AIDC AT-3

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AIDC AT-3
AT-3 of Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team with Memorial Emblem at Songshan Air Force Base 20110813a.jpg
Type: Two-seat basic and advanced trainer
Design country:

TaiwanRepublic of China (Taiwan) Taiwan

Manufacturer:

Aerospace Industry Development Center (AIDC)

First flight:

September 16, 1980

Commissioning:

1988

Production time:

1980 to 1990

Number of pieces:

64 (62 trainers and 2 earth warriors)

The AIDC AT-3 ( 自強 , "Tzu Chung") is a jet trainer made by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation and used by the Taiwanese Air Force .

history

The AT-3 Tsu Chiang was created in the mid-1970s primarily as a replacement for the outdated Lockheed T-33 trainer of the Taiwanese Air Force. Secondly, the aircraft should be used as a light earth fighter, which means that the aircraft is relatively large for a trainer. After some of their own studies, they signed a contract with Northrop on December 19, 1975 , which should help with the development. The first XAT-3 prototype took off on its maiden flight on September 16, 1980, the second followed on October 30, 1981 and the first series production aircraft flew on February 6, 1984 after the start of series production in spring 1982. One month later, the first aircraft became official delivered to the Taiwanese Air Force. By 1990 the flight training command in Kangshan had received 62 series samples, some of which are also used by their aerobatic team, Thunder Tiger . 45 of the 60 still existing series machines, now designated as AT-3A, were modernized to the AT-3B standard, but they differ from the basic version only through improved avionics and the use of external load stations for weapons. Of the single-seat version A-3 Lui Meng designed as a ground attack aircraft, only two prototypes (XA-3) were built, which took off on their maiden flight in July 1982 and November 1983. One of the machines was equipped with a Westinghouse AN / APG-66 radar.

construction

The AT-3 is a low wing aircraft with unswept trapezoidal wings and a conventional tail unit . The construction of the AT-3 is very conventional and similar to that of other jet trainers. The cockpit is equipped with two multifunctional screens and. A heads-up display is also available in the front. Two Garret TFE731 are used as the drive unit . Northrop's influence on the design can be seen, for example, in the landing gear, which is practically identical to that of the Northrop F-5 .

User states

  • TaiwanRepublic of China (Taiwan) Taiwan : 60 (45 AT-3B and 15 AT-3A)

Technical specifications

AT-3 of the Thunder Tiger aerobatic team 2007
Three-sided view of the AT-3
Parameter Data of the AIDC AT-3 TSE Tchan
Type Training aircraft and light ground attack aircraft
crew Pilot and trainee pilot or pilot and weapons system operator
length 12.90 m
span 10.46 m
Wing area 21.93 m²
height 4.36 m
Gauge 3.96 m
wheelbase 5.49 m
Empty mass 3855 kg
normal takeoff mass 5200 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 7940 kg
Max. Landing mass 7360 kg
Max. fuel 1270 kg + 885 kg in additional tanks
Top speed
  • 900 km / h at 10,970 m (Mach 0.85)
  • 898 km / h at sea level (Mach 0.73)
Stall speed 167 km / h
Service ceiling 14,630 m
Max. Flight duration 3.2 hours
Range 2280 km
Rate of climb:
  • 40.64 m / s (initial)
  • 51 m / s (maximum)
Take-off run 460 m (670 m over a 15 m obstacle)
Landing runway 670 m (945 m from a height of 15 m)
Engines two ducted turbines Honeywell TFE731 -2-2L; 1588 kp (15.57 kN) each static thrust
Max. Gun load 1815 kg

Armament

  • Weapons bay behind the cockpit for bombs or semi-retractable machine-gun containers
  • five weapon stations for bombs, rocket containers or guided weapons with max. 1815 kg
  • two air-to-air guided missiles AIM-9J Sidewinder on the wing tips

See also

literature

  • William Green: Planes of the World. Werner Classen Verlag, Zurich 1986.

Web links

Commons : AIDC AT-3  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. FlugRevue September 2010, pp. 53–56, AIDC AT-3 - aircraft down to the smallest detail