At least three more nations are in the pipeline to potentially become customers for Grob Aircraft’s G120TP turboprop trainer, the company says.
With aircraft deliveries already made to Argentina, Indonesia, Mexico and Myanmar and the type selected to meet military training requirements in the UK and the USA, further opportunities are now being pursued in Latin America and Asia.
Speaking to Flightglobal at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the UK on 18 July, vice-president business development Guillermo Christ said Ecuador and Paraguay are nearing purchase decisions. Taiwan is also “very interesting” for the company, he adds, with a potential requirement for between 25 and 30 aircraft.
Ecuador is looking to acquire 15 new trainers, with an order expected during 2016. “They are asking for information,” says Christ, who adds that the configuration Ecuador is considering includes Martin-Baker lightweight ejection seats. Flightglobal’s MiliCAS database records the nation’s air force as currently flying 13 aged Cessna T-34s.
A 10-aircraft order from Paraguay could be confirmed “soon”, Christ says, while existing operator Mexico could look to double the size of its current order – to a total of 50 units. The nation’s air force has taken delivery of 13 G120TPs this year.
Grob Aircraft’s current production capacity will allow for the delivery of up to 50 G120TPs per year, with Christ saying one can be completed every six working days.
Craig Hoyle/Flightglobal
“It’s a next-generation trainer, and with this aircraft nations can also perform some advanced training,” he says, referring to features including the emulated use of an air-to-air radar and weapons.
The side-by-side-configuration aircraft has so far been available with a choice of either an analogue or digital cockpit, but Christ says the company is now looking to offer only the latter. “We highly recommend the digital cockpit, as operators will be using this aircraft for the next 15 or 20 years,” he notes.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
