Hawker Beechcraft to Feature Trainer and Attack Aircraft at Royal International Air Tattoo

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced it will highlight its AT-6 light attack and reconnaissance aircraft and its T-6C trainer at the 40th Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), July 16-17, at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom (UK). HBC will host guests at Chalet #6 on Friday, July 15, and will be at static display B1 for the remainder of the weekend. The AT-6 traveled to the Air Tattoo from Hawker Beechcraft’s headquarters in Wichita, Kan., while the T-6C will join following its recent display at the Paris Air Show and a series of flight demonstrations at Kalamata Air Base in Greece. 

“Consistent with this year’s theme at Air Tattoo of ‘Strike, Attack and Reconnaissance’, it is fitting to have our T-6C and AT-6 aircraft on display,” said Jim Maslowski, HBC president, U.S. and International Government Business. “These two aircraft represent the best in training, light attack and reconnaissance and we’re eager to share their capabilities with military officials attending this event.”    

The AT-6 flew from Wichita to the UK in just four sorties using the AT-6’s standard four external fuel tank configuration, burning only a total of 7,308 pounds of fuel in 19 hours of flying time on the 5,000+ mile journey. The aircraft is making its first public appearance at RIAT where it will showcase its flexibility to carry a wide range of armament tailored for the light attack missions with weapons from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. 

 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.

 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.

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.