Temel Kotil, General Manager of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), made important statements about the National Combat Aircraft. The first flight date, planned in 2025, is set to 2023.
Temel Kotil, General Manager of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), made critical statements about Turkey’s National Combat Aircraft (MMU) project in his statements to CNN Turk. Kotil announced that the date of the first flight for the national warplane has been moved forward.
The End of 2023 is Targeted for the National Combat Aircraft
Temel Kotil stated in his statements that things were going better than expected for MMU and said, “We had normally scheduled the flight in October 2025. We have now withdrawn this flight. It will fly by the end of this year.” used the phrases. Kotil said that all the systems of the aircraft are under construction and parts such as the flight control system, engine and hydraulic systems are also checked. As a result of these checks, no leaks or problems were found.
MMU Engine will Fire Soon
Currently, 2000 engineers and 1000 technicians are working at MMU. As you may recall, the motor was already attached to the MMU. Now the fuel tanks and hydraulics of this engine are checked. It is expected that fuel will be supplied to these tanks in the coming days. Afterwards, the transition to the engine starting part will be made and a series of tests will be carried out here. Meanwhile, Temel Kotil stated that there are two F-16 (F110 type) engines in the National Combat Aircraft.
Why is MMU Important for Turkey?
The National Combat Aircraft developed by Turkey is described as the 5th Generation fighter aircraft. Although this very popular discourse varies from product to product, it actually refers to aircraft with very low radar projection. So it is difficult for existing radar systems to detect these planes. Therefore, an operational advantage is achieved. As of 2020, combat-ready fifth-generation jet fighters are already in the inventory of some countries and/or undergoing testing. These include the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and the Russian Su-57. These planes are much more stealthy, faster and more agile than the previous generation.
TAI MMU Technical Specifications
- Wingspan: 14 m (46 ft)
- Length: 21 m (69 ft)
- Height: 6 m (20 ft)
- Thrust: 2 x 29,000 lb
- Max Speed: Mach 1.8 (40,000 ft)
- Service Ceiling: 55,000 ft
- Positive / Negative G Limit: +9g / -3.5
