Short Tucano

infobox Aircraft
name = Tucano



caption = RAF Short Tucano T1, in display colours for 2008
type = Trainer aircraft
manufacturer = Short Brothers
first flight =
introduction =
retired =
status = Active
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users = Kenya Air Force Kuwait Air Force
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from = Embraer EMB-312 Tucano
variants with their own articles =

The Short Tucano T1 (S.312) is a two seat turboprop basic trainer used by the Royal Air Force. It is a licence-built version of the Brazilian Embraer EMB-312 Tucano, and is also used by the air forces of Kenya and Kuwait.

Design and development

The Short Tucano was developed by the British Short Brothers company in order to meet a requirement to replace the Jet Provost as the basic trainer for the RAF, as laid down in Air Staff Target 412. It is an adaptation of the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano fitted with the more powerful 1100 shp Garrett turboprop engine in place of the EMB-312's 750 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engine, to give higher climb performance.

Aside from a different powerplant, the other differences between the Short Tucano and the EMBRAER Tucano are:
* A strengthened airframe.
* A new cockpit layout similar to the Hawk advanced trainer.
* A four, as opposed to three, bladed propeller.
* Ventral airbrake and restyled wingtips.
* The fitting of Martin-Baker MB 8LC ejection seats for both crew.
* A new oxygen system
* A new flight data recorder
* A modified canopy

The Tucano was selected in 1985 in preference to the Swiss Pilatus PC-9 and the British Hunting Firecracker. The first Garrett-engined Tucano flew in Brazil on 14 February 1986, with the first Shorts built production aircraft flying on 30 December 1986. The decision to replace the 750 PT-6 engine used in the standard EMBRAER model with the 1100 shp Garrett TPE331-12B engine and "bird-strike" proofing of the cockpit canopy to UK standards (combined with the fitting of Martin Baker ejection seats) caused a number of problems which delayed the introduction of the aircraft into service until 1989.

Operational history

Since first deliveries to the RAF in 1989, the Tucano has been operated primarily from No 1 Flying Training School at RAF Linton-on-Ouse to provide basic fast-jet flying training to RAF and RN student pilots. The deployment is officially to 72 (Reserve) Squadron, 207 (Reserve) Squadron and 76 Squadron (Tucano Air Navigation Squadron).Fact|date=July 2008 Student pilots fly around 130 hours during their training course on the Tucano before progressing to the Hawk T1 aircraft at RAF Valley.

In service the Tucano has proven to be 70% cheaper to operate than its predecessor.Fact|date=July 2008 With a greater range and endurance than the Jet Provost, it can fly two consecutive sorties before being refuelled. One of the key performance requirements was that it can climb to 15,000ft in six minutes, in comparison to the Jet Provost's 15 minutes; this gave considerably more training value for each one-hour sortie.

Variants

;Tucano T1:Two-seat basic trainer for the RAF.;Tucano Mk.51:Export version for Kenya.;Tucano Mk.52:Export version for Kuwait.

Operators

;KEN
* Kenya Air Force;KWT
* Kuwait Air Force;UK
* Royal Air Force
* Empire Test Pilots' School

pecifications (Tucano)

Aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref= Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989 cite book
last = Taylor
first = JWR (Editor)
title = Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989
year = 1988
publisher = Jane's Information Group
location = Coulsdon, Surrey
language =
isbn =0 7106-0867-5 ]
crew=1-2
length main=32 ft 4 in
length alt=9.86 m
span main=37 ft 0 in
span alt=11.28 m
height main=11 ft 1¾ in
height alt=3.40 m
area main=208 ft²
area alt=19.3 m²
empty weight main= 4,447 lb
empty weight alt= 2,017 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 7,220 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 3,275 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=Garrett TPE331-12B
type of prop=turboprop
number of props=1
power main=1,100 shp
power alt=820 kW
max speed main=274 kn
max speed alt=315 mph, 507 km/h
max speed more= (at 10,000-15,000 ft)
cruise speed main= 180/240(low level) knots
cruise speed alt= 253 mph, 407 km/h
cruise speed more= (economy cruise)
never exceed speed main= 300 kts
never exceed speed alt= 322 mph, 518 km/h
stall speed main= 69 kn
stall speed alt= 80 mph, 128 km/h
stall speed more= (flaps and gear down)
range main= 900 nmi
range alt= 1,035 miles, 1,665 km
ceiling main=34,000 ft
ceiling alt=10,365 m
climb rate main=3,510 ft/min
climb rate alt=17.8 m/s
loading main=28.6 lb/ft²
loading alt=140 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=0.152 hp/lb
power/mass alt=0.250 kW/kg
armament=
* Provision for 1,000 lb (454 kg) of stores on four underwing hardpoints, but not on UK Tucanos

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Embraer EMB 312 Tucano
* Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano
similar aircraft=
* Pilatus PC-7
* Pilatus PC-9
* PZL-130 Orlik
* T-6 Texan II
lists=
* List of active United Kingdom military aircraft
see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/tucano.cfm Aircraft of the Royal Air Force]