Turkey Introduced Regional Jet Aircraft Concept
The Regional Jet Aircraft Program, the feasibility studies of which were conducted under the coordination of the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries and the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications for a long period of time, was launched in İstanbul by the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. With the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the STM that was appointed as the project’s main contractor by the Defence Industry Executive Committee and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in the USA owned by Eren and Fatih Özmen, a new has begun for the Turkish Aerospace Industry.
In his speech at the “Indigenous Aircraft” introduction ceremony at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu touched upon the added value this Project will be bringing to the Turkish economy and said, “Turkish aerospace sector entered into an extraordinary breakthrough. This sector that grows 5 percent worldwide recorded a growth of 15 percent in Turkey. Turkish Airlines became one of the most prominent brands of the world. Where the number of domestic passengers was 9 million in 2002, the current figure is 85 million. Again, where the total number of foreign passengers was 34 million, it is now 166 million. We initiated the construction of the world’s greatest airport in İstanbul in 2013. There was only one Airline Company namely Turkish Airlinesthat conducted flights to 26 points from 2 centers in domestic lines in 2003, today 6 airline companies conduct flights to 55 points from 7 centers. In light of such developments, an urgent need to concentrate on a model with certification and that is ready for manufacturing arose. With the purchase of Dornier’s all copyrights, this effort is being completed. Our indigenous national regional aircraft and our national combat aircraft will simultaneously be on the same sky in 2023. Actually, this is a Project that gathers and integrates our whole society. With our Indigineous Regional Jet Aircraft and Indigenous Fighter Jet Aircraft, a new era begins in which both civilian and military requirements will be covered”.
All the License Rights of the Aircraft will belong to Turkey
The 60-70 seat capacity “TRJ-628” that will be designed and manufactured completely through national resources by the Sierra Nevada Corporation operating in the USA and STM is planned to be on the sky by 2023. Through the aforementioned project, our country will own all the property and intellectual rights of the indigenous aircrafts and become one of the countries with such aircrafts that are marketable in global scales and be one the most significant actors of the worldwide civilian aviation.
In order to accelerate the process of the regional indigenous aircraft towards TRJ-628, a 32-seater aircraft that is still actively being utilized in various countries will be modernized and built at a facility in Turkey under the title of TRJ-328 and T-328. All the intellectual and property rights of these aircrafts with Jet and Turboprop (propeller) engine options will belong to Turkey and they will be manufactured through technology transfer.
The Aerospace Industry will be Gaining Impetus in Turkey
The Turkish aerospace companies are planned to be assigned under the leadership of the STM for the manufacture of the sub-systems of the aircrafts that will be built at a factory to be established in Turkey. The “Regional Jet Aircraft” project that will be realized with the maximum contribution of our domestic industry will be presenting important input to the development of the aviation industry at the SME level.
Two Different Engine Options and Multi-Purpose Utilization
Turkey’s national aircraft will have a passenger capacity of 70 and will be developed entirely with national resources; the aircraft to be named as TRJ-628 and TR-628 is expected to be developed and manufactured in Turkey with “jet” and “turboprop” engine options. Speed, range and other technical details of the aircraft will be determined during the design and development phases. The TRJ-328 aircraft will be manufactured as a 32-seater with jet engines and will have a flight range of 3720 km. With a speed of 750 km/hour, these aircrafts will be able to take off even on airstrips as short as 1400 km. The T-328 turboprop version will be able to fly at 620 km/h with a range of 1850 km. The TRJ-328 and T-328 aircraft will not only be used as passenger aircraft but also serve the public and private sectors as air ambulance, maritime patrol aircraft, VIP aircraft, and military cargo aircraft.They will also be used for intelligence gathering missions.
New Era for Turkish Aviation
The aircrafts that will be manufactured in Turkey bring along many important advantages regarding Turkish aviation industry. Through these aircrafts, as they are capable of conducting cross flights with higher occupancy rates compared with the greater aircrafts in short distances, major cost advantages will be achieved and thus a vital contribution to Turkish economy will be accomplished. As these aircrafts are capable of landing and takeoff to short airstrips or airstrips with poor conditions, the domestic flight network will expand in a way to cover the minor cities. With this project, achieving an improved aviation industry in Turkey is aimed. Through this development referring to the employment of thousands of people, contributing to the technology-intensive export of Turkey is intended as well.
These aircrafts manufactured in Turkey are planned to fulfill the requirements of our country while they are marketed throughout the world. With the help of the “Regional Indigenous Passenger Aircraft” Project that is launched under the auspices and coordination of the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications and conducted by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Turkish aviation industry will be gaining a competency at a significant level while a vast opportunity for employment is being created.
