Aircraft Will Feature Garmin G3000 Avionics
Textron AirLand announced on 22 December that the first SCORPION jet conforming to production standards has made its successful first flight at McConnell Air Force Base, KS. The standard incorporates improvements based on target customer feedback and from the extensive flight test programme, which has so far accumulated in excess of 800 flight hours.
Textron also announced the avionics for the enhanced SCORPION will be based on the Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck, optimised for rigorous military operations. It features a large, high-definition display and two high-definition touch-screen controllers, providing greater mission capability in the front cockpit, better navigation capability in the rear and significant weight savings. Additional airframe changes include 4° of wing sweep, an enhanced aft horizontal stabiliser for improved high-speed performance, a simplified landing gear design, a next-generation HUD and HOTAS controls.
The aircraft will now begin what the company describes as “a robust flight test programme.”