Calidus B-250
| B-250 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Calidus B-250 at Dubai Air Show 2019 | |
| Role | Military trainer aircraft |
| National origin | United Arab Emirates/Brazil |
| Manufacturer | Calidus |
| Design group | Novaer |
| First flight | July 2017[1] |
| Status | In production |
| Primary user | United Arab Emirates Air Force |
| Number built | 2 (as of January 2018)[1] |
The Calidus B-250 is a tandem-seat, turboprop, light attack aircraft with counter-insurgency capability. Its structure is constructed entirely of carbon fiber, thus making it much lighter than its competitors.[2] It has 7 hard points for placing weapons as well as EO/IR.[3] It has Pro Line Fusion II avionics systems supplied by the American company Rockwell Collins.[4]
Design and development
The B-250 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It has an enclosed cockpit with two Martin-Baker ejection seats in tandem. It has a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-68 turboprop in tractor configuration. It was designed and developed in Brazil by Novaer, with mass production to be undertaken by Calidus in the United Arab Emirates.[5] The chief designer for the project was Joseph Kovács who created the Embraer Tucano.[5]
In 2019, 24 aircraft were ordered by the United Arab Emirates Air Force at the 2019 Dubai Airshow.[6]
Operators
Specifications
Data from Air International[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 10.98 m (36 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 12.09 m (39 ft 8 in)
- Height: 3.79 m (12 ft 5 in)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop, 1,200 kW (1,600 shp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 557 km/h (346 mph, 301 kn)
- Cruise speed: 520 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn) (clean)
- Combat range: 560 km (350 mi, 300 nmi) (combat radius, 4x laser guided bombs, 2x Air-to-air missiles and 1x fuel tank)
- Ferry range: 2,400 km (1,500 mi, 1,300 nmi)
- Endurance: 12 hr
- Service ceiling: 9,100 m (30,000 ft)
Armament
- Hardpoints: 7 with a capacity of 1,800 kg (3,960 lb)
See also
References
- ^ a b c Butowski, Piotr (February 2018). "Abu Dhabi strikes out". Air International. Vol. 94, no. 2. p. 15. ISSN 0306-5634.
- ^ Caiafa, Roberto. "B-250, o avião que promete revolucionar o mercado COIN/CAS mundial. - Tecnodefesa". tecnodefesa.com.br.
- ^ "Aeronave de ataque leve B-250 Bader é apresentada no Dubai Airshow 2017".
- ^ Valduga, Fernando. "Dubai Airshow: Novaer apresenta o turboélice de ataque leve B-250". Archived from the original on 2018-05-03. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
- ^ a b "Emirati Light Attack Aircraft Breaks Cover". 13 November 2017.
- ^ Insinna, Valerie (2019-11-20). "Calidus inks its first B-250 light attack plane order". Defense News. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
External links
