Engineering:Calidus B-250

From HandWiki
Short description: Emirati/Brazilian military trainer aircraft
B-250
Calidus B-250 at Dubai Air Show 2019 1.jpg
Calidus B-250 at Dubai Air Show 2019
Role Military trainer aircraft
National origin United Arab Emirates/Brazil
Manufacturer Calidus
Design group Novaer
First flight July 2017[1]
Status In production
Primary user United Arab Emirates Air Force
Number built 2 (as of January 2018)[1]

The Calidus B-250 is a tandem-seat, turboprop, light attack aircraft with counter-insurgency capability. Its structure is constructed entirely of carbon fiber, thus making it much lighter than its competitors.[2] It has 7 hard points for placing weapons as well as EO/IR.[3] It has Pro Line Fusion II avionics systems supplied by the American company Rockwell Collins.[4]

Design and development

The B-250 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It has an enclosed cockpit with two Martin-Baker ejection seats in tandem. It has a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-68 turboprop in tractor configuration. It was designed and developed in Brazil by Novaer, with mass production to be undertaken by Calidus in the United Arab Emirates.[5] The chief designer for the project was Joseph Kovács who created the Embraer Tucano.[5]

In 2019, 24 aircraft were ordered by the United Arab Emirates Air Force at the 2019 Dubai Airshow.[6]

Operators

 United Arab Emirates

Specifications

Data from Air International[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 10.98 m (36 ft 0 in)
  • Wingspan: 12.09 m (39 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 3.79 m (12 ft 5 in)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop, 1,200 kW (1,600 shp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 557 km/h (346 mph, 301 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 520 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn) (clean)
  • Combat range: 560 km (350 mi, 300 nmi) (combat radius, 4x laser guided bombs, 2x Air-to-air missiles and 1x fuel tank)
  • Ferry range: 2,400 km (1,500 mi, 1,300 nmi)
  • Endurance: 12 hr
  • Service ceiling: 9,100 m (30,000 ft)

Armament

  • Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 1,800 kg (3,960 lb),

See also

References

External links