Upgraded T-25M Universal makes its maiden flight
December 7, 2024
The Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) has embarked on an ambitious upgrade for 38 of its surviving Neiva N621 Universal trainer aircraft, which are designated T-25A and T-25C in air force service.
The Universal was originally designed in 1963 by Joseph Kovács, who later led the team that designed the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano, and 151 were manufactured by Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva. (Some sources suggest that 28 more were delivered in the late 1970s). The XT-25 prototype (PP-ZTW, later FAB 1830) originally made its maiden flight on 29 April 1966!
Neiva N621 Universal was designed as a new primary trainer for the Brazilian Air Force, to replace the T-6 Texans and Fokker S-11/S-12s then in use. It was designated T-25 in FAB service. A cantilever, low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, with retractable undercarriage and side-by-side seating, the T-25 was powered by an air-cooled, six-cylinder, 300 hp Lycoming IO-540 piston engine driving a two-blade Hartzel constant-speed, variable-pitch propeller.
About 50 aircraft were built to be able to serve as light attack aircraft, under the designation T-25A, with the remainder being T-25C trainers. All are now used in the trainer role.
The second aircraft, the pre-production YT-25 later became the prototype of the further developed T-25B, but this variant was not put into production.
The T-25 was replaced by the Tucano in both the advanced training and attack roles, but it is still used as a primary and basic trainer with the Segundo Esquadrão de Instrução Aérea (2EIA) of the Academia da Força Aérea Brasileira (Brazilian Air Force Academy) at Pirassununga-Campo Fontenelle, where student pilots fly 40 hours on the type befre progressing to the Tucano for another 40 hours. Some T-25Cs are also used by the Escola Preparatória de Cadetos do Ar (EPCAR) at Barbacena-Maj.Bgd.Doorgal Borges, and the sole YT-25B is still used by the Parque de Material Aeronáutico de Lagoa Santa (PAMA-LS).
Ten aircraft were ordered by the Chilean Army. These aircraft were later transferred to the Chilean Air Force, but have now been retired, five having been donated to the Paraguayan Air Force in 1983. These are no longer active.
In 2005, the Brazilian Air Force donated six T-25s to the Fuerza Aérea Paraguaya (all of which have now been retired) and another six to the Fuerza Aérea Boliviana (at least two of which have been retired).
The T-25 upgrade is primarily intended to provide the FAB with a state-of-the-art training aircraft for its future aviators at the Air Force Academy, meeting the highest safety standards and incorporating the best available technology.
The upgrade will also bring the existing T-25A and T-25C models to a single common T-25M configuration simplifying the supply chain and easing maintenance requirements, thereby generating significant cost savings.
Finally, the upgrade will contribute to the FAB’s sovereign capabilities, setting a new standard for future aircraft modernization programmes.
The T-25M upgrade was intended to improve the type’s ‘operability’, bringing it to the most advanced technological standards, while remaining ‘accessible’ for cadet training. The upgrade includes improvements to the aircraft’s structure, equipment and technology.
The T-25M modernization will extend the type’s service life, and promises to allow greater FAB autonomy for maintenance and future upgrades. This autonomy will reduce operating costs and will ensure that the FAB has greater control over the aircraft’s maintenance and logistics in the future.
Among the most significant modifications include the replacement of the electrical and electronic systems, including a complete renewal of the aircraft’s wiring. The aircraft’s communications systems include new digital systems, offering superior signal clarity and strength, while the digital engine parameter monitoring system provides audiovisual alerts, contributing to the safety and efficiency of flight operations.
The T-25M incorporates Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for improved navigational accuracy, ADS-B transmitting position and other flight parameters in real time, a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), and a STORMSCOPE system, which allows advance warning of storms and other adverse weather conditions. Structural modifications to the instrument panel reduce vibration and facilitate the installation of new components, which have resulted in a 50-kg weight saving.
The programme has reportedly progressed rapidly, and the T-25M prototype (FAB 1880, c/n 050, a former T-25A) was ready for flight testing after just ten months. The test campaign is now scheduled to last until 2026, during which the aircraft will undertake about 60 test flying hours.
When the T-25M prototype was revealed, it was seen to be wearing a smart new livery, reportedly designed by an AFA Cadet and voted for among the cadets!
