Hawker Beechcraft T-6C Trainer Maintains Busy Schedule To and From Paris Air Show

June 20, 2011
The turboprop trainer is scheduled to perform an eight-minute flight demonstration each day at the Paris Air Show.

PARIS (June 20, 2011) – Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) is featuring a T-6C military trainer as part of its exhibit at the 49th Paris Air Show, July 20-26 at Le Bourget Airport. The turboprop trainer is scheduled to perform an eight-minute flight demonstration each day during the biennial gathering of the world’s aerospace industry manufacturers, suppliers and customers. The daily aerobatic routine represents only a small portion of the airplane’s itinerary during what will be a nearly two-month tour of Europe. The T-6C departed HBC’s Wichita, Kan., headquarters during the first week of June and followed a route across Canada, Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom on its way to Malmen Air Force Base in Linkoting, Sweden, where it was involved in four days of demonstrations.“The Paris Air Show is still the world’s most prestigious aerospace gathering and an outstanding venue for us to show the air forces of the world the most versatile and capable integrated pilot training system available,” said Jim Maslowski, HBC president, U.S. and International Government Business. “We also have a number of current and prospective customers to whom we can demonstrate the durability, versatility and adaptability of this airplane while we are in this part of the world, so it only makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Paris is the second international air show in which the T-6C has flown flight demonstrations. It was debuted at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition in February.

Upon completion of its stay in Paris, the T-6C will fly to Greece’s Kalamata Air Base to demonstrate its integrated glass cockpit and advanced avionics to the Hellenic Air Force. Kalamata is the base of the Hellenic Air Force’s 45 T-6As, which were acquired between 1999 and 2002.

From Greece, the T-6C will transition to RAF Fairford in the U.K. to participate in the Royal International Air Tattoo 2011, July 16-17. It will be joined at the annual gathering of international air forces in Gloucestershire by a Beechcraft AT-6, which will be flown from Wichita to the U.K. for the event. The two aircraft will return together at the end of the month.

The T-6C features hard-point wings, Heads-Up Display, Up-Front Control Panel, an integrated glass cockpit and an advanced Esterline CMC Cockpit 4000 avionics suite that greatly expands advanced training opportunities. The systems are integrated with a Hands-On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS), providing the student pilot and instructor with a simpler interface to the digital cockpit. The CMC Cockpit 4000 avionics suite is the first in its class to incorporate a fully integrated and FAA-certified dual FMS/GPS navigation suite that meets the required navigation performance standards for current worldwide airspace equipment. The open architecture design of the Cockpit 4000 provides the flexibility to expand capabilities and continuously meet current and future training needs.

The T-6 offers military organizations worldwide the most proven and most cost-effective training system available today. In addition to accommodating instruction in instrument flight procedures and basic aerial maneuvers, the T-6 delivers world-class training capability that is appropriate for the most basic introductory flight training through more challenging and complex advanced missions. The T-6 Texan II is the military trainer for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy’s Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS). In all, the aircraft is used in the training of pilots from more than 20 countries around the world.

Leveraging its successes as a supplier to militaries around the globe, HBC has developed the AT-6, which is designed and built to provide close air support and light attack capabilities required to meet the Department of Defense’s Building Partnership Capacity needs. The AT-6 is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment such as Pratt and Whitney Canada’s PTA-68D powerplant, CMC Esterline’s mission modified Cockpit 4000, Lockheed Martin’s A-10C-based mission system and L-3 WESCAM’s MX-15Di EO/IR sensor pod. The aircraft is also equipped with an ALQ-213 EW Management System, ARC-210 radios with secure voice/data and SATCOM capabilities, and a wide variety of weapons capability required to excel in meeting irregular warfare mission requirements.

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation is a world-leading manufacturer of business, special mission, light attack and trainer aircraft – designing, marketing and supporting aviation products and services for businesses, governments and individuals worldwide. The company’s headquarters and major facilities are located in Wichita, Kan., with operations in Salina, Kan.; Little Rock, Ark.; Chester, England, U.K.; and Chihuahua, Mexico. The company leads the industry with a global network of more than 100 factory-owned and authorized service centers. For more information, visit www.hawkerbeechcraft.com.