Textron AirLand Scorpion

Textron AirLand Scorpion Story

As global procurement budgets shrink, the light attack aircraft category is experiencing some sort of renaissance as a cost-effective alternative to the heavier, more technical mounts (and Cold War fighters still in service) offered by leading powers alternatives. Textron, a company primarily focused on the business jet and helicopter markets, has partnered with AirLand Enterprises (founded in 2011) to develop the Scorpion light attack platform, possibly in service with the United States Air Force (USAF), and (probably actually) submitted to other interested global parties. AirLand created the basic concept for the Scorpion aircraft, and Textron joined the company as the main brand label to further develop the product -- a major shift from the company's foray into the fixed-wing aircraft segment dominated by Boring and Lockheed.

The joint venture was born in January 2012, and the Scorpion prototype has completed its maiden flight of over 70 hours (July 2014).

At the heart of the Scorpion is a two-seater twin-engine light attack platform with straight-height mounted wings that allow for easy clearance of items under the wings. The aircraft has three underwing mount points on each wing and an internal bay for ordnance and mission equipment.

Overall, its external load capacity reaches 6,000 pounds, while its internal load is limited to 3,000 pounds. As such, the aircraft is set up for high-speed, low-attack attack or reconnaissance through the use of precision, guided, homing, or conventional artillery, while exhibiting an inherent capability to support dedicated mission equipment.

The cockpit features two double seats in a state-of-the-art digital layout, but no fly-by-wire a design choice made to control acquisition and operating costs. The wings are mounted on the rear of the cockpit, amidships and on the spine of the fuselage. The engines are located in the rear center of the fuselage and are arranged side by side, each drawing air through a rectangular air intake located at the rear of the cockpit.

The engine is exhausted through a conventional exhaust ring at the bottom of each vertical fin. The fins consist of a pair of vertical fins sloping outward and a pair of horizontal fins. The chassis is fully retractable with a traditional tricycle arrangement. The Scorpio has a full wingspan of 47.3 feet and a fuselage length of 43.5 feet.

Empty weight is 11,800 pounds and maximum takeoff weight is 21,250 pounds. The Scorpion will lack active stealth measures to keep costs down, but its structure will be composite for a lightweight yet robust approach.

Propulsion for the Scorpion is provided by 2 Honeywell TFE731 engines rated at 8,000 pounds of thrust, although these engines are interchangeable according to customer preference. The standard engine pairing provides a top speed of 450 knots, a maximum ceiling of 45,000 feet and a ferry range of up to 2,400 nautical miles. The total mission duration is estimated to be around 5 hours, allowing for frontline combat missions (intercept strikes, etc.) as well as longer stays over the target area (active armed patrol/close air support (CAS)).

Textron is developing the Scorpion as a "low-cost" system that aims to run at $3,000 an hour, in addition to having low maintenance requirements compared to the U.S. fighter jets currently deployed over Afghanistan, and with inherently powerful fuel economical.

While the U.S. military is not currently looking for a new light attack platform, Textron's product is likely to be attractive to foreign airpower who need such a system and have tighter defense budgetsespecially with a lack of acquisition and deployment Resourced air power operations lack current and newer strike platforms (even drones), which are inherently expensive. It remains to be seen what the Scorpion will bring to the current and near-future market, although the design remains a promising addition to the lightweight world.

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