Story ID: 134AINAug
Turkish Utility Helicopter Goes on Show
By: David Donald
Caption: TAI has unveiled a demonstration airframe for the T625, an indigenously designed utility helicopter that could be the start of a growing family
Word Count: 343
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) displayed a mock-up of the proposed indigenously produced T-625 medium twin-turbine helicopter at the Paris Air Show in mid-June. Planning for the T-625 began in 2013 on commission from the Turkish government, and the machine could fly by the end of next year, with certification following in 2020. The 13,000-pound-plus-class multi-mission/utility helicopter is designed to compete with the Leonardo AW139 and Airbus H175 and carry up to 12 passengers. TAI is aiming for a production run of 800, half of which would be export sales. The main domestic customer will be the country's armed forces, which intend to use the T-625 to replace an aging fleet of Bell UH-1H Hueys.

The aircraft will be powered initially by a pair of T800 engines produced by the Honeywell/Rolls-Royce Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company (LHTEC) partnership. But in the longer term TAI said it plans to turn to Turkey's Tusas Engine Industries for a locally designed and produced powerplant in concert with GE Aviation. However, fielding a certified engine could be as much as a decade off. The LHTEC-produced T800 currently powers the TAI T-129, the Turkish-produced version of the AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta. The engines will drive a five-blade main rotor. TAI is still finalizing the design of its own proprietary main gearbox and transmission for the helicopter. The company is partnering locally with Aselsan to develop the flight displays and other elements of the avionics suite. In May, TAI announced that it is partnering with California-based Quantum3D for use of that company's IDX 8000 image generator and Mantis scene-generation software for the aircraft's simulator, the visual system for which is under contract to local contractor Havelsan.

The move to design and produce an indigenous helicopter would seem the logical next step for TAI, which has long built structural components for other OEMs and assembled aircraft under license such as the Sikorsky Black Hawk, designated the T-70 as assembled by TAI as part of a 109-helicopter deal for the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program.

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