ROYAL AIRFORCE
FIREFLY
Roles
Used for training in general handling, procedural instrument flying, low-level navigation, formation flying, night flying and an introduction to dual-crew operations.
Specifications
Engines: Textron Lycoming flat sixcylinder engine
Thrust: 260lbs
Max speed: 156kts
Length: 7.54m
Max altitude: 10,000ft
Span: 10.72m
Aircrew: 2
Details
The Firefly T67 M260, which entered RAF service in 1996, is a two-seat aircraft used at the RAF College Cranwell for training pilots who have completed elementary flying training and have been selected for multi-engine training on the King Air B200. The aircraft are civilian registered and are owned, supplied and maintained by Babcock Defence Services, who provide the aircraft under contract to the RAF. The Firefly is used on a Multi-Engine Lead-In (MELIN) course, which is an integral part of the role of the King Air training squadron, No 45 (R) Squadron. The course gives student pilots an insight into more advanced flying than they encounter on the elementary course and comprises general handling, procedural instrument flying, low-level navigation, formation flying, night flying and an introduction to dual-crew operations.
The Firefly, made in glass fibre by Slingsby Aviation in Yorkshire, is a single piston-engined aircraft with a 260hp Textron-Lycoming engine, which drives a three-blade, constant speed, composite propeller. Its instrumentation and communications equipment allows it to be flown along airways and the aircraft is cleared for instrument flying and night flying. The Firefly is fitted with side-by-side dual controls, a fixed windscreen and a backward-tilting canopy incorporating direct ventilation windows and fresh-air scoops. The unpressurised aircraft is fully aerobatic and can easily maintain height during an aerobatic sequence. The aircraft also has fuel and oil systems capable of sustaining inverted flight.
The Firefly can carry two pilots for over three hours of training. This endurance, coupled with a rapid climb rate of less than 10 minutes to reach 10,000ft, make it an excellent training aircraft.
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Griffin HT1
Roles
Used for general-handling flying, underslung-load carrying, night-vision goggle training, procedural instrument flying, formation flying, low-flying navigation and an introduction to tactical employment.
Specifications
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney PT6T- 3D turboshafts
Thrust: 900shp each
Max speed: 140kts
Length: 17.11m
Max altitude: 20,000ft
Span: 14.02m
Aircrew: 4
Who uses the Griffin HT1
60 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Shawbury
Details
The Griffin HT1 is used as an advanced flying-training helicopter at the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury, in Shropshire, and the Search and Rescue Training Unit (SARTU) at RAF Valley, in Anglesey. There are eleven aircraft in service; eight are based at RAF Shawbury and three are based at RAF Valley. The Griffin HT1 is a military twin-engined helicopter derived from the civilian Bell Textron 412EP helicopter and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney turboshafts rated at 1800shp. The aircraft has an advanced, composite material, fourblade main rotor system, and pendulum dampers on the rotor hub to reduce vibrations at higher cruise speeds. The composite main-blades can be interchanged and folded easily for storage.
With a cruising speed of 120kts (138mph) and an endurance of almost 3 hours which makes it ideally suited for advanced helicopter training, the Griffin HT1 is ideally suited for Multi-engine Advanced Rotary Wing (MEARW) training, which is completed over a period of 34 weeks on No 60(R) Squadron at RAF Shawbury. The syllabus includes general-handling flying, underslung-load carrying, night-vision goggle training, procedural instrument flying, formation flying, low-flying navigation and an introduction to tactical employment, including operations from confined areas. A short SAR-procedures course, which includes elements of mountain flying and maritime rescue winching, is conducted at RAF Valley. However, students who are finally streamed for SAR flying duties on completion of their advanced helicopter training return to SARTU to complete an extended SAR course prior to joining the Sea King Operational Conversion Unit at RAF St Mawgan.
In addition to pilot training, the Griffin is used for crewman training: a very important and integral part of multi-crew operations. A Griffin simulator, with full motion capability and an advanced graphics suite, is also based at RAF Shawbury and is a fully integrated part of the MEARW course. It is especially useful for procedural instrument-flying training and practising complex emergency-handling techniques. The Griffin, which has now been in service with DHFS for five years, is also used in its HAR2 form by No 84 Squadron on SAR duties in Cyprus.
Aircraft recognition - Griffin
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Hawk T1/1A
Roles
Used for weapons and tactical training dron at RAF Valley, and at RAF Leeming for advanced fast-jet weapons systems officer training and operational support- flying.
Specifications
Engines: Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan
Thrust: 5200lbs
Max speed: 550kts
Length: 11.9m
Max altitude: 48,000ft
Span: 9.39m
Aircrew: 2
Armament: AIM-9 Sidewinder, Aden 30mm
Who uses the Hawk T1/1A
19 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Valley
208 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Valley
Details
The Hawk first entered service with the RAF in 1976, both as an advanced flying-training aircraft and a weapons-training aircraft. The Hawk T1 version is currently used at RAF Valley for fast-jet pilot advanced flying training with No 208(R) Squadron, and at RAF Scampton by the RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows. The T1A is used for weapons and tactical training on No 19(R) Squadron at RAF Valley, and by No 100 Squadron at RAF Leeming for advanced fast-jet weapons systems officer training and operational support- flying. In its weapons and tactical training role the Hawk is used to teach air combat, air-to-air firing, air-to-ground firing and low-flying techniques and operational procedures.
The Hawk is an all-metal, low-wing, tandem seat aircraft of conventional design. The wing has a moderate sweep with 2º dihedral and trailing edge slotted flaps. A one-piece all-moving tailplane is also swept back with 10º dihedral. The fuselage comprises three main parts. The front fuselage accommodates two equipment bays and a pressurised cabin containing two tandem cockpits. The centre fuselage contains the engine, a fuselage fuel tank, a gas turbine starting system and a ram air turbine; the latter providing emergency hydraulic power should the two normal hydraulic systems fail. The rear fuselage houses the jet pipe bay and an airbrake hinged to its under surface.
The Hawk is powered by a Rolls- Royce Turbomeca Adour 151 turbofan engine, which is an un-reheated version of the engine powering the Jaguar GR3 aircraft.
While the Hawk T1 is used solely in the advanced flying-training role, the Hawk T1A is equipped to an operational standard and is capable of undertaking a number of war roles. The T1A has two under-wing pylons cleared to carry Sidewinder AIM-9L air-to-air missiles, and can carry a 30mm Aden cannon in a pod underneath the fuselage centre-line. The cannon can be fired at the same time as any of the pylon-mounted weapons are selected for release or firing. Aiming facilities for the aircraft’s attack modes are provided by an integrated strike and interception system, while a Vinten video recording system is used to record the weapon sighting.
The next generation Hawk aircraft, the Hawk 128, will enter service in 2008 as a replacement for some of the current Hawk TMk1s. The Hawk 128 will introduce student pilots to the digital cockpit environment they will experience in front-line operational service and will provide a seamless transition between basic flying training, and operational conversion training onto advanced fighter aircraft such as the Typhoon F2 and the Joint Combat Aircraft.
Aircraft recognition - Hawk
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King Air B200
Roles
Used as an advanced, multi-engine pilot trainer by No 45(R) Squadron.
Specifications
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42 Turboprops
Thrust: 850shp each
Max speed: 259kts
Length: 13.36m
Max altitude: 28,000ft
Span: 16.61m
Aircrew: 3
Who uses the King Air B200
45 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Cranwell
Details
The Beech King Air B200, the newest training aircraft in the RAF inventory, is a twin-engine turboprop monoplane, which first entered RAF service in 2004. It is used as an advanced, multi-engine pilot trainer by No 45(R) Squadron, which is part of No 3 Flying Training School based at RAF Cranwell, in Lincolnshire. Prior to flying the King Air, students who have been streamed to fly multi-engine aircraft at the end of elementary flying training undertake survival training and personal development training to prepare them for the rigours of operational service. They then join No 45(R) Squadron, and receive an additional 30 hours training on the multi-engine lead-in (MELIN) course, flying Firefly 260 aircraft. During the MELIN course, students are taught crew co-operation and procedural flying skills to prepare them for their advanced flying training on the King Air.
The King Air course is split into basic and advanced phases. In the basic phase, students learn essential multi-engine techniques such as general handling, asymmetric flying, emergency handling and radio-aids navigation, and consolidate the multi-crew skills acquired on the MELIN. In the advanced phase, the emphasis shifts towards developing captaincy, crew resource management, and managing the King Air's advanced avionics systems. Students learn advanced skills such as formation flying, low-level flying and airways navigation, and are expected to plan and manage composite missions involving several aircraft.
On completion of the course students are awarded their coveted pilot’s wings, and then undertake conversion to their frontline aircraft type at an Operational Conversion Unit.
A variety of courses are available using the King Air, based mainly on the student’s previous flying experience. This experience can be as little as 100 hours for a student arriving straight from elementary flying training, to a few thousand hours for a qualified pilot transferring to the multi-engine role. In addition to its flying training role, the King Air can be used to carry up to 6 passengers or freight.
The King Air B200 has performed extremely well in its first year of service, and has proved popular with students and instructors alike. Its combination of a well-proven airframe with advanced cockpit and systems make it an ideal training platform for the new generation of multi-engine aircraft entering RAF service.
Aircraft Recognition - King Air
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Tucano
Roles
Used to develop students in a full range of skills, including general aircraft handling, formation flying and low-level navigation.
Specifications
Engines: Garrett TPE331-12B turboprop
Thrust: 1150shp
Max speed: 300kts
Length: 9.86m
Max altitude: 30,000ft
Span: 11.28m
Aircrew: 2
Who uses the Tucano
72 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
207 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
Details
The Tucano T1 is a modified version of the Brazilian Embraer EMB-312 Tucano aircraft, and is built under licence by Shorts of Belfast. The Tucano is operated primarily from No 1 Flying Training School, at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, to provide basic fastjet flying training to RAF and RN student pilots, and basic WSO training to all potential RAF WSOs. Student pilots fly around 130 hours during their training course on the Tucano before progressing to the Hawk T1 aircraft at RAF Valley.
The aircraft is powered by an 1150shp Garrett Turboprop engine, has a maximum speed of 300kts (345mph) and can maintain 270kts (310mph) at low level. It can operate at up to 30,000 feet and has an initial climb rate of 4000 feet per minute. The Tucano replaced the Jet Provost in RAF service and its two-seat tandem cockpit makes it an ideal lead-in to the Hawk, which is flown at the next stage of training. The turboprop Tucano was chosen to replace the RAF’s Jet Provosts because of its greater fuel efficiency and lower operating costs.
The aircraft handling is similar to that of a jet aircraft and it is fully aerobatic, thus providing an excellent workhorse for training fast-jet pilots in all aspects of military flying. It is used to develop students in a full range of skills, including general aircraft handling, formation flying and low-level navigation and, due to its comprehensive avionics and ice-protection packages, it can be flown in all types of weather, by day and by night. The Tucano’s all-weather flying capability, plus its excellent endurance, allows a great measure of flexibility in the training role. Should weather conditions be poor at their home base, crews operating from RAF Linton-on- Ouse can fly low-level sorties to locations as far away as Wales or the north of Scotland.
The Tucano has recently undergone a wing and fuselage strengthening programme to overcome aircraft stress problems and will remain as the RAF’s primary fast-jet basic flying-training aircraft until later in the decade.
Aircraft recognition - Tucano
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Tutor T Mark 1
Roles
Used for Elementary Flying Training by the 14 University Air Squadrons and 12 Air Experience Flights throughout the UK.
Specifications
Engines: Textron Lycoming AE-360-B piston engine
Thrust: 180lbs
Max speed: 135kts
Length: 7.54m
Max altitude: 10,000ft
Span: 10.00m
Aircrew: 2
Details
The Grob 115E, known by the RAF as the Tutor, is used for Elementary Flying Training by the 14 University Air Squadrons and 12 Air Experience Flights throughout the UK. It is also used by the Central Flying School and for elementary WSO training at the RAF College Cranwell. All of the Tutors in RAF service are entered on the UK Civil Aircraft Register and are provided by VT Group.
The Tutor is constructed mainly from carbon fibre reinforced plastic, which combines high strength with light weight. Like its predecessor, the Bulldog, the Tutor has side-by-side seating but, unlike the Bulldog, the primary flight instruments are on the right-hand side of the cockpit. This allows the student to fly the aircraft from the right-hand seat with a right-hand stick and a left-hand throttle so that future transition to fast-jet aircraft is made easier.
Unpressurised, and powered by a Textron-Lycoming 180hp piston engine driving a Hoffman three-bladed, constant-speed propeller, the Tutor can cruise at 130kts at sea level and climb to 5,000ft in seven minutes. The aircraft has a very clean airframe and has a three-minute inverted- flight time limit, making it ideal for aerobatics where, unlike previous RAF light aircraft, it loses little or no height during a full aerobatic sequence. The aircraft has a very modern instrument and avionics suite, including a Differential Global Positioning System, which, apart from giving excellent navigational information, can also be used to generate a simulated Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach for training use at airfields where ILS ground equipment is not fitted for the runway in use.
The Tutor is a cost-effective, modern elementary training aircraft. The combination of docile handling characteristics and good performance make it very suitable for its training role.
Aircraft Recognition - Grob Tutor
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Squirrel HT1
Roles
The Squirrel is an ideal platform to teach the rudiments of rotary-wing flying.
Specifications
Engines: Ariel 1D1 gas-turbine engine
Thrust: 625shp
Max speed: 155kts
Length: 12.94m
Max altitude: 16,000ft
Span: 10.69m
Aircrew: 2
Who uses the Squirrel HT1
60 (Reserve) Squadron
RAF Shawbury
Details
The Squirrel HT1 is used by the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury, in Shropshire, for Single Engine Basic Rotary Wing (SEBRW) training with No 660 Squadron and Single Engine Advanced Rotary Wing (SEARW) training with No 705 Squadron. The DHFS selected the Squirrel helicopter, manufactured by Eurocopter, as a replacement for the Gazelle when the School became operational in 1997, and since that date the 26 aircraft in service have amassed over 100,000 hours flying time between them. Powered by a single Ariel 1D1 gas-turbine engine, which drives a conventional three-blade main rotor and a twin-blade tail rotor, the Squirrel is an ideal platform to teach the rudiments of rotary-wing flying. It has an endurance of three hours, a cruising speed of 115 kts (132mph) and seating for a crew of two and four passengers. The Squirrel can be configured either to meet the demands of SEBRW and SEARW, or to meet any secondary transport or communication tasks.
The initial flying-training course with No 660 Squadron, the Army Air Corps (AAC) element of DHFS, teaches basic rotary-wing skills and emergency handling, culminating in a first solo and a handling check prior to SEARW training. The SEARW phase of the course, run by 705 Squadron, the Fleet Air Arm element of DHFS, is where basic skills are consolidated and developed into more applied techniques. The syllabus includes nonprocedural instrument flying, basic night flying, low-level and formation flying, mountain flying and an introduction to winching for RN students. In addition to DHFS, the Squirrel HT1 is used by the Central Flying School (Helicopter) Squadron at RAF Shawbury for instructor training, and by 670 AAC Squadron, based at Middle Wallop, in Hampshire, for operational training.
Aircraft recognition - Squirrel
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Vigilant T1
Roles
Used by the Air Cadet Organisation to give basic flying and gliding training to air cadets.
Specifications
Engines: Grob 2500E1 horizontally opposed four-cylinder, air-cooled engine
Thrust: 95lbs
Max speed: 130kts
Length: 8.1m
Max altitude: 8,000ft
Span: 17.4m
Aircrew: 2
Details
The Grob 109B motor glider, known by the RAF as the Vigilant T1, is used by the Air Cadet Organisation to give basic flying and gliding training to air cadets. The aircraft is built in Germany, but it has been modified to meet the RAF’s training requirements by the inclusion of an additional throttle in the cockpit and an increase in the maximum take-off weight. The Vigilant is currently used by 16 Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGSs), located at various sites around the UK. Their role is to train air cadets in basic flying techniques and to enable them to reach a standard where they are able to fly solo. Courses available to the air cadets are the gliding induction course, the gliding scholarship course and the advanced gliding training course. The Vigilant T1 aircraft is also used at the Air Cadet Central Gliding School, at Syerston, in Nottinghamshire, where it is used to train the VGS instructors.
The aircraft is powered by a Grob 2500E1 horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, air-cooled engine, which provides a direct drive to a Hoffman Ho- V62 R/L160BT variable-pitch, two-bladed propeller. The conventional landing gear, which is non-retractable, comprises two main wheels with fairings, and a tailwheel, which is steered through the rudder pedals. A retrofitted throttle is provided for use by the left-hand seat, giving the student the familiar military configuration of right-hand stick and left-hand throttle arrangement.
The Vigilant TMk1 is a cost-effective, modern aircraft. Its docile handling characteristics, combined with good fuel economy, make it an excellent training aircraft for cadets and instructors alike.
