What's new

Featured Turkey’s National Fighter, TFX/MMU, will roll out in 18 March 2023

  • Roll-out: 18 March 2023, Anniversary of Çanakkale battle victory.
  • 2 years for land tests and later first take off. 2029, serial production and delivery.
  • 3000 engineers is working on project at present. When the mass production commenced, The number of employees to be worked will rise 10000.
  • The construction of Tf-X engineering building have completed. Litening test and wind tunnel buildings next to it is almost completed.
  • Tf-X engineering building have hardware/software-super computer and test facilities that is similar to LockHeedMartin. 25000m2 special and ultra comfortable working area for Tf-X engineers.
  • Revolutionary Additive 3D Titanium Production technology will be used for the sections that requires high strength on aircraft fuselage.
More important than the March 18 victory, they want to get the MMU out of the hangar and make the election pr before the elections in 2023.
 
A few details about program schedule and costs at each engineering steps.


Phase-I: Engineering development and preliminary design phase

  • Cost:1,3 billion $
  • Schedule:4/5 years
  • Completion: 2021
Phase-II: Critical design review and Prototype production/Qualification phase
  • Cost: 7,3 billion $
  • Schedule: 8 years
  • Completion: 2029
In this phase:
7 TF-X prototypes will be produced
Roll-out ceremony for first TF-X MMU in 2023. First flight is expected to be done in 2024/2025

Serial production phase

  • Commencement: 2029/2030
  • Cost: 14 billion $
 
Ongoing infrastructure investment

TAI Wind tunnel center (It is said to be one of the most advanced wind tunnel of the World)

Operational:2022
Cost: 1,5 billion TL
Place: Ankara

Facility contains following capabilities;
  • Big Subsonic Wind Tunnel
  • Trisonic Wind Tunnel (Up to 5 Mach)
upload_2020-2-24_18-30-10-jpeg.608320




TF-X MMU R&D, Analyse and Test Building
  • 3000 Aerospace engineers will work there.
  • TF-X MMU will be shaped in this facility
  • Super computers with 10.000 core each will serve in this facility.
  • It will be operational in 2021.
images




TAI Composite Production Facility (Fourth biggest in World)
  • This facility will meet %2 of World composite production
  • 95000m2
  • TF-X MMU fuselage composites will be supplied from there
  • Industry 4.0 fully otonom production processes
  • It will be operational in 2021
upload_2020-2-24_18-31-37-jpeg.608321



TAI-Tübitak Near field RCS test & analyse facility & TAI-Far field RCS test facility
  • The facility will analyse/test critical RCS figures of aircrafts up to 25m length.
  • According to information, There are 4 facilities that is in same level with the TAI’s RCS facility.
  • RCS info has to be kept secret so this facility has serious importance to protect the key features of TF-X.
  • It will be operational in 2021.
455


TAI Fully Anechoic Chamber facility
  • Totally enclosed test facility
  • EMI/EMC tests
*image symbolic
upload_2020-2-24_18-59-52-jpeg.608329



TAI Lightening test facility
  • Up to million Volt electricity will be able to given to platforms
  • Hizal institute is charged to develop system
  • Drones, helicopters and other fixed wing platforms will be tested there
upload_2020-2-24_18-37-9-jpeg.608325
 
The biggest Drawback is the Engine. Which Engine would be used for production model A/C will be what PAF is looking at. Good thing the ATAK Engine fiasco happened, which has opened the eyes of our defence planners as well of the Turks. Probability of the Engines:
France=Minus Zero Probability
American:50-50 ratio, I am worried Americans might sanction Turkey in the coming 2 or 3 years in Defence Sector
British: 60-70% Depends how the Brits respond to American Pressure
Chinese: 30-40%
Russian: 40%(probability of Turkish Russian Relations nose Diving in the next 2 or 3 years). Ruskies are up to something in Turkey. Recent arrest of Wagner Contractors in Belarus is a very unusual event.
 
Developing an engine for the TFX is a long term goal that wont be achieved in the next decade. Its likely that the first batch or so will use either American or British engines, and that will be fine for the time being. The likely partner on the engine will most likely be British as our relationship with them is the best among the world's engine providers. There are other altnernatives technically speaking such as the Japanese, who have performed exceptionally well in developing an engine for their fifth gen Shinshin aircraft.
 
Back
Top Bottom