B-250 | |
---|---|
Calidus B-250 at Dubai Air Show 2019 | |
Role | Military trainer Light attack aircraft |
National origin | United Arab Emirates / Brazil |
Manufacturer | Calidus |
Design group | Novaer |
First flight | July 2017 [1] |
Status | In production |
Primary user | United Arab Emirates Air Force |
Number built | 2 (as of January 2018) [1] |
The Calidus B-250 is a tandem-seat, turboprop, light attack aircraft with counter-insurgency capability. Its structure is constructed entirely of carbon fiber, thus making it much lighter than its competitors. [2] It has 7 hard points for placing weapons as well as EO/IR. [3] It has Pro Line Fusion II avionics systems supplied by the American company Rockwell Collins. [4]
The B-250 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It has an enclosed cockpit with two Martin-Baker ejection seats in tandem. It has a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6A-68 turboprop in tractor configuration. It was designed and developed in Brazil by Novaer, with mass production to be undertaken by Calidus in the United Arab Emirates. [5] The chief designer for the project was Joseph Kovács who created the Embraer Tucano. [5]
In 2019, 24 aircraft were ordered by the United Arab Emirates Air Force at the 2019 Dubai Airshow. [6]
Intelligence Online revealed that Calidus and Indonesia were working to transform the B-250 aircraft into a state-of-the-art combat drone. The project was discussed with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan by Prabowo Subianto, during his visit to Abu Dhabi in May 2024. Avionics, surveillance and weapons from both nations were to be used for the new drone. Some Indonesia-made components were also to be used to facilitate the drone’s production in Jakarta. Intelligence Online said the drone plane could also be equipped with AI Tariq and Thunder (formerly P3) missiles developed by the EDGE Group. [7]
Data from Air International [1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Transport in the United Arab Emirates refers to the various forms of transport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by road, rail, air, and water.
Zayed International Airport, also known as Abu Dhabi International Airport, is the primary international airport serving Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the second busiest airport in the UAE after Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the Middle East and is the hub for Etihad Airways as well as an operating base for Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi.
The Short Tucano is a two-seat turboprop basic trainer built by Short Brothers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a licence-built version of the Brazilian Embraer EMB 312 Tucano.
The IAR-825 Triumf is a Romanian-designed tandem multirole trainer aircraft based on the IAR-823 built for the Romanian Air Force. The aircraft is roughly in the same class with the Brazilian EMBRAER Tucano. The IAR-825 is equipped with the Canadian Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engine. The type's first flight took place on the 12 June 1982.
The PZL 130 Orlik is a Polish turboprop, single engine, two seat trainer aircraft.
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano. The A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions, and was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments.
The Embraer EMB 312 Tucano is a low-wing, tandem-seat, single-turboprop, basic trainer and counter-insurgency aircraft developed and produced by Embraer in Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force sponsored the EMB-312 project at the end of 1978. Design and development work began in 1979 on a low-cost, relatively simple, new basic trainer with innovative features which eventually became the international standard for basic training aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1980, and initial production units were delivered in 1983.
The US Aircraft A-67 Dragon is a single-engine, propeller-driven, ground-attack aircraft. It is designed for counter-insurgency (COIN), close air support (CAS), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The A-67 is a low-cost aircraft built for low-intensity conflict situations, with a reported unit price of $4–5 million. The sole aircraft built is in storage at the MAPS Air Museum.
The Kawasaki P-2J is a maritime patrol and ASW aircraft developed for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. A twin turboprop-powered version of the radial-engined P-2 Neptune, the P-2J was developed as an alternative to buying the larger and more expensive P-3 Orion, which would eventually replace the P-2J in the 1980s.
The Fuji T-7 is a Japanese primary trainer aircraft built by Fuji Heavy Industries for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. A development of Fuji's earlier T-3 trainer, it is a single-engined monoplane powered by a turboprop engine.
The TAI Hürkuş is a tandem two-seat, low-wing, single-engine, turboprop aircraft being produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as a trainer and ground attack aircraft for the Turkish Armed Forces.
Fursan Al Emarat is the aerobatics Aeorabic display team of the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence. It was formed in 2008 with Italian-built Aermacchi MB-339NAT jet aircraft. The team has a total of seven aircraft that symbolizes 7 Emirates, all seven of which are used for international airshows, locally they started their first show at Dubai Airshow and flew at the IDEX and Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix and across the 7 emirates for 2 December National day celebrations, internationally the team has performed at LIMA exhibition and their upcoming Airshow performance will be at Royal International Air Tattoo.
The Textron AirLand Scorpion is a jet aircraft manufactured in the United States proposed for sale to perform light attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) duties. It is being developed by Textron AirLand, a joint venture between Textron and AirLand Enterprises. A prototype was secretly constructed by Cessna at their Wichita, Kansas facility between April 2012 and September 2013 and first flown on 12 December 2013.
The Diamond DART is a series of tandem, two-seat civilian and military turboprop trainers manufactured by Austrian Diamond Aircraft, "DART" meaning Diamond Aircraft Reconnaissance Trainer.
The VRT 500 is a project of a light helicopter with a coaxial rotor developed by VR-Technologies (VRT), a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters.
Emirates Flight Training Academy, is a pilot-training school based in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2017, it is a subsidiary of multinational aviation corporation, The Emirates Group, and its airline division, Emirates.
The Chengdu GJ-2, also known as Wing Loong 2, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group in the People's Republic of China. Intended for use as a surveillance and aerial reconnaissance and precision strike platform, Chengdu unveiled the concept of Wing Loong II at the Aviation Expo China in Beijing in September 2015. Wing Loong II has long range strike capability with a satellite link.
Novaer is a Brazilian manufacturer of military aircraft and landing gear based in São José dos Campos, São Paulo.
The Calidus B-350 is an Emirati turboprop attack aircraft under development by Calidus.
Events in the year 2022 in the United Arab Emirates.