BOEING BTX-1 MILITARY
http://www.airinternational.com | 87new advanced trainer. Torgerson said: “We
needed to build a jet that could fl y many times
a day with easy maintenance. Our aircraft,
trainer and systems designers were all located
together and were all involved in the system
trade studies. As a result, we have included
many features that support high reliability
and easy maintenance including a high wing
design, easy to reach panels to access avionic
and other major systems. You don’t have to
turn a screw to open an access panel, you just
push a button. We can remove and replace
the F404 engine in a short time. We’ve already
shown the reliability of the aircraft and can
quickly turn a jet between fl ights to fulfi l the
Air Force requirements, thus we are proud of
our progress to date”.
Describing the BTX-1 as a fi ghter aircraft
that’s a trainer, Torgerson said the high-
performance aircraft has been tested across
its fl ight envelope and has demonstrated
excellent capabilities — including high angle
of attack, manoeuvring, synthetic training and
performance equivalent to a fi ghter aircraft”.
The latter is important for the Air Force given
its concept for using T-X aircraft assigned
to fi ghter training squadrons tasked to fl y
dedicated adversary missions that amounts to
tens of thousands of hours of annual fl ight time.
Torgerson said the two BTX-1 aircraft
fl ying from the St Louis facility are “the most
identical aircraft Boeing has ever built, and
fl y exactly alike and meet all of the goals the
company had hoped for”. This assertion is
based on the collective experience of the test
pilots from both Boeing and Saab who have
fl own the aircraft to date.
Torgerson confi rmed the aircraft’s design is
ready for fi nal development and could enter
fl ight testing a few months after a contract is
signed but was not prepared to disclose how
many fl ight hours have been accumulated,
citing that T-X is not a contest. However,
he did acknowledge the team has been
fl ying the type since December 21, 2016 and
conducting a fairly regular fl ight schedule
since that time.
Boeing’s T-X frontman also highlighted the
advantages provided by use of the latest tooling
technology and manufacturing techniques
“not available to an upgrade of an older,
existing design aircraft” a quip at the competing
contenders; the Lockheed Martin T-50 and
Leonardo DRS T-100 based on the M-346.
Torgerson added: “Requirements for the
training system’s ground-based systems visual
acuity are also very stringent. The level of visual
acuity provided by our system is such that
you can see things as a pilot really sees such
as leaves on trees and other fi ne details, an
aspect that meets or exceeds the customer’s
requirements. Our suite of training devices
ranges from part task trainers, desktop PCs with
throttle and stick controls, to a 360° dome within
which the seat does not move, but provides
motion cues to support a real fl ying experience;
the pilot’s G suit even infl ates when you pull G.”
Boeing’s Michael Pavlo , a former T-38
instructor reckons the ground-based training
system is as realistic as possible. He said:“When a student fl ies the simulator it’s just like
fl ying in the airplane. We’ve also replicated
a lot of the tasks currently only available in a
fi ghter aircraft and not possible in a T-38”.
Ted Torgerson added: “From a synthetic
perspective our training capabilities embedded
in the aircraft, and the connected systems are
highly accurate and will allow engagements
involving multiple players, feature a selection
of training modes of operation, and send-o
downloads for post-fl ight analysis. The new
BTX-1 trainer can perform many tasks more
e ectively and far cheaper”.
Torgerson said: “If selected the Boeing-Saab
T-X systems will provide a brand-new aircraft
as part of a total training system designed for
future growth.”
Should the BTX-1 win the US Air Force
competition, the Boeing-Saab team has
announced the St Louis plant will be used
for the fi nal assembly production line with a
projected estimate of 1,800 new jobs at full
rate production. AIBoeing’s fi rst BTX-1 takes o from the runway at St Louis-Lambert Field in full afterburner.
The GE F404-GE-402 engine has a thrust class rating of 17,700 to 18,100lb. Boeing“We designed as many
elements and features as we
could to make sure our T-X is
a very safe aircraft to fl y.”
Ted Torgerson, Boeing’s T-X programme manager