The T625 GÖKBEY Multirole Utility Helicopter, which made its maiden flight on September 6, 2018, and was named “GÖKBEY” by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on December 12, 2018, has completed yet another challenging phase. Following the delivery of the first three mass-produced GÖKBEY helicopters, the aircraft was sent to Sweden for the required tests in the ongoing civilian and military certification process. Low-altitude cold weather tests were conducted in the Kiruna region. Throughout a month-long test campaign, a significant milestone was achieved in proving GÖKBEY’s resilience in cold climate conditions.

Ground tests were conducted to evaluate the individual performance of the environmental control systems at the aircraft level. Additionally, propulsion, rotor, and hydraulic tests were successfully completed. With these tests, GÖKBEY has proven its readiness for flight even in the extreme cold conditions of the Arctic Circle.

T625 GÖKBEY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES TESTS WITH 60 HOURS OF FLIGHT

Throughout the test process, GÖKBEY underwent control and performance-focused flight tests, performing demanding maneuvers to determine takeoff, landing, and flight limits. Limit speeds and approach angles were tested under cold weather conditions. In line with aviation safety standards, GÖKBEY also successfully demonstrated safe flight capability in simulated failure scenarios, including controllability tests conducted at a speed of 176 knots.

With the safety-first approach of Turkish Aerospace’s experienced ground personnel, pilots, flight test engineers, designers, and project teams, more than 600 individual test points, 60 sorties, and a total of 60 flight hours were successfully completed in temperatures as low as -30°C.