Paris Air Show: TAI bullish about future prospects
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is ambitious about expanding its current portfolio of rotorcraft for the domestic and international market.
Currently manufacturers of the T129 Atak and the T625 multirole helicopter, TAI is looking towards next year and considering the introduction of new platforms.
Metİn Olcay, business development of the helicopter group at TAI, explained to Shephard that although plans were still in the early stages, the company was looking at growing its range of existing helicopters.
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We want to complete our range of helicopters, we want more than two [aircraft]. In 2018 we will be starting on other helicopter designs, smaller or larger [than the existing rotorcraft] - it will be customer dependent,’ Olcay said.
No further details were available at this stage. However, the T625, which was launched in 2013, has now completed its CDR phase.
Olcay confirmed that the first flight of the T625 was on schedule for 2018, with the first prototype currently being manufactured and will soon undergo ground tests. EASA certification is anticipated to be in 2020.
‘We expect good market support domestically and internationally for the aircraft. We have [around] 350 engineers working on the helicopter design.’
The company’s assembly line is in Ankara, Turkey, which is also producing the T129 along with the assembly of Black Hawks for the Turkish MoD.
On the military side, the T129’s weapon integration has had positive feedback from the Turkish Armed Forces.
According to Olcay the armed forces have been actively using the weapons in the field and are utilising them more than initially expected.
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Recently, we surpassed 10,000 flight hours in total. In this short timeframe, this is double [the number of] hours that we expected. They are being heavily used.’
As of June 2017, 22 helicopters out of 59 have been delivered and Olcay is optimistic that additional orders will continue from the Turkish government.
At the moment, one aircraft is being delivered per month thus orders will continue into 2020. Olcay also explained that Pakistan is interested in the attack helicopter and while numbers were still not agreed on, details were soon to be announced.
https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotorhub/paris-air-show-tai-bullish-about-future-prospects/