MILITARY BOEING BTX-1
86 | http://www.airinternational.comDiscussing the BTX-1 design, Torgerson
said: “We designed as many elements and
features as we could to make sure our T-X
is a very safe aircraft to fl y. It has twin tails
for improved stability, a proven landing gear
system, the GE F404-GE-402 engine with an
afterburner which is helpful when you need
extra power. Also, our T-X has a large wing
and leading-edge root extension to improve
turn rate and agility compared to the T-38. All
of these elements and many others improve
the safety of our T-X and make it easy and safe
to fl y for student pilots and instructors alike”.
Torgerson also explained how the BTX-1
was developed and designed around the
cockpit. He said: “We talked with many current
and former T-38 instructors and determined
the aircraft presents the instructor with a
challenge to see over the student’s head.
Our T-X aircraft has an elevated instructors
station. We call this stadium seating—so the
instructor can see over the student even when
they are on a steep glide path on approach.
The leading-edge root extension starts aft of
the instructor cockpit so the view over the
side is good. The cockpits are designed with
su cient space to accommodate all bodysizes so that women and men can safely, and
comfortably fl y our trainer”.
Torgerson highlighted that for a purpose-
built trainer, the cockpit is the aircraft’s
payload and where the training happens.
He said: “We have made sure we have a
state-of-the-art cockpit with capacity for
growth including glass displays and intuitive
features. The current generation of students
brought up with smart phones tend not to
read instructions but push buttons and go.
So, we have created icons on the displays
that interface with the aircraft and how to fl y
it, ones that operate like apps on your smart
phone. We also have hands on throttle and
stick [HOTAS] controls such that the student
or the instructor can use both the HOTAS
controls and the displays to command the
aircraft what to do. The forward cockpit is also
fi tted with a head-up display”.
Boeing’s fi rst BTX-1, registered N381TX (c/n
00001), made its maiden fl ight on December
20, 2016. Following the fl ight, test pilot
Steve Schmidt said: “The airplane performed
extremely well, but what really stood out was
how responsive, stable and predictable the
aircraft was.”Ground-based systems
Torgerson highlighted the US Air Force’s
interest in downloading part of its training
syllabus with the new T-X system. He said:
“Some components of pilot training currently
performed by students fl ying the T-38, the Air
Force wants to download to ground-based
systems — such as formation fl ying, aerial
refuelling training, line ahead fl ying, simulated
air combat, missile fi ring, targeting using a
pod and bomb dropping. Air Education and
Training Command is still evaluating how the
[download] process will evolve to perform
tasks with ground-based systems to improve
training, and reduce the use of advanced
fi ghters and bombers so therefore costs”.
Torgerson added: “Our advanced ground-
based training system is housed in our
building at the St Louis facility as is our
systems integration laboratory, iron birds and
all of the other equipment we need to support
the Boeing T-X programme”.
The US Air Force has a stringent
requirement for high reliability, easy support
and quick turnaround. Air Education and
Training Command requires the capability
to fl y at least four sorties per day with theBoth BTX-1 aircraft fl ew
together for the fi rst time on
April 27, 2017. BoeingBTX-1 N381TX on an early
test fl ight from St Louis-
Lambert Field. Boeing