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TF-X Turkish Fighter & Trainer Aircraft Projects

Turkey has hired lobbyists in Washington to persuade the US government on issuing export-license for particular parts (read engines), yet failed to achieve desirable results so far.

Biden's comments on Armenia show that the current US administration isn't exactly keen on being "friendly" to Turkey so yeah Turks may be ended up being forced to re-design Hurjet with Russian or Ukrainian engine.

Lobbyists cannot erase the negative impact that has occurred due to Erdogan's personality and policies. Therefore, yes. I agree with you. Another source will need to be found for any aviation engine.

However, we have been experiencing this problem for a long time, and what we did in response was to develop our own engines. It will probably be the same again.

Of course, unnecessary time and resources will be wasted. I say this especially for Hürjet.
 
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TAI head Temel Kotil: "Former Chief engineer of the Eurofighter project, currently in the position of lead consultant for the Hurjet project."
 
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@JamD bro can you make assessment on the aerodynamic of this boxy design .........
Not really. We do wind tunnel and CFD tests for that sort of thing. Aerodynamics is very touchy. Probably ease of manufacturing and maintenance is primary goal here.
 
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Component level assembly is planned to be initiated by August 2021 and completed by March 2022, followed by Final Assembly Line and Ground / Flight Test activities. In other words, we are talking about an aircraft that its first production has already started.

As I mentioned before, although the initial planning was focused on AJT, the project has now turned into a multi-role platform for some understandable reasons. AJT, LIFT, Aggressor aircraft, Air patrol and -if the project is accepted- including Carrier Based Aircraft, it will become a common main platform with a wide range of services.

The short-term advantage of Hurjet is its indirect gains to MMU by running ahead of it. Comprehensive avionics development and integration activities such as the F-16-Özgür, and followed by such as the Hurjet project, that all are supporting elements for reduce the risk of the MMU project and shorten the project schedule. There was no problem in the structural part of the work anyway.

Its long-term advantage is, will provide a flexible and multi-role lightweight platform with lower maintenance costs which can be run for any situation where MMU will be costly. In this respect, the Hurjet project has the potential to find a place not only in foreign markets, but also in Turkish air force combat fleets in the next decade.

In the years when F-16s will be taken out of service completely, a table can be created as follows:
Hurjet AJT, LIFT
Hurjet B Light Attack, (C)AP
Hurjet C Naval Fighter (maybe another airframe with twin engine)
And list goes on with MMU and MIUS variants...

In short, it is no longer a dream for the Turkish air force combat fleets to reach a + 90% domestic supply rate in an average 20-year projection. Thanks to the steps taken today, logistics dependency will be largely eliminated from the 2030s.

As the cost of this transformation, the regional domination of the Turkish air force likely to fall into an interim-weak stage within 2025/2027-to-2034/2036. While TAI prepares these projects for production, one of the main work areas of the Turkish Air Force will be on how to manage this risk range. Therefore, in addition to the comprehensive F-16 modernization package, perhaps a stop gap solution is being evaluated.
 
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Is this an updated 3D image of Hurjet? since it looks very similar (if not exactly the same) with the 3D image posted on TAI website. I am not sure why TAI haven't updated the specs of the engine from 19,200 lbs to 17,700lb on their website since it has reported that have decided to go with GE F404-102 of max. thurst 17,700 lbs though India may have agreed to share GE-F404-IN20 (19,000 lbs) with Turkey.

For Design

Nothing controversial here. A pair of high-set trapezoidal wings (with a combination of LEX, but it cannot be seen on the design), a rectagular air intake on each side and one vertical stablizer with mid-set horizontal stabilisers. The design is conservative and some might say it is boring.

However, this is because, I think, Turkish engineers understand that they can't take any risk as their schedule is very tight and this design is 'good enough' as a trainer. Despite of hype pumped by higher-ups, the specs say Hurjet is more similar to existing & upcoming advanced trainer jets and it probably won't be a fighter jet replacement that you might want to deploy on your amphibious ships.

However, the entire point of the program is that this is an indigenous design and Turkey won't be contrained by international companies over IP, source code and other matters over weapon integeration and more.
 
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The Naval version is still in a kind of feasibility study phase. There is no decision taken on this matter. If decided, the airframe and wing area will probably not be the same. It will likely be presented as a highly derivated aircraft that will remain within the maximum common logistics and production sections. The name Hurjet is a somewhat historical reference(see Vecihi Hürkuş) and a metaphor(Hür means independent) that represents freedom in aviation. Therefore, if I need to give an example from naval projects, it may be the main name of the program, not an end product, just like MILGEM. If we assume that these further steps will be taken.

The design we're talking about now is basically an AJT and possibly a LIFT jet. Elements such as Aerobatics team will also use this plane. However, after that point, the capabilities of the aircraft will have to be increased and progress with new blocks and maybe structural differences. The reason there are so many open ends is that this jet is basically TAI's own project. In other words, it progresses with the equity of the companies. In addition to the serving industrial pionering for MMU, the company tends to use any possibility that will affect the risk sharing and sale success of the Hurjet projects.
 
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The Naval version is still in a kind of feasibility study phase. There is no decision taken on this matter. If decided, the airframe and wing area will probably not be the same. It will likely be presented as a highly derivated aircraft that will remain within the maximum common logistics and production sections. The name Hurjet is a somewhat historical reference(see Vecihi Hürkuş) and a metaphor(Hür means independent) that represents freedom in aviation. Therefore, if I need to give an example from naval projects, it may be the main name of the program, not an end product, just like MILGEM. If we assume that these further steps will be taken.

I am pretty sure you understand that once you touch airframe, wing, engines (I think you even suggested that Hurjet could be equipped with a twin-engine in the future, but the change would make the development even more challenging) and other critical designs of the jet, you may have to take many, if not all, steps you have already taken for designing aircraft even if you recycle some parts from the current Hurjet. It will almost as if Turkey is designing a new jet and the project will take time, money and manpower to get the job done properly. For instance, Saab was ordered to build a Gripen Demo powered by F414 in 2007 to expolore possible upgrades for Gripen C/D, but only completed the first flight of Gripen E in 2017. And this is Saab which had many years of experience in building fighter jets even in 2007, not TAI which has comparatively little experience to Saab of 2007 in designing & building a manned turbofan fighter jet aircraft. So I think it is disingenuous and dishonest for Aircraft Programs Manager of TAI to suggest that 'Hurjet' could be deployed on amphibious ships.

Hurjet is a trainer and isn't meant to be a proper fighter jet replacement. A major overhaul is needed to be operated as proper carrier-based aircraft and it would be expensive, time-consuming and skill-intensive. Even if the projet was somehow successful, by the time it was done, TF-X would be either only a few years away from being combat ready or achieve at least FF.

the company tends to use any possibility that will affect the risk sharing and sale success of the Hurjet projects.

Actually That is a concern. It seems like profit-motivated TAI is a) suggesting that Hurjet which is only meant to be an advanced trainer & light attacker as a proper replacement for carrier-based aircraft (F-35B) or b) making the Turkish navy to wait for years until the compnay properly develops a new 'Hurjet' so they could sell more stuffs to the Turkish navy even when TF-X would be available only within a few years and it'd be better to develop the naval version of TF-X along with the actual TF-X.

If a) is true, TAI is suggesting a trainer & light attacker which is not meant to be a full-blown combat aircraft as a proper replacement for carrier-based aircraft (F-35B).
If b) is true, maybe TAI is not actually confident with the TF-X project of being completed on time and is interested in selling Hurjet variants as an interim solution to Turkish Armed Forces.

Either ways, for now, the design looks rock-solid...as an advanced trainer. It would be interesting to see how this thing (Hurjet), T-7A Red Hawk and Airbus Spain's new advanced trainer jet fare against each other in the export market as a new generation of advanced trainers.

One more interesting point - I believe TCG Anadolu has a ski-jump, but is more suitable for V/STOL aircraft. Turkey may have to install the catapult & hook system, if the ship doesn't already have one, to increase the take-off speed of whatever indigeous aircraft that would be deployed on the ship, but not sure how effective the change would be since the deck (particularly the length) may not be ideal, especially for landing. Very intriguing situation.
 
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