
its development-to-flight time was nothing short of miraculous, achieving its first flight
within a mere 24 months. In truth, in an unconventional, not to say
risky, move, the outside contours were built in May 2012, while wing production started
in August - meaning the wind tunnel tests were conducted after wing parts were already
in the pipeline. And so, after much anticipation, the first
prototype built by Cessna was finally unveiled to the world on September 16, 2013, and was
almost ready for its inaugural flight. Keeping It Low The Scorpion was designed to be a lightweight,
all-composite aircraft for light attack as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
missions. And it was to be an affordable option for
small foreign militaries who could not purchase high-end planes. Initially, the concept was for a single-engine
aircraft, but after reviewing 12 different design configurations, the engineers decided
on a tandem-seat, twin-engine configuration. Despite being a two-seater, it could be flown
by just one pilot. It had a retractable nose mount for electro-optical
and infrared sensors, reducing drag when not used. One of the significant advantages of the Scorpion
is its low cost. The developers claim that the flight hour
cost is only 3,000 dollars, which is significantly less than any Western purpose-designed turbojet
attack aircraft. The Scorpion is also cheaper to buy and operate
than most other ground attack aircraft, with each unit costing less than $20 million. This cost is lower than the cost of upgrading
an A-10 or F-16. To keep costs low, the developers used many
commercially available off-the-shelf components from Cessna's inventory. The demonstrator is powered by Honeywell TFE731
turbofans, widely used in commercial business jets. These engines are significantly cheaper than
purpose-designed military engines and easier to service. Textron AirLand sees a market for up to 2,000
Scorpion jets. Testing The Scorpion went through pre-flight taxi
trials in late November 2013 in preparation for its first flight. And finally, on December 12, it took to the
skies for the first time, flying for 1.4 hours. The flight happened 23 months after the Scorpion's
conception, and its flight certification program would last for two years. Textron AirLand, the company behind the Scorpion,
aimed to complete 500 flight hours and, more ambitiously, verify basic performance features
by the end of 2014. The initial flight tests were promising, showing
positive results in evaluations of performance. Similarly, mechanical and electronic systems
proved efficient. By April 9, 2014, Textron AirLand announced
that the Scorpion had flown for 50 hours over 26 flights. The aircraft had flown as high as 30,000 feet
at speeds up to 490 miles per hour and experienced accelerations ranging from 3.7 to −0.5 g. In turn, the stall speed was identified as
slower than 100 miles per hour. During test flights, pilots reported that
the Scorpion was agile, nimble, and powerful, even when flown on one engine. Moreover, its low-speed characteristics proved
more than decent - it even demonstrated an intercept of a Cessna 182. Yet, incremental modifications were made over
the course of testing. Overall, remarkably few issues were encountered,
which was attributed to the use of mature, non-developmental systems. A Strike Aircraft On June 1, 2014, a modified Scorpion aircraft
resumed flights. The Scorpion then made its debut at the Farnborough
Airshow in July of the same year. It had simplified landing gear, increased
wing sweep, and new avionics, including hands-on-throttle-and-stick controls. The aircraft also had a modular design that
allowed the wings to be removed and replaced with different designs. It is worth mentioning that the manufacturer
considers it an ISR/strike aircraft instead of a "light attack" aircraft. As such, the aircraft is designed to handle
"non-traditional ISR" flights, similar to those performed by US fighters in Iraq and
Afghanistan. It can perform armed reconnaissance while
cruising above 15,000 feet, higher than most ground fire can reach. Additionally, the aircraft is rugged enough
to sustain minimal damage. Textron AirLand claims that the aircraft's
endurance is optimized for five hours of loitering up to 150 miles away from its base. The Scorpion aircraft is versatile and can
be used for light attack, reconnaissance, domestic interdiction, air patrol, and training. However, it is limited to low-threat battlefield
missions. Still, with an internal weapons bay that can
be reconfigured for different mission requirements, the Scorpion can carry sensors or extra fuel. It can also carry precision-guided munitions
with laser or GPS guidance. Its internal payload capacity is 3,000 pounds,
and it can also bear an additional 3,000 pounds of ordnance externally on six external hardpoints
for various weapons, such as gun pods, missiles, rockets, and bombs. By the end of the summer, the Scorpion would
be ready for its ultimate trial. The Outlook In August 2014, the Scorpion aircraft was
put to the test in a simulated large chemical spill scenario. The aircraft was flown by a Textron test pilot
and was able to circle the affected area for several hours, transmitting high-quality video
to US Air National Guard members. This demonstration aimed to showcase the aircraft's
intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities and promote its use for Air National Guard
missions. The Scorpion aircraft achieved a 100 percent
mission availability rate during the exercise, demonstrating its ability to provide color
HD full-motion video and communicate with other aircraft and ground stations. Its success could lead to the Scorpion being
adopted for low-threat missions, filling a gap in the market for tactical aircraft - which
is especially important for smaller nations, as the Scorpion is a cost-effective option. Later, on December 22, 2016, the first production-standard
aircraft took to the skies. The company behind the Scorpion reported positive
interest from military and paramilitary organizations, with discussions already underway with countries
such as Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Admittedly, however, the market for light
fixed-wing attack jets decreased after the 1980s, as wealthier nations opted for more
capable aircraft and poorer countries turned to turboprops and attack helicopters. It remains uncertain if the Scorpion can outperform
these alternatives in terms of range, endurance, low-altitude performance, and sensors. Nevertheless, the Scorpion's unique capabilities
and cost-effectiveness make it an attractive option for many nations needing a reliable
tactical aircraft. Thank you for tuning in to our video! If you crave more gripping and enthralling
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