Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Basic Trainer Sets High Speed Record

A basic trainer aircraft manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has set a new record for high speed in a test flight in Ankara.

The new two-seater trainer aircraft, ‘Hurkus’ set a record 659 kilometers per hour speed on Feb 28 during a test flight, Hurriyet Daily reported Thursday.

The trainer began a dive from 27,000 feet (9,000 meters) at the test site, reaching a top speed of 659 km per hour during the dive.

The Hürkuş was accompanied by an F-16D owned by the Turkish Air Force.

Hürkuş test flights are currently planned to be completed by May and the aircraft is waiting for certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). All of the test details and results are shared with the EASA. Any aerial vehicle which is approved by the EASA can be commercially sold and used for passenger or cargo transportation, the news daily reported.

TAI has completed a significant portion of its work on the Hürkuş-B, a military training model, for the Turkish Air Force, after it launched the Hürkuş-A.

The Hürkuş-B model’s montage will start in April to make its first flight in December 2017. First delivery is planned in June 2018.