Turkey has started ground evaluations of its new fighter aircraft, the stealth TF-X, also called MMU (National Combat Aircraft). The aircraft started the taxi tests, anticipating the roll-out ceremony scheduled for tomorrow (18).
Images released by Turkish media this Friday (17) show the first prototype on a runway, surrounded by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) employees, the jet's manufacturer. These are also the first photos of the plane off the production line.
Turkiye's 5th generation stealth fighter jet „TF-X“ is to be the next backbone of the Turkish Air Force which will replace its F-16s as of 2030.
Please note that this being a prototype and will eventually be looking way more better as it currently is. pic.twitter.com/zyiTLiUzJF
— Tugay Er (@er_tugay_) March 17, 2023
According to the portal SavunmaSanayi, the TF-X/MMU engaged both engines and taxied under its own power, marking the new plane's first successful taxi. The aircraft will also make its first flight in 2023, two years earlier than initially planned.
The jet received a gray paint job, with darker tones on the front section of the fuselage, and lighter colors on the radome, intakes and rear fuselage air. The aircraft is propelled by US engines: the General Electric F110-GE-129E, each generating 29 pounds of thrust in afterburning mode. The F110s, however, will only be used in prototypes or initial production models, as Turkey is developing a more powerful and advanced engine for the fighter.
🇹🇷 Turkish TF-X taxiing on the runway
powered by two F110-GE-129E engines pic.twitter.com/sbUooq1dMQ
- Fighterman_FFRC (@Fighterman_FFRC) March 17, 2023
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The TF-X program was launched in 2010, shortly after the Turkish government decided to design and build a domestic 5th generation fighter to replace the local fleet of F-16 fighters, the 2nd largest in the world, sured only by the United States. . The program was greatly accelerated in 2019 when Turkey was removed from the fighter program. North American F-35, for acquiring Russian anti-aircraft missiles of the S-400 system.
Although similar in design to the F-22 Raptor, the first three MMU prototypes, Block 0 and Block 1, will be 4.5 generation aircraft. Your project will be updated to 5th generation later, something that can also happen with KAI KF-21 South Korean Boramae.
The MMU will be 21 meters long, 14 meters wide and 6 meters high, with the capacity to reach over 2400 km/h (Mach 2.2) at high altitude. The aircraft will also have supercruise, that is, it will be able to fly at lower supersonic speeds without the use of afterburners, increasing its autonomy.
