New Hürkuş-II variant makes its maiden flight
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) successfully completed the maiden flight of the first Hürkuş-II or Hürkuş-2 (TUS-A013) from Akıncı Air Base on 30 December 2024. The aircraft featured a drawing by the daughter of engineer Zahide Güçlü Ekici, who was killed in the terrorist attack on TUSAŞ on October 23. The drawing featured the slogan “Good to have you, TUSAŞ,” and depicted the Hürkuş-II aircraft.
TUSAŞ General Manager Dr.Mehmet Demiroğlu greeted the flight by saying that: “Hürkuş-II, which will enter the inventory of our Air Force in a short time, successfully completed its flight. Seeing our dreams come true one by one shows how close we are to our future goals.”
Haluk Görgün, President of the Defense Industry Agency, expressed his pride after watching the first flight of the Hürkuş-II, saying that: “I sincerely congratulate all the stakeholders involved in the project, especially TUSAŞ and our presidency, and we remember our martyrs with mercy.”
The Hürkuş-II aircraft had been expected to conduct its first flight in June, and no reason was given for the apparent delay, which came as something of a surprise, given the TUSAŞ commitment to “accelerated production of national platforms,” after the terrorist attack, under the slogan: “We will work harder, we will produce more.”
Work on the new Hürkuş-II began on 3 May 2021. It was designed to meet the pilot training needs of the Turkish Air Force but also to further advance the capabilities of the Turkish defence aerospace industry. TUSAŞ and the Secretariat of Defence Industries signed a contract for 55 aircraft. The first 15 of these aircraft will be delivered to the 122nd Basic Flight Training Squadron of the Turkish Air Force at the 3rd Main Jet Base at Konya in 2025. The delivery of the remaining 40 aircraft will be completed by 2027.
The Hürkus-II will replace the THK’s original Hürkus-B variants, which were to have been procured in similar quantities, and which were to have equipped 122 Filo. Only 15 were completed, however, some of which may already have been exported to Chad and Niger, or converted to HYEU standards. Six examples of the HYEU (Hava Yer Entegrasyon Uçagi, or Air to Ground Integration Aircraft) for 135 Filo, training Forward Air Controllers, Forward Combat Controllers and Joint Fire Support Teams.
The new Hürkuş-II has a lighter structure than the Hürkuş-A and Hürkuş-B, and embodies some aerodynamic refinements and more advanced avionics. The Hürkuş-II is powered by a 1,600 shp PT6A-68T Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop engine with 30 seconds inverted flight capability, and is fitted with Martin-Baker MK T16N 0/0 ejection seats. More of the aircraft is locally built, including the canopy, cooling system, hydraulic pump, radio, and IFF system.
