Textron Scorpion

Did anyone else catch this on Aviation Week?
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.asp ... 615375.xml
I have to say one thing for it: making it look like an F-14 will probably help them sell it.

Textron has a website up for it.
http://www.scorpionjet.com/

So, an F-14 ,while on cruise, gets a port visit and meets a pretty young A-10 strutting her stuff at the bar. They go home together and part ways the next morning, never to see each other again. Until this?

There is no mention of the T-X program. It would be interesting if anyone orders this jet without the USAF. Even the legendary F-5 didn't get ordered until the USAF purchased them for the Military Assistance Program. The A-37 was ordered for the USAF first, then others purchased under MAP/FMF.

I'm surprised they didn't modernize the A-37 Dragonfly

So, an F-14 ,while on cruise, gets a port visit and meets a pretty young A-10 strutting her stuff at the bar. They go home together and part ways the next morning, never to see each other again. Until this?

There is no mention of the T-X program. It would be interesting if anyone orders this jet without the USAF. Even the legendary F-5 didn't get ordered until the USAF purchased them for the Military Assistance Program. The A-37 was ordered for the USAF first, then others purchased under MAP/FMF.

I'm surprised they didn't modernize the A-37 Dragonfly

I wouldn't be surprised to see it submitted for T-X soon enough. I do wonder, though... what would the civilian sales potential be? That internal sensor bay would make a nice baggage compartment for some golf clubs and a couple small suitcases.

So, an F-14 ,while on cruise, gets a port visit and meets a pretty young A-10 strutting her stuff at the bar. They go home together and part ways the next morning, never to see each other again. Until this?

No internal gun, but internal sensors. Maybe a Reaper drone instead of an A-10.

On the other hand, there are already civilians interested in buying them for general aviation, so....

More info

http://www.scorpionjet.com/

http://www.scorpionjet.com/wp-content/u ... et-WEB.pdf

http://www.scorpionjet.com/wp-content/u ... et-WEB.pdf

One interesting thing I saw on is was twin FLIR balls, one fore and one aft.





Stats:

Aircraft Length 43 ft 6 in
Wingspan 47 ft 4 in
Height 14 ft 0 in
Standard Empty Weight 11,800 lbs
Max Takeoff Weight 21,250 lbs
Max Internal Fuel Load 6,000 lbs
Max Internal Payload Bay 3,000 lbs
Thrust ~8,000 lbs
Max Speed 450 KTAS
Service Ceiling 45,000 ft
Ferry Range 2,400 NM

It's gear looks a little wimpy to me though for rough field work.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx? ... 2e1b481f25

Airborne intercepts!!? Oh my gawd Amy; did you even check the thing's speed? Terrorists could outrun it with a rented Airbus.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:b3f8b066-408d-4185-8f95-f72e1b481f25

Airborne intercepts!!? Oh my gawd Amy; did you even check the thing's speed? Terrorists could outrun it with a rented Airbus.

Heh. It could probably catch most piston aircraft, but I wouldn't bet on it being able to keep up with a Learjet.

Although it's generally referred to as the 'Textron' Scorpion, because that name has a better cachet within the Defense industry, it's really a Cessna Division project. As the President of Cessna said, they'll either sell 2,000 of them or none. One thing it does give Cessna is experience in design, manufacture and support of composite structures, something they're a bit behind their main competitors.