[Military & Weapon Subspace] Author: Great Carp of the Ganges

On May 28, the TA-20 multi-purpose turboprop trainer aircraft independently developed by Wuhu Zhongke Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. successfully completed its first public flight at Wuxi宣 Airport. The TA-20 is China's first turboprop all-carbon fiber trainer aircraft.

This aircraft has quite a background — it wears two crowns: "the world's first all-carbon fiber composite airframe trainer aircraft" and "China's first turboprop trainer aircraft." However, readers who have long followed the aviation industry may recall that an all-carbon fiber trainer aircraft was already flown several years ago, and some news reports even stated it was not domestic. Upon closer examination, the DART-450 mentioned in recent years' news is actually the prototype of the TA-20, and this aircraft's parent company is the globally renowned Diamond Aircraft Industries Group of Austria.

Diamond Aircraft Industries Group, as a well-known small aircraft manufacturer worldwide, has held an important position in the European and American aviation markets since its establishment in 1981 due to its outstanding lightweight aircraft products. It is worth mentioning that the group has an inseparable connection with China's aviation industry. In 2013, China Electronics Technology Group, Diamond Aircraft, and Wuhu Municipal Government jointly established China Electronics Technology Wuhu Diamond Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Through technology introduction and digestion and absorption, the company successfully achieved local production of two classic models, DA40 and DA42.

▲DART-450 aircraft at the Paris Air Show

In 2016, Diamond Aircraft Industries Group launched its flagship product, the DART-450, a military-civilian dual-use trainer aircraft that drew attention from the industry upon its debut. However, good times did not last long, as the company faced financial difficulties in 2017 and was eventually acquired by China Wanfeng Autotrade Holding Group, becoming a Chinese-funded enterprise. This acquisition accelerated the transfer process of relevant technologies to China. The current main product of Wuhu Zhongke Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., which was established in the same year, is the TA-20 trainer aircraft improved from the DART-450.

The domestically produced TA-20 has made several technical breakthroughs in key systems. Most notably, the original Garmin G3000 avionics system has been replaced by the SMART-210 integrated avionics system developed independently by Chengdu Hermes Company. This domestically produced avionics system is equipped with large-size multi-functional touch LCD displays and innovatively integrates a diffractive head-up display. In terms of power systems, the AI-450S turboprop engine installed on the aircraft was developed by Ukraine's Ivchenko-Progress Design Bureau and manufactured by Motor Sich, but China has obtained production authorization for this engine, eliminating any risk of being constrained.

The model of the TA-20 aircraft was painted with the emblem of the Chinese Air Force for public display several years ago, sparking heated discussions: would this aircraft join the Chinese Navy and Air Force as the next-generation primary trainer? Currently, the primary trainer aircraft used by China's aviation troops is the CJ-6. Although it is known for its affordability, durability, reliability, and safety both at home and abroad, as a plane that has been in service for more than half a century, the CJ-6 has fallen behind the times and can only handle basic flight experience and training stages. China's current three-tier trainer aircraft system consisting of the CJ-6 primary trainer aircraft/JS-8 basic trainer aircraft/JJ-7 and GJ-9 advanced trainer aircraft is too complex and urgently needs reform. Eliminating the primary trainer stage and simplifying the air force trainer aircraft equipment system from three tiers to two is a widely recognized evolutionary trend.

The TA-20, as a new generation of intelligent basic trainer aircraft, outperforms the CJ-6 and even the CJ-7 in terms of turboprop performance. Its flight performance is excellent. The SMART-210 avionics system directly aligns with mainstream fighter jets in terms of operation and cockpit display, which is very beneficial for pilots' subsequent modification adaptation. This avionics also has intelligent mission planning and automatic detection capabilities, helping to simplify flight support and improve flight safety.

Viewed globally, the TA-20 is an extremely advanced basic trainer aircraft. However, this does not guarantee that it will take over the position of the CJ-6. As a local state-owned enterprise primarily targeting the civilian market, Wuhu Zhongke Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has many opportunities under the current backdrop of military-civilian integration. However, the core competitiveness of the aircraft still lies in cost-effectiveness. One of the reasons why Diamond Aircraft Industries Group struggled financially and was acquired by a domestic enterprise was the massive investment in the DART-450 aircraft but poor market performance. This aircraft was priced at $3.1 million (over 20 million RMB), which is too expensive for a civilian small aircraft. Although the domestically produced version can significantly reduce costs, the all-carbon fiber body and turboprop power will not make it a very cheap aircraft. The biggest challenge is persuading the air force to accept this price.

▲Flying DAT-450, the cockpit ratio can be seen, the aircraft is overall very compact

It is worth noting that Diamond Aircraft Industries Group's business scope extends beyond Europe. Its Austro Engine company set up in Canada provides power support for the group's aircraft. Interestingly, India announced the termination of the TAPAS-BH-201 long-endurance UAV project last year, and the later prototypes of this project adopted the Austro Engine AE 300 engine. What is even more intriguing is that the follow-up model Archer-NG UAV of this project continues to use the same engine. Considering the delicate relationship between India, China, and Canada at present, this situation has sparked considerable controversy and concern within India.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7510058443228480052/

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