Posted on 10/20/2016 6:43:01 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Textron AirLand’s Scorpion light attack fighter has demonstrated its close air support capability for the first time during a weapons exercise at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Operating from Holloman AFB in New Mexico, the developmental aircraft launched three different munitions during tests that ran from 10-14 October.
Under evaluation were Hydra-70 unguided 2.75 in rockets, the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, and Lockheed Martin AGM-114F Hellfire missile.
Weapons guidance was supported by the aircraft’s L-3 Wescam MX-15Di sensor and a ground-based laser designator, Textron says.
The time taken from design and integration to flight testing for the three weapons was an “impressive” three months, says the manufacturer. Evaluations were conducted in co-ordination with US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the US Air Force's Holloman-based 586th Flight Test Sqn.
Textron AirLand
“The success of the first weapons capability exercise is a major milestone for the Scorpion programme as we continue to demonstrate its mission flexibility and multi-role capabilities,” Tom Hammoor, senior vice-president of defence at Textron Aviation, says.
“We could not be more pleased with the results of this exercise, thanks to the collaboration between our Scorpion team, the NAVSEA organisation and Holloman air force base.”
In parallel to flights with the Scorpion prototype, the company is also in the process of developing the first production variant of the light attack/trainer, with a maiden sortie “expected soon”.
In a release accompanying its third-quarter accounts, Scott Donnelly, chief executive of parent company Textron, says: “We are also pleased with progress on the Scorpion and have accelerated investment in this program to support the accreditation process and increased customer engagement.”
I was in NM from 1972-1986. Got my first ham ticket in 1976. Had lots of friends in Las Cruces. Lived there for 9 months after I moved to NM. Wife did not like living in Las Cruces. We moved to Silver City. She loved it there. As a consequence of moving to Silver City I spent Wednesday night in Las Cruces every week. Lots of friends from the Mesilla Valley Club. I was in Navy/Marine MARS for 19 years. Lots of good friend from that in NM. Knew some really good techs, engineers, and physicists from there. Great Ham community. Did you know Karl, K5DI? He was an engineer at WSMR. I miss that Ham community there were some really great community projects that were years ahead of their time.
follow the $$$$$ 
When I was living in Silver City Lou McCoy (W1ICP) retired & moved there. Think he had family there. He was technical editor for QST (for many many years) and later wrote for (I think) Ham Radio.
I did some building for him. He lost vision in one eye in a firearm mishap. At the time I had a reputation for good detail work with a solder iron.
You mean like making sure if one engine fails on TO that the plane doesn’t invert and kill everyone on board? They didn’t call it the Widowmaker for nothing right:) Give me an A10 all day every day. No way the Bronco takes the ADA beating that an A10 could.
“Did you know Karl, K5DI?”
I just saw the friend I previously mentioned and asked him if he knew either of the people you mentioned, and a big smile came across his face when I mentioned Karl, K5DI. So though I’m not sure if I’m familiar with Karl, my friend certainly is. There’s that saying about some number of degrees of knowing people, and I guess we’re fairly close in there! I didn’t finally move to New Mexico until ‘90 or ‘91, so our timeframes are just a bit different. It’s still a fairly small, tight knit type community in these parts, but it certainly has grown, especially the whole Cruces and El Paso area.
Karl was a colorful character. He was pretty good builder. Think his amp was a 4CX-1000 if I remember correctly. driving the grids with an Argonaut. smile.
I spent time in AZ too. Was a member of the Cochise amateur radio assoc. in Sierra Vista. Made a good number of friends there too.
But I was HF mobile every day, with UHF & VHF too. Drove a couple of million miles with a wired auto. smile. Good memories driving through the mountains in NM and AZ and working the world.
Great community.
HAWGZ RULE!!!
I’d love to have one for “Rush Hour Traffic” ;)
100%... got one of the 30mm rounds setting next to my desk
heh heh heh heh i;ll leave it to you in my will
Deal!
FRMing Our new address;)
you will of course understand if i put it off for as long as possible... 8^)
Yes Sir!
You are mistaking the OV-10 for the OV-1. The OV-10 was a fantastic platform. My instructor at VT-10/86 flew the OV-10 and I was intent on flying that platform, unfortunately it was cancelled just before our class made selections. Went EA-6B instead, but should have chosen the F/A-18D.
thanks, you are correct I stand corrected.
and thanks for your service.
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